On The Up: Gisborne’s Jahminique Grace Whitehead recognised with Matihiko Award in tech

A young wahine from Tairāwhiti has made her mark in the health and technology space through her work in the public sector.

Jahminique Grace Whitehead, 24, was recognised with the Public Sector Tipu award at Ngā Tohu Matihiko 2025, the Matihiko Awards.

She is the Māori data governance lead for the Health Quality Safety Commission, a government body.

The Health Quality Safety Commission works with clinicians, providers and consumers to improve health and disability support services.

It also runs committees that review deaths to learn how best to prevent them, for example, child and youth deaths, suicide, deaths related to operations or deaths related to family violence.

Whitehead attended the Matihiko Awards ceremony in Christchurch on June 12, with around 400 people from around the country.

“The Matihiko Awards recognise Māori leaders and emerging leaders in te ao mātihiko, digital, and tech, celebrating those shaping the future of our digital landscape,” the awards website said.

Whitehead’s iwi is Ngāti Porou, and her hapū is Te Whānau a Ruataupare Ki Tuparoa. She is from Gisborne and attended Riverdale School and Hallshead College, Western Australia.

She attended EIT Tairāwhiti and graduated with a Bachelor of Information Systems in 2022.

She gained a postgraduate diploma in health science, majoring in digital health at the University of Auckland.

She is now looking to study a master’s degree in AI with a te ao Māori lens in Māori health, alongside kaupapa Māori psychology.

She still lives in Gisborne and works from home.

Jahminique Grace Whitehead of Ngati Porou took home the Public Sector Tipu Award at Nga Tohu Matihiko 2025. Photo / Supplied

Whitehead said she was “pretty shocked” to gain the award.

“Kids from Tairāwhiti can make it this far, too.”

She advised other Tairāwhiti rangatahi who wished to follow a similar career path to study a degree either locally at EIT or online.

In her acceptance speech, she said, “Real transformation starts with the people.

“It starts with the whenua, it starts when we centre whānau voice and when we honour lived experience as the compass, as the navigator to transform our health system.”

Last year Tairāwhiti-based kaupapa Tōnui Collab was recognised with an award, along with two of its team members.

Gisborne’s Mere Takoko (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau a Apanui, Rongowhakaata) won the Kaitiaki o te Taiao Award in 2024 for her mahi with conservation kaupapa Hinemoana Halo.