Our People
We’re a team of experienced social innovation and systems strategists, entrepreneurs and mental wellbeing experts. We’re empathetic, impatient for change, curious, and courageous. We’re bound by our shared desire to improve our systems for wellbeing innovation.
Do you believe in our kaupapa and want to join the team? Let us know how you could make an impact with us: kiaora@emberinnovations.nz
Ember innovations team
Anya Satyanand
Director / Tumu Whakarae
Anya is an educator, innovator and leader who has worked to contribute to positive change through flax roots, regional, national and international initiatives over the last three decades. Anya loves the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship, media education, experiential learning design, youth development, restorative justice, and leadership development. Anya’s journey so far has been guided by her belief in the capacity we have to create a more hopeful future when we bring together our collective energy, resources and talents.
M. SAMIR HOSSAIN
Relationship Manager
Samir is a Dhaka University graduate in medicine. He kicked off his career as a Psychiatry faculty member and consultant in Bangladesh. He is known for his global contributions to death anxiety research. Samir has collaborated on trauma research with US and UK professionals, and published with esteemed bodies like the Royal College of Psychiatrists in London.
After relocating to New Zealand with his family to pursue public health studies and with a degree from AUT, Samir is actively engaged in non-governmental initiatives to drive systemic change in mental health in Aotearoa. He's motivated by his passion for well-being innovation, change management, project planning and analytical thinking.
EMILY PRESTON
Innovation Lead
Emily has spent the past two decades working in social innovation, social enterprise development and non-profit capability-building roles, with a focus on education and wellbeing. She also holds governance and advisory roles within the mental health and wellbeing space. Emily loves to look at complex issues from different angles, listen to the human stories and experiences behind statistics, and explore what might be possible. She is endlessly curious and loves a good yarn, as well as a logic model or system map. Emily is passionate about ensuring the voices of those most impacted by challenges are central to the development of solutions.
tatiana strudwick
Investment and Partnerships Manager
Recognising the unprecedented character of the pandemic and concerned with the implications of the disruption felt by the collective and individuals, Tatiana boldly shifted her focus to mental health. She has since completed rigorous training in psychotherapy at AUT. In her role at Ember Innovations, she combines her expertise in investment and partnerships gained in the media industry with a mental health lens. Tatiana believes that nature has given us the necessary resources for healing, and we need to harness this wisdom through innovative and contemporary initiatives. Her mission is to enable funders and innovators to have the opportunity to imagine and test their ideas.
Ember Group
Board Members
Ember Innovations is an entity within Ember Korowai Takitini, one of Aotearoa’s leading mental health NGOs. As part of this Group we have access to decades of experience in designing and delivering quality mental wellbeing and addiction recovery support services.
Ember Korowai Takitini was founded in 2019 when leading mental health organisations Connect Supporting Recovery and Framework Trust merged. Ember leadership identified the need for more innovation and a wider source of solutions for mental wellbeing beyond government funded services. To support this action the Ember Wellbeing Trust seeded Ember Innovations.
We share the vision of Ember Korowai Takitini:
An Aotearoa where all people are supported to be who and what they want to be. A society that better understands and responds to mental distress, addiction and intellectual disability.
learn more about our kaupapa
