Our presenters

Lachman holds a Graduate Certificate in Education and Bachelor of Science degree with major in Mathematics. He taught mathematics in secondary schools at the senior level for 15 years and for the last 19 years has been a Microsoft application trainer with a number of IT training companies in Wellington.  He has been teaching all the Microsoft application courses in the Adult Education programme at Onslow College, and now Wellington High, for over 10 years.

Currently, he is the manager and senior trainer at softTRAIN Ltd, an IT training company.

His other interests are travelling, photography and chess.

Larissa is a designer and artist from Wellington. She has a Bachelor of Design with Honours from Massey University. Previously she spent 15 years in administration where her love of paper supplies began!

Two of Larissa’s greatest inspirations are nature and nostalgia, with a particular interest in how objects age and change over time. She believes there is much to be gained from looking at second hand objects with a fresh perspective. She has a passion for creating beautiful, quirky keepsakes with found resources instead of virgin materials.

Larissa has facilitated classes in card making, mending, toy making, creating fabric jewellery from recycled clothing, and now junk journaling. She has run her own creative brand, Empriss, for five years designing and selling unique and sustainable toys, giftcards, jewellery and keepsakes.

You can visit Instagram to see Larissa’s designs and quirky creations!

Madeleine Taylor is a parent of three boys in their early 20s who started her professional life as a social worker in Health and Mental Health and now works as a People Skills Consultant. 

Madeleine is an accomplished workshop facilitator and long-time trainer of Negotiation and Conflict Management. Madeleine trained with Jean Illesly Clarke, co-author of “How Much is Enough? Everything You Need to Know to Steer Clear of Overindulgence and Raise Likeable, Responsible and Respectful Children" and is passionate about sharing this knowledge with you.

Madeleine works as a facilitator, executive coach, trainer and professional supervisor in workplace.

She is a:

• Parent Educator and Coach
• Adult Trainer 
• Mediator and Facilitator  of Conflict
• Executive Coach
• Restorative Justice Facilitator
• Mother of three sons

Malcolm Sime in New Zealand’s first Bob Ross certified instructor and he thrives on helping people to create an oil painting using the Bob Ross technique.

My name is Manjula Patel and I have been teaching cooking for 25 years. I was born in Nairobi, East Africa and moved to England at the age of nine. Although I was born and raised in an Indian community, I developed a passion for cooking through being exposed to many different cultures.

Being an outgoing person, I love entertaining friends and family and bring a positive attitude to all my classes.

Margaret Elliot was born in Wanganui and gained a BSc in Chemistry, followed by a Diploma of Fine Arts in Painting at the University of Canterbury.

She has exhibited throughout New Zealand in solo and group shows in both public and dealer galleries and has received several awards and grants, most notably the "Artists to Antarctica" Fellowship in 1998. 

She has works in private and public collections both here and overseas. Margaret has taught art and craft courses at the CEC for over 30 years and enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for, and experience of, the art of drawing.  

For more information visit:     http://www.margaretelliot.co.nz   

Matt Brittain is a dynamic facilitator with a diverse background shaped by unique challenges and relentless determination. As a neurodivergent individual who initially struggled in traditional educational settings, he embarked on a remarkable journey to carve his own path to success and fulfilment. Starting from humble beginnings, including long hours packing biscuits in a factory, Matt’s career trajectory evolved into impactful roles spanning corporate, government, and NGO sectors, as well as international development and mental health. He has excelled in various capacities as a manager, analyst, advisor, project manager, innovator, and mental health professional in these sectors for over 20 years.

 Driven by a profound love of learning and personal experiences, Matt discovered a unique system that empowered him to thrive. His educational pursuits led him to earn a BA in psychology, which laid the foundation for further academic achievements. He later pursued and completed a Masters in Health Psychology, enhancing his understanding of human behaviour and mental health. Additionally, Matt embarked on a journey as an intern psychologist, gaining valuable insights into clinical practice and further deepening his passion for empowering individuals.

 Matt’s true calling emerged after his lived experience, which ignited a passion for empowering individuals to overcome challenges and realize their potential. Despite facing unexpected adversity, including a manic episode with psychosis that reshaped his life, Matt’s resilience and deep understanding of psychology enabled him to navigate through the darkness and emerge stronger than ever.

Through his compelling story, deep practical and academic knowledge, passion and sense of humour, Matt inspires others to embrace their unique journeys and harness the power of resilience and self-discovery to create positive change in their lives and communities.

Mei-Fen is a trained teacher. She uses effective language teaching methodologies that enhance learning and adapts her teaching to suit her students’ needs. Mei-Fen provides a supportive and fun environment for her students to learn.

She has over 20 years experience teaching Chinese Mandarin at all levels (from beginner to advanced) and to a wide age group (from children to adults). Mei-Fen is a fluent speaker in 6 languages - English, Mandarin and four other Chinese Dialects. She understands some Japanese.

What students say:

I am a NZ qualified teacher and have taught French as well as other subjects to all ages of students including adults. Because of my teaching background, I tend to be very critical of teachers of courses I attend, especially language courses.

Your teaching of the Chinese Mandarin Intro 1 class was excellent - the best I have experienced for a once a week course. Your mix of oral practice, conversation and grammar provides a good basis for anyone new to Mandarin and is varied enough to keep the class engaged for the full time each week.

Mike Styles is the National Specialist – Literacy and Numeracy for the Primary Industry Training Organisation, and a Dyslexia Practitioner in his private life beyond work.

Under Mike's leadership, the Primary ITO has initiated a major support regime to support staff members in the primary sector who have learning differences like dyslexia.

Mike has led a number of national research projects that explored the best way to support adults with dyslexia in education, training and in the workplace.  He has presented the findings of this research at conferences in the United Kingdom, Italy and Australia.  The results of the latest research project can be found on the Ako Aotearoa website.

Mike is an experienced facilitator and runs workshops for Ako Aotearoa and other organisations on learning differences. He's a member of the British Dyslexia Association and has written articles for international publications about dyslexia.

You can check out Mikes background on his website www.dyslexia-consulting.com