Business student's ambitions bloom

2026 has been a big year for Kaiya Walker. Currently in the third year of a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts conjoint degree, she is also navigating the world of a small business owner. In 2025 she launched Kete Aroha, a boutique gift box company that supports local creators and was inspired by her Māori heritage.

“There are many Māori values behind Kete Aroha which are engraved in my culture, including mātauranga, kaitiakitanga and koha,” she says. “Our gift boxes show respect and gratitude to the recipient and encourage connection and togetherness.”

The idea was a natural fit for Kaiya, whose creative streak and flair for business stretches back to her childhood. Early ventures running a lemonade stand transitioned into selling handmade crochet creations and offering piano lessons. She also developed a love of gift giving from a young age, for which she credits her mum:

“Every Christmas when we were kids, mum would get told off by our family for buying too many presents. She was like Santa and I was her little elf, so from childhood, gift giving was a really positive experience for me. I love seeing the smile on people’s faces when they receive a gift. It makes them feel seen and heard.”

After experimenting with different products and box designs, Kaiya developed a unique brand identity for Kete Aroha featuring an embossed Māori design and customised ribbon. Then, working from her parent’s garage, she assembled and photographed the boxes, launched a website, and began to market the business.

Here her degree proved “beyond helpful”, as she was able to apply learnings from both of her majors – Marketing and Management and Māori Studies – to get Kete Aroha off the ground. While she admits there have been challenges along the way, such as teething issues with rough deliveries resulting in damaged goods, the journey has been a rewarding one. 

“I look at every challenge as a learning experience. At the end of the day, that’s life and nothing is perfect,” she says. “If you have a good idea and you are genuinely passionate about it, just go for it! Block out the outside voices and take that first step.”

In 2026 Kaiya won the Sullivan Margaritis Award, funded by Shaun Lynn and Maria Lee in honour of their parents, Dr Ann Sullivan and Professor Dimitris Margaritis and their work at the University of Auckland. Learning she had won gave her a boost of encouragement as her final year of study approaches.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever won anything like that and I was so happy when I found out! Finishing my degree is my top priority and I am beyond grateful for the award. Sometimes you just need that little bit of support.”  

Kaiya is looking forward to the remainder of her studies and, beyond that, plans to expand Kete Aroha to reach its full potential. Eventually, she hopes to return the generosity and support she has received from Shaun Lynn and Maria Lee, her lecturers, friends and family back to her community and help other young wāhine Māori realise their business ambitions.

“Our gift boxes feature the Te Reo saying ‘Aroha atu, aroha mai’, which means ‘love received, love returned’. That is what I really hope to achieve with my business: to put love and kindness out into the world and help people connect. Maybe one day I will receive it back.”