Born into healing. Built for this moment.
Kailah Saupese · Founder + Visionary | Kenape Saupese · Creative Director + Operations
Kailah Saupese
Māori and Samoan | Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Kahu. Solosolo and Satitoa, Aleipata.
Kailah was raised in a family home where the Wellington Samoan community came for fofō long before they went to doctors. She trained in Te Rau Aroha under Marama Mata of House of Rehua, nurtured in rongoā Māori, mirimiri, and romiromi in Te Hiku o te Ika and a member of the Te Tai Tokerau Rongoā Collective.
She spent 11 years across HR and People + Culture roles in Wellington's government agencies. Then founded HR Boutique and Navigating Worlds, and worked with marae, Ngāti Kahu Rūnanga, and NGOs. She knows both worlds from the inside. Te Whare Hihiri is the consolidation of all three: her HR expertise, her coaching practice, and her healing lineage, held in one whare.
Kenape
Samoan | Le Pā and Fusi, Safotu, Savai'i. Born in Wellington. Raised in the PIPC community in Newtown.
Kenape grew up where faith, music, and togetherness were the foundation. For over 10 years he was the lead singer of Wellington band Tomorrow People. Since then he has channelled that gift into healing rangatahi — running music workshops and visiting schools around Te Hiku o te Ika (Northland), Auckland and Wellington, showing young people what's possible when creativity becomes medicine.
Together, Kailah and Kenape bring both the ancient and the creative. Bodywork, ceremony, and sound — held in one whare.
If your body has been carrying too much, this is a place to put the weight down.