The Slovenian founder of a cosmetics company feels “so inspired” by the Māori culture in Aotearoa New Zealand, she is tapping into indigenous knowledge in the hopes of creating a billion-dollar industry.
Andrea Taimana, founder and chief science officer for Organic Bioactives, says although she isn't Māori, she feels a “very, very deep connection to Māori culture”.
Her company, Organic Bioactives, is a natural skincare ingredient maker that produces botanical extracts from NZ for the global cosmetics industry.
Taimana started the business in 2019 after suffering from melasma, a skin condition that causes dark patches, usually on the face.
She tried using ingredients that weren't on the market to find a solution to the "massive hyperpigmentation" she suffered after giving birth.
The says the benefits she saw from the applying native seaweed to her skin inspired her to start her own cosmetics company.
Organic Bioactives started in Taimana’s kitchen with the help of friends who were well-versed in tikanga Māori.
However, it took 10 to 12 years' research to perfect the extraction process and rid the seaweed of its unpleasant odour.
“It can work wonders, but there’s no way anyone would put that on the face.”
She walked away from a 28-year career as a physiotherapist in dermatology and decided to instead study cosmetic chemistry so she could better understand New Zealand's native extracts.
Innovation, research and development
Funding and investments have helped with research and development at Organic Bioactives and Taimana says they've had "amazing" clinical results.
“We got a lot of money from Callaghan Innovation to start with because the ingredients were patented.”
She says the cosmetics industry in NZ is rapidly changing because rongoa Māori (traditional Māori medicine) isn't typically supported with clinical data.
“This is an opportunity to be another mānuka honey success story for NZ and also to introduce our amazing biodiversity to global cosmetics markets.”
She believes the company can become a leading global ingredients supplier. There's a huge demand in the cosmetics industry for sustainably-harvested plant extracts and the company is already supplying cosmetic manufacturers in more than 20 countries.
Her business has embraced tikanga Māori (Māori protocols) and has launched a collaboration to support wāhine Māori (Māori women).
Connections
Taimana says she is still researching her own connection to NZ because she grew up hearing her grandmother, who was her role model, use “kupu Māori” (Māori words) in a little village in Slovenia.
“When I came to New Zealand and went to a wānanga and learned the reo (language), and rongoa, I found so many similarities to how my nana taught me.
“I was so inspired."
After moving here in 2009, she changed her surname to Taimana based on the loving word her nana used to call her.
“My nana called me taimana, which in her language means "my precious".
“Because I was married for many, many years, I wanted to give the last name back to my husband and I’m actually going to continue our women’s ancestry line for my nana."
Her surname is Māori and means "diamond".
Māori representation
Taimana has appointed Brittany Teei as a director to advise on Māori business support.
Both women want to access resources while also respecting the land and the guardians of traditional knowledge.
They developed a programme with iwi harvesting and replanting resources such as red seaweed, mamaku black fern, mānuka leaf, harakeke and kawakawa.
“The main kaupapa for me as the founder was to nourish and keep secret and intact tikanga and harvesting,” Taimana said.
The company is proud that the programme is providing economic and educational opportunities for remote communities across Northland, Bay of Plenty and Waikato.
“A really small community from Kawhia with no industry – no jobs whatsoever – has benefited directly from working with us.”
Growth worldwide
The company is now raising money to expand its business globally.
A US$28 billion (NZ$44b) retailer recently approached Organic Bioactives to supply ingredients to a new skincare line. They estimate the line will supply more than 500 North American stores.
“New Zealand is increasingly being recognised internationally as a biodiversity hotspot that is abundant with bioactives found nowhere else in the world.”
Taimana is a walking advertisement for her business.
“People are quite happy when they see my skin – it looks quite good and it speaks for the ingredients.”
Taimana says she “loves” creating new things and she encourages other women to believe in their own ideas.
“My heart and soul are with women and entrepreneurship.”
