Aotearoa Enterprising Women Series | Kushla Okano

Kushla Okano is the amazing founder and CEO of Biokū Technologies: “A next-generation wastewater technology that takes the waste out of wastewater.”

Q𝟏. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐤𝐮̄?

It really came from talking with people and sharing the why. I have always had a burning passion for the environment, my dad taught us how to gather and harvest, we swam the rivers, collected shellfish, fished the local rivers, rode our horses through the bush, camped on the beach with nothing but what we could gather. It’s one of the most amazing things to have this lived connection with the land and water, it gets into your bones, into your soul. It changes the way you see yourself in the world, you’re just a piece in an ecosystem. But our whenua has been decimated by wastewater and nutrient damage for generations.

Having worked in the industry, I was absolutely convinced that technology could solve this problem, and knew how it could be achieved. More than that, the need to solve this problem burned in my puku, in a way I couldn’t ignore anymore.

I could see so clearly, what that changed future would look like, and I believe it was that clarity of vision and technical purpose that got people excited. Wastewater and nutrient run-off isn’t a super sexy topic, but the calibre of people who have come on board, people who have spent their lives work in wastewater innovation, commercial experts, lawyers, engineers – all helping to carry this vision speaks volumes about the kaupapa, and what we’re building.

Everyone has a real sense about the new world we’re helping to create, what we’re fighting to protect, and the impact that we will have on the world.

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has been part of it so far. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou.

Q𝟐. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐚̄𝐨𝐫𝐢 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐌 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?

I’ve worked in the STEM space long enough to remember what it was like to work before Google and Youtube, so I’ve seen the landscape shift, slowly but meaningfully. In terms of wave finding, a huge shout out to the Te Taumata wahine ma, particularly Amber Taylor from Ara Journeys and Kaye Maree Dunn from MEA who have shown incredible tautoko. They’ve listened to pitches, given advice, made introductions, always at the time you needed it.

Representation may still be small in STEM, but our collective strength is powerful. They are the type of wahine mā who will speak your name in a room full of opportunity.

Q𝟑. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚̄𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚 𝐌𝐚̄𝐨𝐫𝐢 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦?

Kaitiakitanga means recognising that the natural world is part of our family, so whenua and wai must have a voice in every decision. But kaitiakitanga isn’t a value on a wall. It’s lived.

For us, that means strategically planning and being intentional to build local capability and technical leadership, especially across regional Aotearoa. We’re focused on systems-level transformation: waste is just misplaced value. When communities can transform waste burdens into economic opportunity, we see stronger local economies and healthier ecosystems.

This is what kaitiakitanga means to me, building regenerative systems that support the people and the whenua.

Q𝟒. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐚̄𝐨𝐫𝐢 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤?

Don’t overthink it. Trust wairua to guide you, everything you need is already within you. For us as Māori, it’s really a process of remembering who we are. When you step into the work that aligns with your natural pull or passion, you will feel it resonate.

But identity isn’t just a feeling. It’s how you show up. Stay open-minded, stay curious, and stay authentic, because innovation comes from being grounded in who you are, not trying to fit someone else’s model. When your values drive your actions, the impact will follow.

Q𝟓. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐭 University of Auckland, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦?

The best gift you can give the world is your own authenticity. When you can sit with yourself and really recognise what you feel a natural pull toward, that’s where passion is born. Passion feeds off those natural inclinations. And when you’re genuinely passionate about something, it becomes the fuel that carries you through inevitable challenge and uncertainty. Passion and persistence will carry you further than talent alone.

So learn to trust that pull early. The sooner you honour your own direction, the clearer your path becomes.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:

What are you most passionate about in your business journey?

When was the last time that persistence really paid off?