Hawke's Bay Maori Business Network 

Overview

The Hawke's Bay Maori Business Network (HBMBN) is an informal group of local Maori in business who came together in 2008. The group was established as the result of research undertaken by EIT Hawke's Bay on the training needs of Maori businesses in the area which identified networking as a valuable form of contact for Maori in business.

Our values are

• Whanaungatanga – relationship-building
• Manaakitanga – supporting each other by sharing information, ideas and referrals
• Rangatiratanga – collectively promoting Maori business in Hawke's Bay  

The network's purpose is to

• foster Maori enterprise development in the region 
• promote the role of Maori business and the contribution it makes to the regional economy 
• support the training needs of Maori in business within a cultural context 
• facilitate access to existing business support services.

The key stakeholder relationships for the network include

• other MBNs 
• business support services such as the Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce 
• government agencies such as TPK, FoRST, tertiary institutions, NZTE, Poutama Trust 
• Maori community groups such as Maori land incorporations, trusts and authorities 
• the iwi authority 
• other business owners.

The role of the network is to

• provide a forum for members to meet informally on a regular basis 
• lobby and advocate on behalf of members with central and local government as necessary 
• communicate regularly with members on events, services and activities with the potential to support business and economic growth.

Our objectives are:

• to foster Māori enterprise development in the region 
• promote the role of Māori business and the contribution it makes to the regional economy 
• support the training needs of Māori in business within a cultural context 
• facilitate access to existing business support services 
• assist members to generate business growth and referrals for their businesses

We aim to achieve these objectives through fortnightly breakfast meetings, regular events, dinners and conferences, a website presence, professional affiliation with the Chamber of Commerce and other bodies and a range of promotional activities such as business expo's. The network also acts as a central point for those wanting to establish contact with Maori business in the region. Our monthly newsletter reaches over one hundred Maori businesses.

The network is chaired by Jason Fox, and the Coordinator is Chan Collin.
Our contact details are:
Hawke's Bay Maori Business Network
Phone: 06 876 5938
Mob: 027 5401 027
Email: hbmbn@xtra.co.nz
Postal address: PO Box 144, Hastings 4156