Our People

Toi Ora was founded by people with a lived experience of mental health challenges. Toi Ora continues to be led by people with lived experience or the experience of helping a loved one. Our staff and tutors provide emotional first aid to create a safe and inclusive environment. Most staff have Level 4 Mental Health Certifications and tutors go through Mental Heath 101 training. Our board includes people who have attended Toi Ora.

Check out opportunities to join the team as board, staff, tutor, intern or volunteer here.

Originally from Germany, she relocated to New Zealand with her Kiwi partner and dedicated her career to the for-purpose sector, following the completion of an MBA. With a great introduction to the performing arts working at Auckland Theatre Company, she led the development of the beautiful space of Q Theatre for Auckland.

Susanne then took the opportunity to serve in the social services sector, focusing on the mental health and disability sector. She has worked at Youthline, and as General Manager at Presbyterian Support Northern, she worked with Lifeline, Shine, Family Works and Enliven before leading the Fundraising team for Blind Low Vision NZ.

Susanne also serves as a Director of Creative Pathways Ltd.

Peace joined the team in 2022 as an intern for her a Level 4 Mental and Wellbeing certification at Unitec and stayed on to become Toi Ora’s Admin.

She now manages the mental health interns on placement at Toi Ora. Peace enjoys supporting tutors and artists in the studio and gallery to reach their potential. She is an expert at de-escalation and creative problem solving.

Outside of work, Peace is a top-notch gamer, volunteers with her church, and enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephews.

Joelle has a long-standing connection to Toi Ora — she first came here as a child with her dad, and remembers it as a place full of creativity, colour, and kindness. Now, as Artist Liaison, she’s excited to support others on their own creative journeys.

With a background in mental health and experience in community arts, Joelle is passionate about the power of creativity to build connection, confidence, and wellbeing. She’s worked on a wide range of inclusive art projects and brings a strong belief that everyone is creative, and everyone belongs.

At Toi Ora, Joelle is here to support artists, help classes run smoothly, and make sure the studio continues to be a welcoming, inspiring place for all.

When she’s not at Toi Ora, you might find Joelle painting, out in nature, or spending time with her whānau.

Hedieh is originally from Iran, drawn to New Zealand by her passion for cultural diversity and human connection. She completed her master’s in psychology as the first-ranked student nationally and went on to earn a PhD at the University of Auckland with a university scholarship, focusing on how parenting and culture may shape co-operation and development.

She also holds a certification in dance and movement therapy and believes in the healing power of creative expression. Hedieh integrates psychology and movement to support children and adults across diverse communities.

Research remains a central passion in Hedieh’s work. Within the organisation, she explores the needs and strengths of our artists and communities to help shape inclusive, responsive programmes grounded in the connection between mental health and the creative wellbeing.

Rose joined Toi Ora in 2024 as a grant writer and is now transitioning into the role of Communications and Fundraising.

She’s looking forward to taking on the challenge of raising Toi Ora’s brand awareness to support funding. Through grant writing, she has seen Toi Ora’s value and how creativity can save and transform lives.

Before coming to Toi Ora she held various communications and marketing positions for not-for-profits such as Starship Foundation and Blind Low Vision NZ (where she first met Susanne, although we swear we have seen each other before that but can’t pin down where…)

Rose works remotely from Mexico where she is living her dream of learning Spanish fluently. 

Katy brings strategic change and transformation leadership experience across public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, both in Aotearoa and internationally. She helps people connect for courageous conversations, building trust and reciprocity, cross-functional innovation and sustainable change.

Katy works in tertiary education, leading strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing student experience and improving outcomes for current and future learners. Over the past 15 years, she has led impact-focused change initiatives within central and local government, strategic foresight and innovation work programmes and partnership development.

Katy serves on the board of Auckland Pride, where she advocates for and supports the regeneration and empowerment of Takatāpui and LGBTQIA+ communities. This role complements involvement with Toi Ora, reflecting her commitment to the arts as a space for hauora / holistic wellbeing, self-expression, self-determination, inclusivity, and belonging.

Katy holds postgraduate qualifications in Management and Sustainability, with a focus on Māori and Indigenous resource issues, sustainable human resource and change management, and sustainable futures.

Farhana Khan is a legal professional with seven years’ experience in the public sector in New Zealand and the United Kingdom in regulatory compliance. She also has experience in human rights law including historic physical and sexual abuse claims and Māori land law and currently works in refugee law.

She was the founder and director of an interior design social enterprise which employed women from former refugee backgrounds. Farhana also has a background in Indian classical dance and is a graduate of the New Zealand Academy of Bharata Natyam.

Wayne Ferguson is the CEO of an NGO providing support services to children and families. He has wide ranging international leadership and work experience gained in the UK, New Zealand, Japan and Australia.

Over the past 30 years Wayne has enjoyed working within the non-government sector leading service development for vulnerable children and their families. He brings a strong sense of social justice and a commitment to creating inclusive and accessible environments where people are valued in order to thrive and achieve their goals. He has extensive experience of setting up and developing high quality foster care, family support and community services that are responsive to meet local needs.

Wayne has a Master of Science in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy from the University of Bristol and has previously worked as a clinician and manager in child protection, child and family mental health, youth addictions and child bereavement services.