Collaboration was the name of the game at the Federation of Maori Authorities' annual conference in Wanganui last month.
The meeting of 350 was for Maori economic leaders and their partners, FOMA chairwoman Traci Houpapa said. Their focus was on sustainable economic prosperity, based on Maori principles.
The first speaker, Parininihi ki Waitotara (PKW) incorporation CE Dion Tuuta, said collaboration was already happening, but more would bring greater gains. There were mainstream organisations seeking it too.
"The mainstream New Zealand business community is looking at Maori with more interest than ever before."
He told a story about African children, who were told the first one to run to a basket of fruit could have all of it. The children held hands and ran to the basket together, and then shared the fruit.
Asked why they had run together, they said: "How can one of us be happy if all the others are sad?"
Collaboration was like that, Mr Tuuta said. It was about more than just making money - it relied on relationships.
"People want to do things that make them feel good and important, with people they like and trust."
PKW's major financial loss in 2008 was partly the result of a relationship breakdown with a key business partner, he said. It impacted the incorporation's reputation and undermined confidence.
The incoporation got over it in the end, by telling shareholders what happened and changing its systems to make them more transparent.
People enabled collaboration but could also be a barrier to it. Relationships fell apart when people and groups tried to protect their own prestige.
"We all like to have our mana acknowledged. Small groups are wary of partnering with larger corporations in case they lose their identity. We should have the confidence in ourselves to share the limelight."
Big trusts could add value to smaller ones, and people insisting on asserting their own mana and independence were constraining their organisations' potential.
Mr Tuuta gave a list of collaboration examples, and said they resulted in achievements the partners could not have made on their own.
The first example was Miraka, the Maori-owned milk processor based in the Waikato.
"PKW is often asked when it intends to start its own company and brand. My personal answer is why would we want to do this when we have Miraka?"
Another was award-winning Normanby dairy farm Te Rua o Te Moko, made up of land belonging to four separate trusts.
On Wanganui's doorstep is a recent example, the purchase by Ngati Apa, the Atihau Whanganui Incorporation and the Dalrymple family of the former Flock House farm at Parewanui. The new organisation is called Te Hou Farms Partnership and aims to increase production.
The partners all want to make a profit, and Mr Tuuta said the long term aim was full ownership and control for Ngati Apa.
Inland from Wanganui are the Morikaunui and Atihau Whanganui incorporations, which farm 50,000ha of mainly Waimarino hill country.
Up the coastline Taranaki iwi Nga Rauru and Ngati Ruanui each have half shares in Taranaki Capital Partners. They plan to form relationships with other Taranaki tribes.