Our Story

Ko wai ahau? | Who am I?

Kō Āoraki te mauka tīpuna,
Ko Tūtoko te mauka ariki,
Ko Makaawhio te awa,
Ko Te Tauraka Waka a Māui te marae,
Ko Kāi Tahu, Te Arawa, Rangitāne me Ngāpuhi ōku iwi,
He uri au o Beazley nō Rotorua, o Wilson nō Tai Poutini,
Ko Nikki-Leigh ahau.

Kia ora, I'm Nikki-Leigh, the founder of Piki Toi.

Piki Toi began in 2022 with a simple idea: to design ways for te reo Māori and te ao Māori to be represented and showcased in the world.

As a proud Kāi Tahu wāhine, journalist, designer and māmā, storytelling has always been at the heart of what I do. Whether through writing, design or digital media, I've always believed our stories deserve to be told, our culture celebrated, and our language seen and heard in everyday life.

Many of the resources you'll find here were created because they were the things I was searching for myself. What began as a creative outlet has grown into a small Māori-owned family business creating thoughtfully designed taonga that support people on their own journey of learning te reo Māori, exploring our history, understanding whakapapa and reconnecting with te ao Māori.

Raised with a deep connection to tikanga Māori, whānau and the whenua of Te Tai Poutini, I'm passionate about Māori success, mana motuhake and creating products that are as meaningful as they are beautiful. We don't mass produce or follow trends—every product is created with purpose, in small quantities, and with the hope it becomes part of everyday life.

Thank you for supporting our whānau and for being part of the Piki Toi journey.

Mauri ora,
Nikki-Leigh