Directors

Steve Hill


Steve brings over 20 years of business experience to Mind Warriors stemming from the Building Industry to Magazine Publishing, New Media and more recently Consultancy & Experiential training. In most situations he was involved as a partner in startups. The common thread running through these areas has been creativity and design. Steve enjoys the challenges of business and does the occasional mentoring.

Steve has studied the Art of Improvisation and has been designing and facilitating experiential programs for corporate organisations and students since September 2002. He is a regular guest speaker on Creativity at Auckland's New Media Design School and has spoken on creative company culture both locally and in Hong Kong where he set up a branch of his former company WebMedia.
He is a qualified NLP Practitioner and has studied the Art of Metaphor and Clean Language.

For the last 23 years Steve has been interested in areas of Self Intelligence, looking at ways in which to develop the body's awareness and senses.
He initially worked with a medium, which led him into studying with a number of spiritual elders, shaman, medicine men and women. He continues the practice and teach shamanism on a regular basis.
With a foray into martial arts in 1982 he has since practised Jujutsu, Tai Chi, and currently trains in Koryu Uchinadi Kempo (Black Belt), Kenjutsu and Iaido - Samurai Sword (Black Belt Instructor) and Pa Tuan Tsin (Chi Gung).

Passions:

  • Steve is passionate about the way of the samurai, whether it's movies, stories, or the combatitive training and teaching.
  • He is very passionate about exploring other dimensions of the mind and the different forms of shamanic practice for self and to help others.
  • Steve loves to learn, to teach and to help others
  • He is mostly passionate about his two boys Kane (8) and Niko (6), where comes the art of influence, distraction, storytelling, patience and emotional intelligence.
  • And fishing, whether catching them or not its great to be out at sea.

Life defining moments:

  • Getting married, becoming a dad, his wife's death
  • Winning the overall gold at the European multi-media awards in Amsterdam for his previous company 'WebMedia' website.
  • Doing an Inipi ceremony (sweatlodge) with Wallace Black Elk

Wade Jackson


Wade Jackson (BA in English & Japanese, Post graduate Diploma in Drama) has been involved in the performing, healing and martial arts for over the last 15 years. It has taken him around the world where he has studied with masters in their field and he integrates his amazingly varied background into everything that he does.

As a consultant and keynote speaker, Wade has worked with thousands of people ranging from CEOs and senior executive teams, to Universities and Militaries to non-profit organisations.

Wade is a double world improvisation champion and founding member of The Improv Bandits, world renowned improvised comedy act. Fluent in Japanese, Wade has three internationally recognised black belts in martial arts and has studied Zen Shiatsu, Japanese acupressure massage based on Traditional Chinese Medicine. With a post-graduate Diploma in Drama and Diploma in Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapy, Wade is a certified Neuro Linguistic Programming practioner who has also studied Emotional Freedom Technique.

Passions:

  • Wade loves to perform. He has acted in film, television and on stage internationally, had his own radio show and has been interviewed by every major publication, television and radio station in NZ.
  • Wade loves to learn. He understands NZ Sign Language and is dedicated to learning a new skill each year.
  • Wade loves to help others. He runs private therapy and coaching sessions and is a proud sponsor of the Foundation of Youth Development, (link to FYD website) a not-for-profit organisation that runs the Project K, Stars and Kiwi Can programmes in NZ schools.

Life defining moments:

  • Living in Japan, getting married, becoming a father.
  • Wade is married to Evie Ashton and they live in Auckland, New Zealand with their daughter Sabina and two dogs Sophie and Scamp.

Research & Development

Jessica George


Jessica George (BA in Psychology) graduated magna cum laude from Boston University, where she played an active role in the psychology community as both a member of the B.U. Undergraduate Psychology Association and as a teaching assistant for the undergraduate physiological psychology course. Jess has worked as a research assistant in the neuropsychology ward of the Boston Veteran's Hospital and as a mental health support worker for Richmond NZ. She founded a therapeutic crafting group for women at the Auckland Women's Centre and joined the Mind Warriors team in 2007.

Passions:
Jess has a passion for studying cognitive neuroscience and applying her knowledge to brain and behaviour research. She has a strong interest in human wellbeing as related to eco sustainability and endeavours to integrate it into all aspects of her life. Music is a passion and Jess has her own radio show Mmm... Frosted! on www.jamradio.co.nz. She has also been known to make excellent cupcakes (although Wade complains he never sees enough of them!)

Life defining moments:

  • Recording her first song on a summer afternoon during high school and being told it sounded great.
  • Seeing her first piece of urban street art in Boston, MA, USA.
  • Graduating magna cum laude from Boston University.
  • Relocating to New Zealand after experiencing a study-abroad in Auckland.
  • Organising her first successful art & music event for the Auckland-based Makeshift art collective.
  • Being in the audience at Fly My Pretties, a multimedia experience of performances by NZ musicians.