Latesha Hearth
on the Power of Social Enterprise
For Latesha Hearth - or Tesh - courage has always been the seed of change. “Do it afraid,” she recalls hearing as a teenager. “Feeling nervous is natural, but letting that hold you back means living a small life.”
That courage has guided her path as co-founder of Raglan Food Co and Weave Cacao, and as founding trustee of The Values Trust, where she champions purpose-led ventures that give back to community.
Homeschooled as a child, Tesh learned independence, responsibility, and a love of learning - values that later inspired Little Libraries, bringing books to early childhood centres in high-need areas.
Her worldview is shaped by Te Ao Māori: everything is interconnected, and mauri, life force, flows through all beings. “Nature isn’t separate from us,” she says. “It’s whānau. If we made decisions from that place of kinship, the world would look very different.”
In her work, transport remains the biggest sustainability challenge - the emissions from freight and logistics are significant. Yet Tesh leads with empathy and optimism, inspired by Jane Goodall’s example: dialogue, not division, is what drives transformation.
Her days are nourished by voices of hope and insight: George Monbiot, David Attenborough, Jane Goodall, Outrage + Optimism, and Fix the News. And she finds inspiration in initiatives like The Aurora Climate Lab, supporting climate-tech innovators with bold solutions.
If Tesh could plant one seed of change, it would be this: reconnect with your personal values and carry them into your work. “That’s how change becomes sustainable - when it starts from within.”
Her advice for today? “Unfollow what drags you down. Follow what lifts you up. You can’t solve an emergency if you are an emergency. Stay calm, stay hopeful - and keep doing it afraid.”
Read Tesh’s full reflections in BLOOMING Sustainability - on courage, connection, and the power of social enterprise.
BLOOMING Sustainability Questionnaire
Name: Latesha (Tesh) Hearth
Company & Title: Co-founder of Raglan Food Co & Weave Cacao, Founding Trustee of The Values Trust
Website & LinkedIn Profile:
* Guiding Values | Kaupapa
A quote, personal motto or whakataukī that reflects your vision:
Do it afraid. I heard this at a conference as a teenager and it has stayed with me ever since – I think of it when I get nervous, outside my comfort zone or think ‘am I capable enough/the right person for this?’ when challenges come up. Feeling anxious or nervous is perfectly natural, but letting that hold you back would result in living a small life.
If you could mentor a rising change-maker in Aotearoa, what advice would you share?
That they are far more capable than they might believe. I’ve found most people just need a boost of belief and then they can do almost anything. Remember that absolutely everyone out there is struggling with their own insecurities and doubts, there is no reason why you can’t be someone who brings your unique vision and ideas to the world. Surround yourself with people who believe in you.
* Leading Change | Arataki
A key moment in your journey that shaped your path:
Not so much a ‘moment’ as such but I think being homeschooled has shaped my path in many ways so I’m grateful to my parents for giving me that experience, I had a lot of freedom, independence and self-responsibility from a young age which has helped me as an entrepreneur, plus embedding in me a love of reading & learning, which has led to starting Little Libraries to reach early childhood centres in high-need areas with quality books.
What’s the main challenge you face in driving sustainability within your sector?
Transport. The main driver of emissions at both Raglan Food Co and Weave Cacao is freight. Until there is widespread adoption of BEVs for large shipping trucks and seafreight vessels this will continue to be the case.
An Indigenous perspective you admire and want people to be mindful of:
I love how in Te Ao Māori everything is seen as interconnected. Nature is part of us and we are a part of nature, it isn’t something separate from us, it has its own lifeforce (mauri) that we also share. It is viewed as a family member, as whanau. With that perspective guiding us, our decisions globally would look a lot different.
Your best approach for engaging stakeholders in meaningful dialogue about ESG:
I recently watched a Jane Goodall documentary following her passing and I feel like her approach to this was incredibly effective and something I’d like to learn from – she didn’t look at anyone as ‘the enemy’ and used warmth and engagement to get very diverse groups of people around the table, modelling behavior that lead to them showing more empathy towards animals and nature.
* Surfing the Green Wave | Kakariki
Books, podcasts, courses or other resources that profoundly shaped your approach to sustainability:
George Monbiot’s work is fantastic – so incisive and well-researched in his writing. I love David Attenborough & Jane Goodall’s documentaries for the hope and action they inspire – I have only recently realised the full extent of the Roots & Shoots program Jane founded which runs globally and seems very effective due to its focus on reaching young people. The Outrage + Optimism podcast has some great episodes (highly recommend the ‘Deep Time Walk’). I also absolutely LOVE reading the weekly newsletters from ‘Fix the News’ with coverage from environmental stories around the world, it’s a much-needed boost of encouragement in an often dark sea of negativity.
A sustainable initiative or project in Aotearoa that deserves more attention:
The Aurora Climate Lab is a relatively new initiative that has a lot of exciting potential, supporting clean tech/climate tech start-ups. I went to hear the founders who had been through their program pitch their products & ideas recently and it showed that so much potential for change and better ways of doing things are out there.
If your work could plant one seed of change for the future, what would it be?
People connecting with and understanding their own personal values, and bringing those into the mahi that they choose to do.
The leader(s) you endorse for a future edition of Blooming Sustainability: So many amazing leaders!
Brianne West would be great!
* One actionable takeaway for our readers to make a change today for a brighter tomorrow:
Unsubscribe/unfollow any channels that have been causing you depression, overwhelm or anxiety. Replace them with content like Fix the News and people who are uplifting and solutions-focused. As Elizabeth Gilbert says – “You can’t solve an emergency if you ARE an emergency!” We need to be in a clear, calm and optimistic state ourselves before we attempt being of service.
