Leading Kāpiti’s Economic Future
The Economic Development Kotahitanga Board (EDKB) brings together experienced leaders from across business, iwi and the community to guide how the Kāpiti business environment continues to grow.
Economic Development Kotahitanga Board
Working alongside Kāpiti Coast District Council and local partners, the Board provides independent leadership across the district’s business, tourism and sector activity, helping ensure that effort is aligned, practical, and focused on where it can have the most impact.
The Board’s role is to keep momentum across the wider business environment.
This means maintaining a clear direction, supporting the conditions for businesses to succeed, and ensuring that activity across the district remains connected. It brings together perspectives from industry, governance and community to help shape decisions and priorities over time.
A key part of this role is connecting people, bringing Council, iwi, business leaders, and sector groups into the same conversation so that work happening across the district supports a shared direction.
Kāpiti is a place where businesses are building, growing and evolving.
From hospitality and retail to technology, tourism and creative industries, there is a wide range of activity happening across the Coast. The Board helps provide oversight across this landscape, ensuring that opportunities are recognised and that effort is aligned with where the district is heading.
At the centre of this approach is kotahitanga — working together with shared purpose.
Meet the Board
The Board is made up of individuals with experience across business, investment, governance and Māori enterprise.
Each member brings a different perspective, contributing to a balanced and informed approach to decision-making.
Neil has extensive governance and executive management experience in NZ, UK, Hong Kong and Australia in a wide variety of sectors including infrastructure, financial services, manufacturing, transport and the public service.
He is currently director of companies in the three waters sector, commercialising innovative packaged wastewater technology in NZ and overseas and providing water security through advanced monitoring management.
Neil has considerable experience in the energy sector and was a director and Chair of Electra. He is now a trustee of the Electra Trust.
He was the inaugural CE of Industry NZ a crown entity responsible for industry and regional development. It was acknowledged by the OECD as having economic programmes and strategies that were at the forefront of best practice internationally.
Neil is the appointed chair of the EDKB and has been since its formation in 2020.
Kim Tahiwi, Ngā Hapu o Ōtaki, (Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga) is a qualified accountant and has a background in housing development and economic development. Kim represents Ngā Hapu o Ōtaki on various council committees. She has been a member of the EDKB since its inception and was recently appointed chairperson of TWOK and is the TWOK appointed representative to the independent housing trust. Kim represents Ngā Hapu in the housing and infrastructure space among other things, working with Waka Kotahi on PP20 and now O2NL. Kim works alongside Denise Hapeta, NHoO chairperson and Kirsten Hapeta NHoO TWOK representative and other hapu representatives in the operations of Ngā Hapu. She volunteers her time in the community and supports local Kura with coaching and Kapa haka.
Scott Houston is a highly experienced entrepreneur who was CTO for “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy in New Zealand. He founded the New Zealand Supercomputer Center and a cloud orchestration company called GreenButton and led its acquisition by Microsoft in 2014. He was a finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of the year awards and named an “Innovation Hero” by the Innovation Council. In addition to the EDKB, Scott is a board member of organisations such as ArcanumAI, Electra and Fingermark, as well as a beachheads advisor at NZTE, and works with companies seeking to harness the power of AI. He is also a published author, releasing an AI novel called ADA.
Waipuna Grace (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa and Te Ātiawa) has a strong background supporting Māori, serving as Business Services and Community Manager / Kaiwhakahaere Ratonga Pakihi at Te Āhuru Mōwai which provide homes for whānau. She joined the EDKB in 2023.
Russell Spratt (Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga) has extensive governance experience. He has served as an iwi representative on two Kāpiti Coast District Council Standing Orders Committees and is committed to governance roles with Te Atiawa ki Whakarongotai chairing the Asset Holding Company, various Māori Asset Trusts, Zealandia – Te Māra a Tāne (Karori Sanctuary Trust), and most recently having a ministerial appointment as member of the nominating committee for He Pou a Rangi - Climate Change Commission. He was previously chair of the Regional Trails Community & Industry Engagement Forum for WellingtonNZ and Te Ara A Māui (the Regional Māori Tourism Society). Russell has held various general management and commercial roles, beginning his career as a teacher. Russell holds a MBA, Dip Tch, and MInstD.
