Rachel Petero is committed to transforming lives and helping indigenous women rise as world-class leaders, coaches and entrepreneurs.
Petero is the Founder and CEO of Rise Global, a 100 percent Māori and indigenous owned and operated organisation focused on enhancing mana, feeding ambition, and empowering women to dream big and do well through its development programmes.
Rise provides safe spaces where indigenous women are no longer the minority, with Petero describing its global community as vibrant, thriving, and all about connection.
With over 15 years’ experience in human resources, coaching, and business, she returned to Aotearoa New Zealand after 16 years abroad and noticed a gap in the market for leadership development programmes which integrated indigenous coaching.
“I came from the International Coach Federation, which has over 23,000 registered professional coaches in its database. I couldn’t help noticing that within the twenty-billion-dollar coaching industry, there was no dedicated space for me as an indigenous coach.
“I began to ask myself, where is my world view in this industry?”
Launched at Parliament in 2015 with assistance from Māori Women Development Inc, Petero says Rise is built on ancestral mātauranga (Māori knowledge) that has been woven together and into a contemporary context so it is applicable not only to Māori, but all indigenous wāhine.
Today, the organisation offers three professional and personal courses, each enlightened by indigeneity: Tahi is a first of its kind coach training programme, where students master core skills through the Tupu Tahi coaching model which means to grow together as one; Tōpū is focussed on a collective leadership model, helping indigenous women to focus on their strengths and grow cultural confidence; and Hiwa is its e-commerce programme, setting indigenous women up for success with the tools to support the launch of their own e-commerce store.
Petero says the design and structure of each course means the business can facilitate its indigenous-led leadership programmes across the globe, with its online platform making courses universally accessible.
“It’s important that our courses are globally relevant. Through a Tahi indigenous coach training journey for example, you start from your whenua or the land where you come from. Throughout your development and as you grow through Tahi, metaphorically your personal growth is linked to the growth of a rākau or tree, which then joins the collective forest of other coaches.
“By taking this indigenous approach, we ensure that women feel empowered and connected to their rākau, their whenua and their growing forest. Coaching and the connection to Te Tai Ao or the natural world is powerful.”
With a near 50/50 split of local and international clients, Rise is making strides overseas and is starting to see interest emerge from a variety of different markets. It has well-established connections in Canada through its partnership with Indigenous Leadership Development Institute Inc. The business is also on the rise in Samoa, where it has trained local women to deliver the Hiwa e-commerce business programme.
“It’s crucial that we support our whānau in the Pacific Islands,” Petero says.
“Right now, we are focused on increasing access to world-class training in digital technology and e-commerce through our delivery of Hiwa in Samoa. We have also launched IWI Indigenous Women in Industry, and will host 500 Indigenous women right here in Aotearoa from February 4th to 10th 2024.”
When asked about Rise’s decision to join the FernMark Licence Programme in 2022, Petero says as soon as she heard more about its unique benefits, it became a no-brainer.
“When the opportunity to join FernMark first came about I thought, we are global, so why shouldn’t we have this as a tohu or sign that we are connected to New Zealand? We are proudly Māori and we are proudly ambassadors for the amazing things that come from Aotearoa.”
While Rise does not export a physical product, the business shares the FernMark and its values in brochures promoting its Tahi, Tōpū, and Hiwa courses – ensuring the story of Aotearoa is woven throughout the business. With this, says Petero, comes a mindset shift about the mana behind the FernMark.
“It’s more than credibility, it’s about growing relationships. To Rise, the FernMark is a mark of global connection, and we wear it proudly.”