About vanessa clark consulting
Vanessa is of Waikato descent, part of the Tainui waka confederation of indigenous Māori peoples from Aotearoa New Zealand. She hails from Te Pūaha o Waikato (commonly referred to as Port Waikato), situated an hour south of Auckland. Her affiliations to hapū (sub-tribes) along this lower stretch of the Waikato River include Ngāti Āmaru, Ngāti Tiipa and Ngāti Tahinga.
Established in 2012, Vanessa Clark Consulting leverages Vanessa's 20+ years of global experience predominantly in the information and communication technology sector.
Vanessa, as Principal, has a rich and diverse background having worked in Local Government in New Zealand early in her career, launched a start-up in Hong Kong and London, England and 10+ years in the Corporate IT sector at a large US multinational based in Sydney, Australia and San Jose, USA.
Combining her passions for technology, education and Māori economic development, Vanessa is able to offer unique insights, experiences and learnings which together, bring an exciting dimension to assisting clientele. Some notable highlights since returning to New Zealand and the Waikato region include:
Across these aspects, working alongside her own people has been and continues to be one of the most rewarding experiences of Vanessa's career to date.
Vanessa's governance experience includes Ka Hao Māori ICT Fund Development Fund Expert Advisory Group (2015), Te Māngai Pāho (2015 - 2021), and the Kāhui Māori, Science for Technological Innovation (2016). Vanessa also serves on Te Whakakitenga o Waikato (tribal authority) representing Te Kotahitanga Marae and was elected to the tribal executive, Te Arataura for 2021-2023. She is the Te Arataura ex-officio appointment to the Waikato Endowed Colleges Trust and represents Waikato-Tainui on the Joint Management Accord with Hamilton City Council.
Clientele of Vanessa Clark Consulting include start-ups, small to medium businesses, Māori organisations and public sector agencies.
Established in 2012, Vanessa Clark Consulting leverages Vanessa's 20+ years of global experience predominantly in the information and communication technology sector.
Vanessa, as Principal, has a rich and diverse background having worked in Local Government in New Zealand early in her career, launched a start-up in Hong Kong and London, England and 10+ years in the Corporate IT sector at a large US multinational based in Sydney, Australia and San Jose, USA.
Combining her passions for technology, education and Māori economic development, Vanessa is able to offer unique insights, experiences and learnings which together, bring an exciting dimension to assisting clientele. Some notable highlights since returning to New Zealand and the Waikato region include:
- Catalysing the Māori start-up community; initially through SODA Inc. a founder-led incubator, followed by Tū Ake delivered in collaboration with Tū Maia and Waikato-Tainui. She has been involved in Ahikōmako, the Centre of Māori Innovation and Entrepreneurship launched by Te Wānanga o Aotearoa in 2019.
- Opening of Te Kōpuku High, a STEM school catering to students of Māori descent with a mission to support students to realise their (inherited) greatness.
- A founding member of Te Mana Raraunga, the Māori Data Sovereignty Network, Vanessa was a part of Te Pokapu, the working group collective working with and alongside Māori communities and groups to build awareness and capability in relation to Māori data.
Across these aspects, working alongside her own people has been and continues to be one of the most rewarding experiences of Vanessa's career to date.
Vanessa's governance experience includes Ka Hao Māori ICT Fund Development Fund Expert Advisory Group (2015), Te Māngai Pāho (2015 - 2021), and the Kāhui Māori, Science for Technological Innovation (2016). Vanessa also serves on Te Whakakitenga o Waikato (tribal authority) representing Te Kotahitanga Marae and was elected to the tribal executive, Te Arataura for 2021-2023. She is the Te Arataura ex-officio appointment to the Waikato Endowed Colleges Trust and represents Waikato-Tainui on the Joint Management Accord with Hamilton City Council.
Clientele of Vanessa Clark Consulting include start-ups, small to medium businesses, Māori organisations and public sector agencies.