Dan Hikuroa (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngaati Whanaunga, Ngāti Mahuta, Pākehā) is a father, surfer, paddle-boarder, gardener, loves the taiao and is an Associate Professor in Māori Studies, Waipapa Taumata Rau-University of Auckland. Dan is an established world expert on weaving indigenous knowledge and science to realise the dreams and solve challenges of the communities he works with. Dan has been spearheading alternative ways of undertaking development and assessing sustainability, including braiding indigenous knowledge and epistemologies with science and into policies, assessment frameworks and decision-support tools. Dan is UNESCO New Zealand Commissioner for Culture, member of Pou Herenga, Māori Advisory to the Climate Change Commission, had key roles within New Zealand’s Centres of Research Excellence, advises national and regional government, communities and philanthropic trusts, and is a member of several significant international research teams and formerly the AGU Council.