Conversations With Wāhine

Sophie and Harita interview Kate McDonald.
If you’ve ever walked into a crowded room in Wellington and felt the electric, collective buzz of people talking about books, ideas, and storytelling, chances are today's guest helped build that room. Kate McDonald is the Co-Director of Verb Wellington, the creative force behind the beloved Verb Readers & Writers Festival and the iconic LitCrawl.
Kate’s journey is a masterclass in creative leadership. She started at Verb six years ago as a volunteer, working her way up through many roles in the organization. Combined with years of experience coordinating events at the legendary Unity Books Wellington, Kate has a rare, ground-level understanding of what makes a literary community truly thrive.
Today, she co-leads Verb alongside Gabrielle Vincent, championing inclusive spaces, amplifying marginalized voices, and reimagining how we gather to celebrate stories.
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Sophie and Harita interview Ricardo Menendez March.
When we look at the state of politics today, it's easy to get caught up in the daily media cycle—the quick soundbites, the political sparring, and the surface-level debates. But every now and then, you encounter a leader whose entire life story functions as a direct challenge to the status quo.
Ricardo is a Green Party List MP based in Mt Albert, Auckland, but his path to the halls of Parliament in Wellington was anything but traditional. Born and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, he moved to New Zealand as a young adult, working his way through the hospitality and care sectors. He experienced firsthand what it means to survive on a low income, face the anxieties of the immigration system, and witness the systemic gaps in our social safety net.
Instead of letting those hardships isolate him, Ricardo channeled them into fierce, grassroots activism. As a coordinator for Auckland Action Against Poverty, he became a relentless voice for the marginalized, arguing that poverty is not a personal failure, but a deliberate political choice.
Now, as the Green Party’s spokesperson for Social Development and Employment, he is taking that fight directly to the government. Whether he is championing a Universal Basic Income, fighting automated welfare decision-making, or advocating for migrant worker protections, Ricardo’s definition of being "radical" means going straight to the root of the problem.
 In this conversation, we’re stepping away from the 30-second news clips to look at the bigger picture. We explore what it really takes to move from the streets to the select committees, how his personal identity shapes his politics, and how he maintains the audacity to dream of a more equitable Aotearoa in a highly polarized political climate.  This is the second time we've interviewed Ricardo.  We interviewed him in the lead up to the 2023 elections and it was great to chat about his life as well as what has happened in those 3 years since we last interviewed him.
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Harita interviews Nancy Lu.
Nancy is a Member of the New Zealand Parliament representing the National Party, a distinguished chartered accountant, and a dedicated advocate for diverse communities and working families. Bringing a unique blend of high-level corporate expertise, Ivy League public administration training, and deep-rooted bicultural insight to the New Zealand Parliament, Nancy represents a modern generation of leadership focused on building a resilient, prosperous, and economically sound future for all New Zealanders.
Born in China, Nancy migrated to New Zealand with her parents in 1997 at the age of nine, settling in Auckland. She grew up within the local kiwi education system, attending Avondale Primary School, Pakuranga Intermediate, and Macleans College. Her stellar academic journey laid a strong foundation for her career, beginning at the University of Auckland, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, earning First Class Honours in International Business alongside a double major in Accounting. Years later, committed to expanding her governance and policymaking expertise, she advanced her education internationally, completing a Master in Public Administration (MPA) at the prestigious Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Before entering public service, Nancy established herself as a formidable finance professional and commercial strategist. A Chartered Accountant by profession, she spent years working in New Zealand, Hong Kong, and mainland China across premier global auditing firms and major commercial enterprises. Her extensive corporate portfolio includes professional tenures at PwC and Ernst & Young (EY), financial management roles at Fonterra, and strategic expertise within the international shipping and retail trade sectors. Furthermore, she contributed directly to local government development by serving as a chief financial strategist for the Auckland Council, balancing complex public financial management with community-focused growth initiatives.
Nancy’s entry into formal politics was preceded by nearly a decade of active, grassroots involvement within the National Party, where she served on the National Professional Committee and contributed to community engagement initiatives. Following her election to Parliament, she has brought her commercial acumen directly to central government, serving diligently on the Finance and Expenditure Committee and taking on roles such as the Deputy Chair of the Regulations Review Committee. Her legislative priorities are heavily focused on reducing the cost of living, optimizing international trade opportunities, cutting unnecessary regulatory red tape, and advocating for impactful investments in education, healthcare, and ethnic community mental health services.
As a trilingual leader fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese, Nancy bridges cultural and economic divides, actively strengthening relationships between government bodies, export businesses, and diverse migrant communities. Residing in Auckland with her husband and family, she balances the demands of parliamentary life with the responsibilities of being a proud working mother. Nancy remains deeply committed to ensuring that New Zealand remains a safe, ambitious, and opportunity-rich home capable of nurturing successive generations to achieve their full potential.
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Harita and her brother Avinash interview Mariameno Kapa-Kingi
Mariameno Kapa‑Kingi has strong whakapapa connections across Te Aupōuri, Ngāpuhi nui tonu, Waikato and Te Whānau‑ā‑Apanui.
She is the Member of Parliament for Te Tai Tokerau, but her journey to Parliament has been grounded in lifelong service to iwi Māori, hapū and whānau – particularly māmā and wāhine.
Before entering Parliament, Mariameno worked extensively on the frontline with Ngāti Hine Health Trust, in Whānau Ora, suicide prevention, Oranga Tamariki, the former Department of Social Welfare, Rape Crisis, and as Chief Executive of Te Aupōuri.
She follows in the footsteps of her tupuna, Eparaima Kapa, who served in the 11th Parliament from 1891 to 1893. Her leadership is guided by what she calls “mokopuna decisions” – always asking whether the choices made today will leave a better future for generations to come.
Note: this interview was recorded in April, prior to the announcement of her new political party
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Harita and Suravi interview Sashi Perera.
Sashi is a Sri Lankan-Australian comedian, writer, and self-described 'recovering lawyer'. For a decade, Sashi worked across the globe as an international refugee lawyer for the UN. Then, she made the bold choice to change her life completely. After calling off a destination wedding at the last minute and moving to Melbourne, she fell into stand-up comedy and quickly became an online sensation. She was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and recently released her acclaimed debut memoir, Standstill. We dive into career reinvention, finding your voice, and why life is full of unexpected windows. 
You can follow her on Instagram here: Instagram
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