Matahana Tikao Calman
Senior Research Executive
Matahana’s passion for research was sparked during her studies in Cultural Anthropology and Indigenous Studies at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Her career began at Verian NZ (formerly Kantar Public), where she honed her qualitative research skills, collaborating with government clients across diverse sectors, including the Ministry of Health, Ministry for Culture and Heritage, and Ministry for Housing and Urban Development.
She then moved client-side, contributing to a work programme within the New Zealand Police, where her role focused on evaluating engagement practices with communities impacted by hate crime. As a freelance researcher, Matahana played a key role in the ‘Love Better’ campaign for the Ministry of Social Development and Verian NZ, aimed at preventing harmful relationships among young people - this received the Supreme Award at the Research Association of New Zealand (RANZ) awards.
Matahana is driven by a deep curiosity for culture—exploring what connects us and what makes us unique.