August 30th, 2026
Reluctant leadership and creating rainbow spaces
A little over a year ago, I was living in a big community house and still feeling fresh at my job as a peer support worker with Qtopia. I spent my weekends going camping, and my evenings taking photos of my friends performing in drag shows. One day, I attended a RAP training with Chris Jansen, and spoke to him afterward about how much I liked the framework. He later emailed me to tell me about Te Whāriki – a year-long leadership incubator programme “activating the intersections of identity to lead systems change.”
Leadership? Systems change? Strengths coaching? None of this sounded like me! But I saw a few familiar faces in the photos from the first two cohorts, and I couldn’t deny that I was interested. So, I took the leap. I put in my application – not feeling particularly confident, but nervously excited about the possibility.
You might be able to guess this, but I got in! I joined Te Whāriki’s third cohort, along with six other amazing humans. Over the past year, we have deepened our understanding of each other, ourselves, and our place in the wider systems change network of О̄tautahi, Aotearoa, and beyond.
My connection to systems change since living in О̄tautahi has always been through a rainbow lens. As a queer person new to town, I sought people and places that I could connect to who would respect my identity. It wasn’t easy to find out what events were on, what services were available, and what places would be safe to go to. Eventually, I began to make friends in the rainbow community here, and even found a job working as a transgender peer support worker for Qtopia where I get to help people who are facing a lot of the same challenges that I’ve had to navigate. It was apparent to me early on that the rainbow community here needed more support and connection, and in time as I got to know the community more, those needs would materialise into the dream of a Rainbow Hub.
The idea for the Rainbow Hub first came about from community hui called by Christchurch City Council, and over time and after many meetings, it was eventually decided that it made sense for a new organisation to form to look after the project. Earlier this year, we celebrated a big milestone when Ōtautahi Rainbow Spaces Collective became a registered charity. ŌRSC’s first goal is to open the Rainbow Hub – which will offer a permanent, physical location for Ōtautahi’s rainbow community.
It’s two main purposes are to provide a collaborative co-working space for rainbow organisations and kaimahi, and to give the wider community a safe third space to gather and access support services. Working on this project has challenged me in numerous ways, and it’s been hugely beneficial to have my Te Whāriki whānau to lean on, reflect with, and ask advice of.
In-between providing peer support, helping run a community support group, starting a charity, attending networking events, and taking part in professional development, Te Whāriki offered me a safe space to land – and then take a step back. There were many times that I arrived at a hui feeling exhausted and depleted, but every time – seriously, every time – I walked away feeling refreshed, restored, and buzzing with the excitement of new potential. I’m so grateful for the space Te Whāriki provided us to reflect on our mahi and our lives in general, and the opportunity to connect deeply with others who, despite having very different day-to-day lives, share a commitment to social change and equitable futures.
When we first engaged with CliftonStrengths coaching through Te Whāriki, I’ll admit that I was skeptical. I’ve always been wary of things that try to put me in a box or assign a string of letters to explain someone’s full, evolving personhood. But as I came around to it, it became a really helpful tool. I’ve never been comfortable with the title of “leader” and probably never will be. But learning about my strengths, and those of our rōpū, helped me see that there are so many different ways to lead. It gave me a language to use when reflecting on myself as a leader, and helped me recognise what I need to thrive.
Now, we are looking ahead to what’s next for Te Whāriki and I’m excited to be on the organising committee. This programme has opened me up to so many opportunities that I would not have considered possible, and it’s helped me take a necessary step forward as a leader in my community. I’m immensely grateful and proud to be part of the Leadership Lab whānau, and I can’t wait to see what we all do together to make this a more equitable world.
This reflection piece was written by River Dantzler (they/them), Te Whāriki alumni and Community of Practice Committee Member, Qtopia Peer Support Worker and Board Chair of Ōtautahi Rainbow Spaces Collective (ŌRSC)
August 30th, 2026
Reluctant leadership and creating rainbow spaces
A little over a year ago, I was living in a big community house and still feeling fresh at my job as a peer support worker with Qtopia. I spent my weekends going camping, and my evenings taking photos of my friends performing in drag shows. One day, I attended a RAP training with Chris Jansen, and spoke to him afterward about how much I liked the framework. He later emailed me to tell me about Te Whāriki – a year-long leadership incubator programme “activating the intersections of identity to lead systems change.”
Leadership? Systems change? Strengths coaching? None of this sounded like me! But I saw a few familiar faces in the photos from the first two cohorts, and I couldn’t deny that I was interested. So, I took the leap. I put in my application – not feeling particularly confident, but nervously excited about the possibility.
You might be able to guess this, but I got in! I joined Te Whāriki’s third cohort, along with six other amazing humans. Over the past year, we have deepened our understanding of each other, ourselves, and our place in the wider systems change network of О̄tautahi, Aotearoa, and beyond.
My connection to systems change since living in О̄tautahi has always been through a rainbow lens. As a queer person new to town, I sought people and places that I could connect to who would respect my identity. It wasn’t easy to find out what events were on, what services were available, and what places would be safe to go to. Eventually, I began to make friends in the rainbow community here, and even found a job working as a transgender peer support worker for Qtopia where I get to help people who are facing a lot of the same challenges that I’ve had to navigate. It was apparent to me early on that the rainbow community here needed more support and connection, and in time as I got to know the community more, those needs would materialise into the dream of a Rainbow Hub.
The idea for the Rainbow Hub first came about from community hui called by Christchurch City Council, and over time and after many meetings, it was eventually decided that it made sense for a new organisation to form to look after the project. Earlier this year, we celebrated a big milestone when Ōtautahi Rainbow Spaces Collective became a registered charity. ŌRSC’s first goal is to open the Rainbow Hub – which will offer a permanent, physical location for Ōtautahi’s rainbow community.
It’s two main purposes are to provide a collaborative co-working space for rainbow organisations and kaimahi, and to give the wider community a safe third space to gather and access support services. Working on this project has challenged me in numerous ways, and it’s been hugely beneficial to have my Te Whāriki whānau to lean on, reflect with, and ask advice of.
In-between providing peer support, helping run a community support group, starting a charity, attending networking events, and taking part in professional development, Te Whāriki offered me a safe space to land – and then take a step back. There were many times that I arrived at a hui feeling exhausted and depleted, but every time – seriously, every time – I walked away feeling refreshed, restored, and buzzing with the excitement of new potential. I’m so grateful for the space Te Whāriki provided us to reflect on our mahi and our lives in general, and the opportunity to connect deeply with others who, despite having very different day-to-day lives, share a commitment to social change and equitable futures.
When we first engaged with CliftonStrengths coaching through Te Whāriki, I’ll admit that I was skeptical. I’ve always been wary of things that try to put me in a box or assign a string of letters to explain someone’s full, evolving personhood. But as I came around to it, it became a really helpful tool. I’ve never been comfortable with the title of “leader” and probably never will be. But learning about my strengths, and those of our rōpū, helped me see that there are so many different ways to lead. It gave me a language to use when reflecting on myself as a leader, and helped me recognise what I need to thrive.
Now, we are looking ahead to what’s next for Te Whāriki and I’m excited to be on the organising committee. This programme has opened me up to so many opportunities that I would not have considered possible, and it’s helped me take a necessary step forward as a leader in my community. I’m immensely grateful and proud to be part of the Leadership Lab whānau, and I can’t wait to see what we all do together to make this a more equitable world.
This reflection piece was written by River Dantzler (they/them), Te Whāriki alumni and Community of Practice Committee Member, Qtopia Peer Support Worker and Board Chair of Ōtautahi Rainbow Spaces Collective (ŌRSC)