Tupe Solomon-Tanoa'i MC/Entertainer Profile

Creative Entrepreneur and Multi hyphenate

Tupe Solomon-Tanoa’i is an engaging speaker, skilled presenter and powerful storyteller who has spent her professional and personal life advocating for diversity and inclusion. The Samoan/Fijian Kiwi is a law graduate and former diplomat who has a seat on various boards and advisory groups offering her expertise in international trade, philanthropy, media, and engaging with Asia and the Pacific.

Mission

Five years ago Tupe left her dream job; thirteen years as a diplomat. Stepping outside of that space was scary, departing from the nice, predictable life of climbing the ladder. Since starting down the path of creative entrepreneurship, she has seen her own ideas come to life, marrying her corporate experience with her empathy and creativity. Tupe became the co-founder of the first Pasifika Youth Short Film Competition and creator of the award nominated web series on unconscious bias, Misadventures of a Pacific Professional.

Taking great pride in her Samoan and Fijian heritage, Tupe aims to uplift and showcase Pasifika peoples, and continue to create representation through practice in both media and academia. Navigating the corporate world as a young Pasifika woman has meant proving herself ten fold. Instead of pandering to the Western workplace and changing, she is changing the structures surrounding her. In 2020 Tupe won the diversity category in the New Zealand Women of Influence Awards and was also recognised as one of the University of Auckland’s 40 under 40. Tupe wants to make people feel heard.

Keynote

When Tupe entered the workplace, she learnt to dress a certain way. She didn’t want to appear ethnic or feminine so she hid in plain sight. Because she was suppressing part of who she was, Tupe wasn’t operating at her full capacity. She was bumping against the glass ceiling. Tupe is a leader in her family and community, why would that change anywhere else? Once she brought her whole self to work, she harnessed her full potential and her career took off. Tupe encourages listeners to embrace yourself to succeed. Don’t hide the parts of yourself that are different, use those parts as an advantage. There is power in breaking the mould.

Tupe has found that leadership looks different to different people. In western society, we over value assertiveness and confidence. In a pacific context, humility, service, consensus based decision making and reciprocity are highly valued in leaders. Tupe emphasises the power of the collective in pacific culture, drawing on her own family experience and applying this to organisations. By giving everyone their own space to shine, an organisation can harness everyone's individual abilities and talents, leading to a greater outcome. If you dominate conversations: listen more. If, like Tupe, your superpower is listening, find other ways to be heard.