We are a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization which originated in the SF Bay Area and which specializes in networking and super-connecting Kiwis and those living in the USA. KiaOraUSA.Inc. is proud to actively enhance interpersonal, cultural, educational, sporting, business and professional relationships between our two nations.
We offer students the opportunity to attend our educational cultural exchange events showcasing of NZ Legends and New Zealanders of Excellence. Connecting with and nurturing the next generations is a strong focus of this of philanthropic and wide reaching organization.
We operate in the areas of fostering youth education, mentoring, mastering adaptation to a new culture, academia, NZ investment , diversity in sports and the arts and engaging with Kiwi students in the Bay Area.
Lesley Tilley – Lesley@kiaorausa.org
Lesley was born in Kawakawa and her family slowly gravitated down to the North Shore in Auckland spending a few years in both Helensville and in Wellsford on the way.
Lesley attended Auckland, Canterbury and Massey Universities. She gained a B.Ed, a Teaching Certificate and a Speech and Language Pathologist qualification. She soon moved to Adelaide for 10 years, studied for a further degree in Speech Pathology and consequently headed up the Speech Pathology Department in a major teaching hospital. She also was guest lecturing at the local University training speech pathologists and mentored some students on their research projects. She presented papers at several conferences in NZ and Australia, over the years. She has continued her service to the language impaired community in California and has offered her services as a licensed Speech Language Pathologist in the USA for over 3 decades. While in Australia, she authored Brain Injury specific materials and co-authored Brain Injury and the Family, a book specializing in Head Injury Rehabilitation.
The United States called and in the 1980’s Lesley moved to California. She continues to use her Speech Pathology skills as a Consultant for various School Districts.
Lesley and her husband visit the NZ whanau at least every couple of years, and her children enjoy very fond memories of Aotearoa. Lesley was a key organizer of the Christchurch Relief Effort on Treasure Island that raised over $21,000 for Christchurch.
Lesley is Founder and President of KiaOraUSA,Inc whose mission is to continue to be strategic catalysts for visionary New Zealanders and Americans, and she has a proven track record of connecting key players with specific experts across many fields. The company operates in the areas of mentoring, academia, NZ investment, sports, the arts, and focuses on harnessing NZ youth who are in the Bay Area.
She also arranged the Mayoral Reception for SF Mayor Lee, the visiting Christchurch City Council delegation and often brings the entire Kiwi community together for such events.
Over the past several years Lesley has also been actively coordinating events with the San Francisco Golden Gate Rugby Club, The Golden Gate Yacht Club, the San Francisco International Arts Festival, and other organizations. Some examples are: the NZ Art & Wine Show, Rugby World Cup screenings, introducing the Atamira Maori Dance Troupe, Cultural Hangis, promoting NZ excellence abroad and so on.
Of course the America’s Cup Summer was a very busy period where many lasting and fruitful contacts for and with New Zealanders were made. Lesley engaged many of the “Kiwis on the ground” leading them to tours of the America’s Cup boats(both Oracle and Team Emirates NZ). She was a constant ambassador and encouraged many to venture out on the water in a variety of charters, to become actively involved in reinforcing and expanding the NZ presence in San Francisco and in supporting all of the Kiwis on all of the racing teams – of course this also involved promoting NZ businesses, beers, foods, and all things Kiwi.
The KiaOraUSA NZ Networking Speaker Series is continuing and a selection of the highly respected and extremely accomplished speakers including: Sir Peter Snell, Sir Ken Stevens, Sir Vaughan Jones, Sean Gourley, Ron Mayes, Bill Bailey, Kimberley Chambers, Steven Keung, Dr Lance O’Sullivan, Sir John Hood, Sir Buck Shelford, and Alan Hall, Shaun Quincy, Claudia Batten, Steve Outtrim, Rod Dixon, Tim Brown, Pene Pati & Amina Edris, Sir Graham Henry, Kim Chambers among others.
As the Founder and President of KiaOraUSA.Inc., Lesley follows the mission to promote and foster professional relations between New Zealand and the US through a variety of networking events held in the Bay Area on a regular basis.
Jim Tilley – jim@kiaorausa.org
Mr. James Tilley is a highly regarded expert with a wealth of experience in guiding risk assessment activities of banks across the US, SE Asia, Australia and New Zealand. His in-depth experience in commercial credit risk analysis while with Moody’s Investor Service continued to increase his knowledge base for understanding and generating innovative process improvements in the international banking community. His extensive experience with the IBM Corporation ranges from a seat on the President’s staff to managing executive level functions in multiple countries for many years. In addition he is a serial entrepreneur having co-founded several separate and highly successful start-ups both in the US and overseas.
Mr. Tilley also speaks conversational Indonesian which has been an invaluable asset when working in the business world in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and southern Thailand.
Mr. Tilley has authored business related books and many articles. Published books cover subjects ranging from intellectual property protection in software to the future of technology in banking. Two were later published by IBM for use internally for expanding and creating excellence in understanding of IT conversions in banking. He also co-authored on line courses including IP protection. The IP protection course, was used internally by IBM for its new employee education enhancement courses.
Currently and in the recent past, Mr. Tilley continues to act as a consultant for companies establishing themselves in the US marketplace from Australia and New Zealand. He is the US Advisor for the Australian company WealthMaker Financial Services (WMFS) bringing the “Aspire” product into the US mortgage lending and wealth generation arena. Aspire’s US patented process provides a customer the ability to grow a significant investment portfolio and concurrently service a home loan at no more than the outlay for the mortgage payments alone.
KiaOra USA.Inc : Kiwi Affairs
We are enthusiastic in our desire to mutually introduce and support New Zealanders and Americans who demonstrate shared interests and goals across many different fields of endeavor. To date these interactions have taken place in the arenas of professional and amateur sports, music and entertainment, visual and performing arts, film, opera, unique NZ food & award winning wine, academia, investment in NZ, the arts, alumni association relations, business enhancement, capitalizing on US markets, philanthropic ventures, Christchurch quake relief, profiling amazing Kiwis who come through the Bay Area and of course also celebrating our Kiwi youth studying in the Bay Area.
KiaOraUSA is thoughtfully connecting our two cultures through philanthropic ventures to provide a platform to mentor the youth as well as other Kiwis who are willing to take the plunge, have already taken the plunge or have made the USA their temporary or even permanent home. KiaOraUSA offer opportunities for no-cost participation in awesome networking events where connecting with other Kiwi professionals is so valuable and comforting.
Cricket, rowing and rugby are represented by this group who were brought together for a BBQ with Terry Daly from the NZ Olympic committee – here are some of your future Olympian hopefuls.
We also facilitate introductions between those currently in the USA who are fascinated by New Zealand and who are very attracted to the NZ lifestyle for a myriad of reasons.