Angie Tangaere was born in Papakura and raised in South Auckland with a whakapapa to Ngāti Porou on her father’s side and Pākeha from Taranaki on her mother’s side.

She graduated with a law degree from the University of Auckland but decided not to become a lawyer. Angie was keen to work at a community level and took up a role at Te Puni Kokiri working with iwi and Māori trusts in South Auckland. She then worked with the Ministry of Social Development in South Auckland communities looking for ways to develop better services and engagement with communities and whānau.

She moved on to a role with Māori health NGO, the National Hauora coalition before coming to work with TSI. She combines her experience with government agencies, community and whānau to develop and co-design whānau-led programmes, disrupting ineffective ‘business as usual’ systems.