Fibre Fale – Moving the Dial for Pasefika in Tech

Julia Pahina and Namulau'ulu Nu’uali’i Eteroa Lafaele

‍Fibre Fale is a purpose-led organisation established to create pathways into technology for Pacific people. Co-founded in 2022 by award-winning tech leaders Julia Pahina and Namulau'ulu Nu’uali’i Eteroa Lafaele to bridge the digital divide and grow representation of Pasefika in tech, this organisation is making great strides towards shifting the statistic that shows Pacific people account for only 4.4% of the tech sector in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The goal is to grow the next wave of transformative industry leaders and Fibre Fale enables this in various ways. There’s the Digital Academy, an online education platform created to offer accessible learning opportunities for the community to grow, gain knowledge, and develop the skills needed to build tech careers in the new era of work, which complements Fibre Fono’s in-person events, designed to bring together Pacific people in tech to connect, foster community, and create collective impact.

“Pacific people always deserved a place in tech. The system just wasn't built to include them. We're changing that. In four years, we've engaged over 31,000 people in person and reached more than 10 million online. That's not volume for its own sake. Every Fibre Fono, every masterclass, every piece of content was building the same thing: a community of Pacific people who see themselves as belonging in tech, and who have the skills and belief to act on that,” says Julia.

“Pacific people are feeling seen and heard. They're growing skills and confidence. They're showing up in the industry and changing it. That's what the numbers point to, but it's the individual stories underneath them that we're most proud of.”

Aligning with the principle ‘if you can see it, you can be it’, Fibre Fale has also sought to inspire the younger generation of Pacific people with the publication of Ete Fixes the Glitch, one of the only Pacific STEM children's books in Aotearoa New Zealand. Telling the story of Ete solving digital problems, it aims to demystify technology and show Pacific young people that they don't just have to use tech, they can also build and shape it.

“Over 1,700 copies have been sponsored into schools and families. When a Pacific child sees a girl who looks like them fixing glitches and leading with her ideas, that's generational. That's the work,” says Julia.

While Julia recognises that having a clear vision and applying a genuine approach to the mahi has delivered results, the journey hasn’t been without its challenges, especially when systemic changes are required to enable success.

“The hardest thing we've faced is existing in a system that wasn't built for us, while asking that system to fund us. The road hasn't always been straightforward. Establishing credibility as a Pacific-led tech organisation, while staying true to our values and our community, required patience and persistence. What we've learned is that authenticity is also a strategy. The trust we built by refusing to compromise who we are, is exactly what clients and partners now seek us out for,” she says.

“The other challenge is timing. Pacific communities have long been told that digital inclusion matters, while the systems around them kept moving. When AI (Artificial Intelligence) arrived and urgency became universal, years of Fibre Fale showing up, building trust, and demonstrating expertise meant we were already there. The demand didn't create us. It found us.”

With this in mind, the team established Fibre Fale AI, which is focused on building values-led AI capability for teams and practitioners, and building governance confidence for boards and leaders. Julia and Eteroa believe that Pacific communities belong at the forefront of AI – not on the side-lines. 

“AI is not just a technology shift. It is a power shift. Who understands it, who shapes it, and who is left behind will define the next generation. Fibre Fale AI exists to make sure Pacific people and Pacific-informed thinking are at the centre of that shift, not the margins,” says Julia.

“Fibre Fale AI is our B2B training and advisory arm. We work with organisations across Aotearoa and globally, including Bunnings, Xero, Netsafe, the NZ Principals Association, and MOVE92 delivering across 15 countries, to build genuine AI capability and governance confidence. There are two lanes: capability for teams and practitioners, and leadership and governance for boards and executives. Every engagement is custom built. Nothing is off the shelf.

Our point of difference is both philosophical and practical. We ground every engagement in Pacific epistemology, which means we start with identity before technology, with relationships before tools, with the long view before the quick win. In a world where most AI adoption is driven by urgency and fear, we offer something more grounded. We start with the question: who do you want to be in a world where AI is infrastructure?” she says. 

Fibre Fale AI also offers a free masterclass, AI with Eteroa, an online learning experience designed to empower Pacific communities with the skills, knowledge and confidence to navigate the AI wave, taking a ‘no tech jargon, no gatekeeping, no barriers’ approach. And there’s so much more planned for the future across the whole organisation.

“The next chapter for Fibre Fale is about going deeper and reaching further at the same time. In our community, that means expanding AI literacy through new masterclasses, growing the Digital Academy, and getting into more schools across Aotearoa. The urgency is real. Pacific communities are among those most at risk from automation and AI disruption, and among those least resourced to respond. We intend to change that,” she says.

“We are also pursuing Masters-level research to build the field of Pacific AI thought-leadership in governance and technical architecture. The Hibiscus Impact Model, an evaluation and storytelling framework we developed to measure social impact through a Pasifika lens, has already been submitted as an academic paper. This matters because policy and systems are shaped by research, and Pacific people need to be the ones authoring it.

Internationally, we have been selected to speak at MozFest in Barcelona from over 1,100 applications, presenting on "Whose Knowledge Built the Tech? Interrogating Ancestral Intelligence (AI)." That platform signals that Pacific thinking on AI is not a niche conversation. It is a necessary one.”

“We’re holding the community mission and building towards long-term sustainability together. We are not just planning programmes. We are building infrastructure for a Pacific-led future in tech. Good ancestors think seven generations ahead. At Fibre Fale, this guides how we work,” says Julia.