I'm Fania Kapao — a Cook Island and Samoan woman building at the intersection of leadership, public service, business, and creativity. Based in Avondale, Auckland.
My work lives at the intersection of leadership, public service, business, creativity, and community. At 24, I'm an elected Whau Local Board member, the founder of Maara.Co, and a lifelong learner with an insatiable curiosity.
Whether I'm writing, advising, launching ventures, or exploring new ideas, I'm driven by one question: How can we build a better future?
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Most people look to national politics when they want to change the world. But the real action — the decisions that shape your street, your park, your community — happens right here.
There's something we've always known. It's time to write it down.
Urgency is a feature, not a flaw.
A consulting and advisory studio working with organisations, communities, and leaders across Aotearoa. Strategy, facilitation, and meaningful change.
Active · ConsultingElected member serving Avondale and surrounding communities. Working on local policy, public space, and connecting residents to decision-making.
Active · Public ServiceA growing collection of free resources — templates, guides, essays — for people who want to lead, build, and think better.
Ongoing · ResourcesI work with organisations, leaders, and changemakers who want to think more clearly, move more strategically, and build things that actually matter. If that sounds like you — let's talk.
Get in touchStrategic thinking and advisory support for organisations working across community, government, and social impact sectors.
Talks on leadership, local government, Pacific perspectives, entrepreneurship, and what it means to build in public.
Facilitating conversations that move — strategy sessions, community engagement, leadership development.
Open to co-creation, partnerships, and ventures that align with my values. Let's explore what's possible.
Fania has a rare ability to see both the big picture and the lived experience of people on the ground. Her thinking changed how we approached our community strategy entirely.
Working with Fania felt like having a strategic thought partner who genuinely cared about the outcome. She asks better questions than most consultants I've worked with.
Her keynote was the highlight of our leadership hui. Fania speaks with a grounded confidence that you don't often see — she left the room inspired and thinking differently.
A practical guide to genuine community engagement that goes beyond the tick-box process.
Books, essays, and ideas that have shaped my thinking on leadership from a Pacific perspective.
The no-fluff starter guide I wish I'd had when I launched Maara.Co. Real steps, real considerations.
A short framework for thinking through big choices — built from experience, not theory.
What it actually is, how it works, and why it matters more than you might think.
Why putting your thinking into words makes you a sharper thinker — and a more influential one.
Whether you're interested in working together, attending a speaking event, commissioning a piece, or simply want to connect — my inbox is open.