Our presenters

Daniel knows pretty much all there is to know about boning and using meat products. He is passionate about teaching others to have the skills he has spent a lifetime learning and using. He believes if people learn to bone out their own meat then they'll learn how to save money, make healthy food and use these skills for themselves.

Daniel has trained apprentices, owned his own business and has been working as a butcher for his whole life.

Dr Debra Fraser PhD is a Mindbody therapist, supervisor, group facilitator and researcher (previously a Health Psychologist).

Join Debra on this workshop exploring the most up-to-date models and practices for living a more present, resilient, thriving life. With more than 35 years’ experience in the health, pain, and trauma field she offers a wealth of information and practical knowledge. This workshop provides the theory, tools, and strategies needed to begin to address and change some of what stops you leading a more fulfilling life.

Affiliations - PGDipPsychPrac, MA (Psych), MNZ Psych Society, MNZ InstHealth Psych, MNZ Pain Society, Assoc Mber Waka Oranga (National Collective of Mãori Psychotherapy Practitioners).

Donna Banicevich Gera is a Wellington-based writer.

She has a BA (Hons) in English, Theatre, Film & Media Studies, an Advanced Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing, a Certificate in Writing for Documentary, a Certificate in International Theatre Directing, and an MA in Creative Writing (Scriptwriting) from the International Institute of Modern Letters, Victoria University of Wellington.

Donna’s work has been produced for radio, page, stage, and screen, with her stage plays being presented in New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Austria, and USA. Her main area of interest is writing of other cultures, telling migrant stories, exploring themes of lost identity, and developing work with a strong multi-cultural feel.

She has had several overseas artists’ residencies, and attended many offshore workshops, seminars and conferences, enabling her to acquire knowledge and write outside of her native homeland.

In addition to her own writing, Donna teaches writing workshops and is experienced in motivating others to achieve their goals - creative, academic, and professional. She is inspired by her students exploring the creative power of the imagination.

 ‘One never goes as far when one knows where one is going’ - Christopher Columbus

Eduardo, 33 years old, is from Mexico.  He started working at a very young age in his father’s workshop, where they manufactured aluminium doors and windows and learned the importance of manual work which, without knowing it, was the first stage of his professional life.

The family business changed and moved to retail sales like his grandfather who had a retail store for construction materials. There he learned the basic skills about construction, materials and techniques that he applied regularly to improve his home or work place. Now after a whole life he graduated as a mechatronics engineer and MBA. He continues to improve the family business in his country and now is grateful to be here to continue his development as a professional.

Elisa Di Napoli aka Elyssa Vulpes (stage name)

Is a mindset coach, a hypnotherapist and a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter, recording artist and producer with a background in philosophy, comparative religion, music and acting.

She is also the best-selling author of the book, online course and podcast Dare to Be Seen, which helps artists and speakers command the stage, magnify their presence and defeat stage nerves so they can share their gifts with a larger audience and shine their unique light on the world.

Under the moniker Elyssa Vulpes she has produced 12 albums of original compositions with a focus on inner transformation through sometimes dark and atmospheric, sometimes comedic storytelling.

She also specialises in helping artists who need to find a way forward, get their project going or figure out how to turn their creative, artistic or performance skills into a new venture.

She is committed to forming deep connections, delving into uncomfortable truths and exploring authentic self-expression.

She has been featured on radio, podcasts, blogs and online magazines. 

Qualifications:

BAHonours in Comparative Religion by SOAS, The University of London

Diploma in Advanced Hypnotherapy by Hypnotherapy Institute of Northern California

Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma by the National Hypnotherapy Council (UK)

Diploma of Hypnotic Coaching by Anglo European College of Therapeutic Hypnosis

Graduate Diploma Electronic Music Composition and Performance by Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand)

Diploma Art and Creativity by The Learning Connexion (Wellington, New Zealand)

Currently studying for and Advanced Professional Certificate in Songwriting with Berklee School of Music .

In addition to this she has studied EFT as well as Cognitive Behaviour Hypnotherapy with the Anglo European College of Hypnosis (UK) and is dedicated to attending regular CPD courses in this fields. She is an accredited certified member of NCH  and undergoes regular confidential supervision with the Lothian Hypnotherapy Network . She is the creator of free online personal development youtube channels Holistic Hypnotherapy NLP and Coaching and  “Elisadinapoli.com

Group Tutoring experience:

Dare to Be Seen Online Course

Self-hypnosis for beginners

Guided meditations for the development of emotional healing and mindfulness.

Coaching website www.elisadinapoli.com

Music website www.elyssavulpes.com

Clay has been part of my life in the past 20 years. Everyday we touch and use objects, when they are made by hand from natural resources it elevates our daily tasks to ritual. I enjoy the meditative wheel throwing production as well as the peaceful hand-building process. I truly believe that using hand-made pottery makes food and drinks taste better. 

I make a wide range of domestic-ware with the focus on an earthy appearance using a matt deep colour expression. I use stoneware clay and mix my own glazes.  

The majority of my hand-built pieces are textured slab vases in a variety of shapes and sizes. The vases offer a unique display for flowers, but also can be used as a piece of art on their own. 

More information about exhibitions and outlets can be found on my website www.galitmaxwell.com or my Facebook page.  My instagram @galitmaxwell is my most up-to-date visual platform.

Ha came to New Zealand in early 2011 to pursue her post-graduate studies in Economics and Statistics after over 15 years as a university lecturer in Vietnam. She is a mother of 2 kids who loves cooking authentic Vietnamese cuisine every day. She has great passion to preserve Vietnamese culture for Vietnamese children in New Zealand.

She founded VietKidsNZ, a program to preserve Vietnamese language and culture, in 2014 and has been the leader so far. https://www.facebook.com/VietKidsNZ.

She used to be a chef for a restaurant in Wellington and was responsible for creating the menus, ordering ingredients and cooking Vietnamese food; a head chef for huge lunar new year parties for over 300 Vietnamese participants organized by Vietnamese embassy in Wellington and a chef for the Vietnamese Food Stall in ASEAN festival in Wellington. 

Helen Vvienne Fletcher is a widely published children’s and young adult author, storyteller and award-winning playwright. She has written an impressive collection of books for everyone from preschoolers to adult readers. Her work has won and been shortlisted for numerous writing competitions, including being named Outstanding New Playwright at the Wellington Theatre Awards, making the shortlist for the Storylines Joy Cowley Award, and the finalist list for the Ngaio Marsh Best First Book Award.

Helen has worked in many jobs, doing everything from theatre stage management to phone counselling. She discovered her passion for writing for young people while working as a youth support worker, and now helps children find their own passion for storytelling through her work as a creative writing tutor and storytime fairy.

 She lives in Wellington with her disability assistance dog, Bindi – a five-year-old, playful Labrador who loves soft toys, cuddles, and can fit three tennis balls in her mouth at once.

 Overall, Helen just loves telling stories and is always excited when people want to read or hear them.

 You can find more about Helen’s children’s classes at www.brainbunny.co.nz and more about her writing at www.helenvfletcher.com 

Hiro moved to New Zealand from Japan in 2017. In his spare time he likes to play computer games as well as learn how to cook new dishes. He has previously volunteered at the New Zealand Blood Service.

Though he is not yet fully fluent in English, he is still studying and tries his best to understand the people around him.

Hiro has experience teaching Japanese to students ranging from 7 years of age to adults. He strives to make his classes interesting and engaging for his students as well as keeping the lessons relevant to student needs and giving fun cultural facts about Japan.