Hinemoa is a fierce advocate for te reo Māori. She attributes her success to ‘hard work, determination, and being able to draw from her Māori heritage, synthesising meaning from an indigenous perspective’. Hinemoa started out as an actress and television personality. Motivated by her mother being diagnosed with breast cancer, Hinemoa enrolled at University of Auckland in medicine. She went on to specialise in child and adolescent psychiatry and worked as a youth forensic psychiatrist. Her PhD focused on the development of tikanga approaches for Māori tamariki (children) who experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI) inclusive of whānau and professionals that work with them. When she is not working or immersed in her research, she lives with her husband, at their home on Waiheke Island where they own a successful indigenous inspired café business.