Te Aka Matua is IndigiShare’s flagship business development programme, designed to support Māori entrepreneurs in building sustainable and impactful pakihi (businesses). With support from the Booster Foundation, Te Aka Matua transforms participant’s business ideas into reality through group wānanga and one-on-one mentoring across a six-week programme.

IndigiShare engaged Mint and Honey to launch and promote Te Aka Matua, ensuring the programme’s design and execution aligned with IndigiShare’s kaupapa Māori values while effectively reaching the programme’s niche target audience. To achieve this, we applied our expertise in systems development to create and implement robust infrastructure, ensuring seamless and sustainable delivery while utilising our branding and marketing expertise to execute a multi-channel strategic campaign, resulting in strong local impact and engagement.

To support the seamless delivery of Te Aka Matua, Mint and Honey developed several foundational systems enhancing the programme’s operational efficiency and ensuring scalability for future cohorts, strengthening the programme’s sustainability and long-term impact.

With a digital-first approach, Mint and Honey built an embedded application form within the IndigiShare website to to capture key applicant details, such as their business stage, sector, and market visibility. This simple, user-friendly form reduced barriers to entry while syncing data with IndigiShare’s EDM database to opt applicants into programme updates and support future iterations with data-driven insights.

Successful applicants used an online acceptance form to digitally sign a code of conduct and terms of participation, streamlining onboarding and reducing administrative tasks. This form’s data was then integrated with IndigiShare’s CRM platform, automating participant onboarding and enabling efficient programme logistics management.

To evaluate the programme’s impact, a post-programme survey utilising the Net Promoter Score (NPS) system was distributed to gather participant feedback. This survey provided actionable insights into satisfaction and effectiveness, supporting continuous improvement and ensuring the programme’s long-term success.

To centralise participant progress tracking and programme communication, Mint and Honey established a Monday.com account for IndigiShare and configured it to auto-populate accepted applicants into a structured database. This system streamlined onboarding for the participants and ensured accurate, up-to-date records for programme managers.

This platform enabled easy tracking of participant milestones, such as wānanga attendance, mentoring session completion, and goal progress. It also streamlined communication, allowing the team to send updates, reminders, and resources seamlessly. By integrating all programme data and communication into one system, the setup enhanced efficiency, reduced administrative workload, and allowed the team to focus on delivering the programme content.

Serving as the central hub for the programme, Mint and Honey developed a dedicated landing page for Te Aka Matua within the existing IndigiShare website. The page provided detailed information about the programme’s objectives and structure, while offering a seamless application process with clear calls-to-action to guide users through the application journey.

The landing page also integrated embedded lead generation forms, capturing critical applicant data such as business stage, sector, and market visibility. This functionality not only facilitated efficient application tracking but also contributed to IndigiShare’s growing database, supporting targeted outreach for future cohorts.

Post-campaign, the landing page transitioned to highlight the successful cohort and promote upcoming programmes, creating an ongoing resource for prospective participants and stakeholders.

Mint and Honey supported the successful delivery of Te Aka Matua by integrating robust infrastructure, brand and marketing expertise, and operational excellence, ensuring IndigiShare’s vision for the programme was effectively brought to life. As a result, the programme welcomed 16 participants into it’s inaugural cohort, and effectively delivered a six-week programme that provided participants with the strategies and tools to turn their entrepreneurial visions into reality.

Mint and Honey’s comprehensive marketing campaign played a pivotal role in driving awareness, applications, and engagement, ensuring the programme reached its intended target audience. Strategic execution across multiple channels—press, eDM, social media, and a dedicated landing page—aligned seamlessly to support the programme’s objectives and deliver a strong local impact.

By establishing robust systems and infrastructure, including CRM integration and automated processes, Mint and Honey ensured the programme was not only successful in its initial delivery but also scalable and sustainable for future cohorts. These systems supported efficient participant management, streamlined communication, and real-time tracking of progress, contributing to the overall effectiveness of Te Aka Matua.

Te Aka Matua’s impact extended beyond its immediate outcomes, with participants expressing confidence in their business growth and readiness for future opportunities. The marketing and operational frameworks created by Mint and Honey laid a strong foundation for IndigiShare to build upon, ensuring this flagship programme continues to deliver long-term value for Māori business.