Paora Messiah Te Hurihanganui is of Ngāti Rangiwewehi (Te Arawa), Ngāti Awa and Ngāti Tūwharetoa descent. He is currently the Chief Executive of Te Papa Tākaro o Te Arawa, an Iwi-mandated trust working within the sport and health sectors in Rotorua.
He has a passion for the revitalisation of ancestral and cultural pursuits, has a diverse background in Māori arts (visual and performing) and has an interest in the revitalisation of traditional Waka and ancestral games.