Our Speakers
Our Speakers
The good humans who support our mission and give their time to share their knowledge.
Jose Cranfield
Jose brings water chemistry expertise and a passion for resilient communities, connecting people and ideas at WAI Wānaka to protect our lakes and streams.
Guy Shaw
Guy is the founder and director of Energy Architecture NZ, as well as the treasurer for the Passive House Institute New Zealand (PHINZ) and Air Permeability Testing NZ (APTNZ).
Emma Brockie
Emma is the Sustainability Advisor at Queenstown Lakes District Council, leading the implementation and engagement of community focussed actions in QLDC’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan.
Delia Bellaby
Delia is the current Chair of the Earth Building Association of NZ, EBANZ, and believes that natural building techniques have the power to transform the current building industry within a sustainable circular economy.
Lauren Boyd
Lauren is a Senior Planetary Accountant at The Planetary Accounting Network where she leads Planetary Accounting for the built environment workstream; making it easier for the construction sector to understand the environmental impact of materials.
Trish Love
Trish, a Mechanical Building Services Engineer turned sustainable design consultant, established Tricia Love Consultants in 2001 and also lectures at UNITEC and facilitates certification programmes.
Vicki Spearing
Vicki, a top agent at NZ Sotheby’s International Realty, founded Bellbird Developments to advocate for energy-efficient homes and thriving communities with sustainable real estate solutions.
Sam Stubbs
Sam Stubbs is the co-founder of Simplicity, one of NZ’s fastest growing KiwiSaver plans. Sam was previously CEO of Tower Investments. Sam is a father of four children who dreams about simplicity and sailing around the world.
Campbell McNeill
Campbell, Director at ahha Architecture, has 12 years of experience in architecture, focusing on urban regeneration, design, and education. He leads Ecology and Health + Wellbeing at ahha and is training in the International Well Building Standard.
Katherine Buttar
Kath, Senior Sustainability Advisor for Queenstown Lakes District Council, specialises in waste management and sustainability strategies, focusing on community-led solutions for a circular and regenerative future.
Katrine Gellatly
Kat is a sustainability consultant based in Alexandra who exclusively works with Breen Construction and Homes. She has played a pivotal role in guiding Breen's sustainability initiatives, including implementing ISO 26000, developing carbon reduction targets, and monitoring the company's environmental performance.
Aaron Thulé
Aaron Thulé, a UC Berkeley graduate, has worked in politics, law, and disaster relief. Now in Wānaka, he drives sustainable community transitions with Wao Aotearoa.
Mike Baker
Mike Baker, TMCo’s Managing Director, is a chartered engineer, Green Star Accredited Professional, NABERSNZ Assessor, and Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority partner. He’ll lead the Carbon Counting workshop at Wao Summit 2024.
Ben Hunter
Ben Hunter, a senior Hydraulic and Mechanical engineer at TMCo Queenstown, brings extensive experience in net-zero carbon designs and advanced building services from Ireland and Canada.
Jo Underwood
Jo, a Wānaka-based Registered Architect, specializes in sustainable, high-performance design for residential and commercial projects, including Passive House and Homestar, both in NZ and abroad.
Stephan Mäusli
Stephan, Managing Director at Hector Egger New Zealand, has extensive experience in construction and prefabricated timber. He delivers high-tech timber solutions for diverse building projects.
Tony Calder
Tony, Director at ahha Architecture, is a carpenter and designer who focuses on enhancing functionality by understanding human, environmental, and technical needs. He combines buildability with material knowledge to create optimal solutions.
Arthur Lee
Arthur is the Sustainability and Development Officer at Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust. He specialises in Passive House design and carbon assessment, focusing on high-performance residential developments.
Julia Blackford
Julia, a food scientist with 20 years’ experience, specialises in plant-based products, sustainability, food resilience, and food systems amid the climate and energy crisis.