MIRAKA DAVIES

A woman with long, gray hair and blue eyes, wearing a black sleeveless dress and moko kauae on her face, standing against a plain white background.

Keynote speaker · MC · Panellist · Workshop facilitator · Media Commentator · Consultant

Miraka Davies (Ngātiwai, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou) is a force of nature, bringing energy to every room she walks into. 

A proud wahine Māori, Miraka is an international keynote speaker and MC, bringing her vast lived experiences to the stage with equal parts of vulnerability and humour. 

At aged 38, Miraka walked away from her family’s five-generation commitment to a conservative Christian religion and started forging her own path, beginning a journey back to both her tūpuna and forward into her own joy. 

Miraka’s talent for connecting with every person in the room is not a coincidence. After many hard-won life lessons, she shares her own story to inspire audiences around Aotearoa. With an exceptional EQ, she can read a room and deliver what the audience needs. Her specialist topics focus on stepping into power, after spending the better part of her adult life unlearning – and relearning – how to find her voice, and Te Ao Māori, demystifying the Māori world with aroha and encouragement. 

Ultimately, Miraka’s ability to create a sense of āhurutanga – a safe space – is what stands out during her keynote and MC roles. That, and an exceptionally well-placed F-bomb! 

A published author, Miraka has a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Brigham Young University USA, and is the author of “Lessons in Badassery” (2022) and “Engaging with Māori for Success in Business” (2018). 

She splits her time between Rotorua and her home whenua on Aotea, Great Barrier Island.

GET TO KNOW MIRAKA

  • Ask ai or google where your closest lessons can be found. Or if you'd prefer online, ask that. The possibilities are endless and the journey isn't fast, but you only have to take one step at a time! And above all, you'll NEVER regret it.

  • I first self-published it as 'Good Shit I've Learned." That was in response to people asking me how I became (gestures vaguely) "this." I said I dunno, I've just learned some good shit.

    That was received really well so then I decided to work with a New York editorial house and see what it could become with that professional guidance. I'm ridiculously proud of what it became!

  • Ha ha! Not much. Once you've been in the room with me you will probably know more than you wanted to.

    But honestly, the church thing - knowing until 38 I never swore or drank coffee or alcohol - that shocks people.

    Gastric bypass - knowing I lost half my body weight and every last one of my inhibitions.

    But maybe most of all, knowing that on any given day I might be crying in a corner, not coping with life. Depression is a hoa haere (traveling companion) of mine, and I'm proud to talk openly about that. When you see someone living their best life onstage, that is only a tiny piece of the whole picture. I think knowing that helps people feel seen.

  • "We really could not have pulled off the conference to this level without Miraka. We had fantastic feedback on her session, and she perfectly embodied our theme and kaupapa of the event. She set the tone from day one and continued to keep the energy high throughout the three days, all the way to the Gala Dinner. I would definitely recommend her.

    Rachel Luo, Early Childhood Council