Kai shares a learning journey that delves into belonging, connectedness, and the power of people and place. We learn how a nomadic lifestyle shifts to intentionally deepening ties to Ōtautahi and the challenges and opportunities this has presented.

Nina talks with us about her experience founding Tagata Moana and the learning that took place prior to this in order for a STEAM organization that works with Pacifica to provide learning for others. We hear how Nina views herself and the spaces she's passionate about, the future of our city as led by the knowledge and experience that she holds. As we come into the new year, we finish with a challenge for listeners.

Join Erica & Sam every ten episodes to take some time to reflect upon the learning experience of beginning a podcast show, the themes guests have raised, the Ako Ōtautahi perspective, and how we are encouraging curiosity to flourish.

Alice Dimond brings a wealth of knowledge regarding systemic change and futures thinking. We discuss how learning takes place for her, the intricacies of Aotearoa cultural landscape and how we are able to facilitate curiosity in ourselves and each other. Diving deep, and going big picture in the course of this conversation, we celebrate Ōtautahi and the breadth of experience we hold and catch glimpses of the future of our city together.

We share a conversation and reflective moment with Stephanie Defregger, who is on a mission to transform profile images of strong wahine, one by one. She is working on an exhibition "women of impact". Learning, that authenticity is essential and not a luxury in a world that tells us to be like everyone else. Through this experience, Stephanie shares how she makes space for learning and how this stems from her childhood experiences.

Zoë brings a truly unique and essential perspective, combining lived personal and family experience within the hearing difference community with clinical and academic expertise. She is a passionate driver of positive change within the Ōtautahi social enterprise ecosystem.

This conversation offers insights for anyone committed to collaboration, inclusion, and creating a more equitable community.

Hana is a somewhat recent addition to Ōtautahi Christchurch and she shares her perspective of the cultural differences and approaches that are taken to learning, both in her personal life and in the position she holds at NZ Study Careers. We discuss how learning takes place in her studies at Ara and through her endeavor to understand what it means to have grown up in Japan and now live in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Caroline brings a wealth of knowledge regarding sustainability and through her business acumen (Sustainability 360) has been learning how to navigate what it means to run her own business. Charing anecdotes of learning through being a mother, businesswoman, and early education, the picture that Caroline provides is varied and dynamic.

Idoia shares her learning experience working with the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) and how this has opened up pathways of working with her sons school to facilitate creativity in a business context.

Idoia's empathy and passion for encouraging curiosity is highlighted through her story of learning in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

Thomas discusses the impacts of growing up in a recovering city and his experiences post earthquakes that have informed his interests in community development and advocacy.

Join us as we get a glimpse of our city through a young persons lens who is interested in policy and how that's implemented through design.

Pia Titus from PlainsMedia discusses how her past learning experiences with facilitating activity based learning has shaped her approach and ethos when in a people centred environment. We were lucky to be trained by Pia for this podcast show and have her on the show as a guest before she left PlainsMedia, to travel for a couple of months and begin the next chapter of her life.

Amy Knudsen (she/her) brings us on her own learning journey, how this has shaped her and her views and approaches to life. Amy's story shows how the people in her life through different stages, events and experiences have been crucial to the work and way of being she holds now. And that the love that Amy holds for people extends to future generations through the work she does with Tokona te Raki.

In this pilot episode, cohosts Sam Woolf and Erica Austin introduce the kaupapa behind the podcast and share their own learning stories.

Together, they unpack why learning matters, how curiosity shapes their work, and why they’re choosing to amplify the voices of everyday Learning Champions and Ambassadors across our city.