Co-founder and CEO of Nau Mai Rā, 2022 Young NZer of the Year

Overview

Ezra Hirawani is the co-founder and CEO of Nau Mai Rā, Aotearoa's first kaupapa Māori electricity retailer, and the 2022 Kiwibank Young New Zealander of the Year. A purpose-driven entrepreneur from Kirikiriroa, Ezra is rewriting what a power company can look like, helping whānau out of power poverty in the spirit of manaakitanga.

Who is Ezra Hirawani? Ezra (Waikato Tainui, Ngāpuhi and others, and Samoan on his mother's side) co-founded Nau Mai Rā in June 2019 with long-time friend Ben Armstrong. The company doesn't run credit checks, never disconnects a paying customer and channels a share of every bill into a Whānau Fund for households in power hardship. He reconnected with his Māori heritage after a life-changing conversation in China about te reo.

Career Highlights • 2022 Kiwibank Young New Zealander of the Year • Co-founder and CEO of Nau Mai Rā since 2019 • Founder of Aotearoa's first and only kaupapa Māori electricity retailer • Built Nau Mai Rā into one of the lowest debt-ratio retailers in NZ electricity • Raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Whānau Fund to combat power poverty • Featured by RNZ, NZ Herald and TVNZ as a leading social entrepreneur

Key Speaking Themes • Kaupapa Māori business and indigenous innovation • Energy hardship and "power as a right, not a privilege" • Social enterprise and pay-it-forward business models • Reconnecting with te ao Māori and identity • Purpose-driven leadership and young entrepreneurship

What Your Audience Will Gain Ezra is humble, grounded and clear-eyed about what's broken — and what's possible. Audiences leave with a sharper sense of what it means to lead with values and build a business that puts people before profits.

Ideal For • Māori business and iwi events • Sustainability, energy and social enterprise conferences • Leadership and CEO summits • Universities, youth and education events • Diversity, equity and inclusion forums

Frequently Asked Questions...

What does Ezra Hirawani speak about? Kaupapa Māori business, social enterprise, energy hardship, identity and purpose-driven leadership.

What is Nau Mai Rā? Aotearoa's first kaupapa Māori electricity retailer, founded by Ezra in 2019 to help end power poverty.

How does Nau Mai Rā work? Customers pay a fair price for what they use, with a portion of every bill going to a charity of choice or a Whānau Fund that helps households struggling to pay.

What awards has Ezra Hirawani won? He was named the 2022 Kiwibank Young New Zealander of the Year for his work combating power poverty.

What is Ezra Hirawani's background? Ezra is of Māori and Samoan descent and reconnected with te ao Māori after living in China before co-founding Nau Mai Rā with Ben Armstrong.
Is Ezra Hirawani available for keynotes and panels? Yes. Ezra is regularly booked as a keynote, panellist and MC at business, sustainability and Māori leadership events.