The Moanan

Gen ‘Ilolahia & Laki Tiatia co-founded The Moanan, an educational social enterprise on a mission to connect indigenous Pacific knowledge with Pacific peoples around the globe. Since launching in late 2023, The Moanan has garnered over a million views and engaged with over half a million Pacific peoples in Europe, USA, Asia, Australia, Aotearoa and the wider Moana Oceania region. 

Gen is the proud grandson of Tongan migrants who arrived in Central Auckland in the 1940s. With a background in psychology, Gen has served Māori and Pacific communities across Aotearoa for over a decade in the education, social services and private sectors. Gen’s current commitments include Director at The Moanan, Advisor for the Office of Pacific Advancement, Auckland University of Technology and operates his own people development professional service. 

Laki is a proud Samoan from the villages of Lelepa, Avao and Nofoali’i where he holds the matai title of Ili. Originally born in Australia, he completed his education in Auckland where he went on to graduate from the University of Auckland. He has served in the education and community sector for over a decade before co-founding The Moanan. Currently, he is a professional teaching fellow & researcher at the University of Auckland where he is also a PhD Candidate researching the intersection of religion, spirituality and wellbeing for Pacific peoples.