Our Board and our team are innovators with diverse backgrounds and experience, from human rights, to technology start-ups, to design and innovation, to corporate leadership, to social enterprise and social innovation.
John Allen has been Chair of the Be. Institute since its inception in 2011 and is the current Chief Executive of WellingtonNZ, formerly known as the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency.
A former CEO of Wang New Zealand (now known as gen-i), which under Ant's leadership reinvented itself from a product company to become one of the country’s most innovative and successful systems integration and services companies.
A positive, visionary, optimistic and authentic leader with a blend of public and private sector experience and strong academic qualifications.
As an indigenous (tāngata whenua), disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individual, Rāwā brings a unique perspective and lived experience to the Be. Board.
Matthew brings to the Board significant commercial and governance experience focusing on primary health care, community housing, aged care, community development and public-private partnerships.
Tanya currently works as economic development manager for NZ's film industry, and previously worked in the media industry. She has held various governance and mentoring roles and is passionate about about equality and justice.
Ant joined the Be. team as Executive Director in 2022, with broad experience and a passion for building effective leadership teams, strategy development and business strategies and planning.
Lauren's journey with Be. started at the very beginning, as Minnie's first employee in 2011. She now leads Be.'s Accessibility Programme, work that she loves, as she is deeply commited to making the world a better place.
Lesley was part of the founding team of Be. Accessible, bringing with her extensive experience in human resource, organisational change and leadership development.
Hannah joined the Be. Team in 2015, and is passionate about people, the planet, and the power of stories to create change.
Frysna joined the Be. Team in 2022, coming from a career in financial management. She is passionate about accessibility as a valuable contribution to society.
Erin joined the Be. Team in 2022. She has recently completed a Law Degree with Honours, is passionate about social justice and wants to be part of creating an Aotearoa where everyone can flourish.
Craig joined the Be. Team in 2023, coming from a background in Community Development and Communications. He loves being out in his community and meeting the diverse array of people Aotearoa has to offer.
Michael joined Be. in 2020, bringing with him experience in the community, not-for-profit, and diversity and inclusion space.
Emily joined the Be. team in 2022. She has a background as an Occupational Therapist, and loves being part of positive change, no matter how big or small.
Jessica joined the Be. Team in 2021, and is passionate about social sustainability, and ensuring that all people can access all spaces, places, events, and experiences in New Zealand.
Peter joined the Be. Team in 2011. Peter has over 10 years’ experience in the Accessibility industry, and he loves helping people see the opportunities of making our living environment accessible to everyone.
Sea joined the Be. Team in 2023, coming from a background of Design and Content Marketing. They are passionate about mental health issues and social change, which makes their work at Be. incredibly rewarding.
Tony joined the Be. Team in 2011, and is passionate about creating pathways to a society that is accessible for all people.
Kim joined the Be. Team in 2023. Kim is a professional accountant, who has more recently been involved in facilitating events in the youth disability and employment spaces.
Angelo joined the Be. Team in 2021, and is committed to sharing his knowledge with others, and to being part of building a world that is inclusive of people with access needs.
Colleen joined the Be. Team in 2018, and is passionate about ensuring our built environment welcomes and empowers the diverse array of people that make up our communities.
Beth joined the Be. Team in 2023. She brings a wealth of knowledge about the built environment and is committed to creating spaces that are inviting for everyone.