Our whakapapa

2003 — The story begins

We started as Ultralab South, a small organisation modelled on Ultralab North in the United Kingdom — a not-for-profit research and development institute working at the cutting edge of technology in education. It was an ambitious starting point for an organisation that would grow well beyond its origins.

2004 — Navcon: the start of a community

The first Navcon conference brought educators together to share digital tools and professional development. You may know it better today as uLearn.

2005 — A new name, a new direction

Becoming CORE Education Limited with a new Board of Directors marked a turning point — a conscious step away from Ultralab North and towards building something distinctly “of” Aotearoa New Zealand. Transparency, social good, and innovation became the values that would define us.

2008 — Formalising our commitment

CORE was registered as a Charitable Entity under the Charities Act 2005, giving formal expression to what had always been central to our constitution: to advance education.

2010 — Deepening our identity

Two significant steps in one year. First, a rebrand to CORE Education signalled a genuine shift towards becoming a bicultural organisation — one committed to equity, inclusion, and honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Then, the CORE Foundation (later the CORE Education Charitable Trust) was established to invest back into the wider education sector for the good of society.

2011 — Resilience and reach

The February earthquake in Ōtautahi | Christchurch tested our team, prompting a period of change for our people there. From difficulty came growth: later that year, CORE's Pōneke | Wellington office opened.

2012 — Building for the long term

CORE's first Senior Leadership Team was established, including a dedicated Kaihautū Māori position — a statement of intent about the kind of organisation we were becoming. That same year, LEARNZ online field trips joined the CORE whānau.

2013 — Honouring a pioneer

The Dr Vince Ham eFellowship was established in memory of one of our three founders — and one of New Zealand's most influential voices in educational technology.

2015 — Growing our presence

A first dedicated office opened in Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland, extending our reach across the motu. In Ōtautahi, our team settled into their permanent home.

2017 to 2024 — A vision for the future, new leadership and identity

After driving the business for almost 20 years our two remaining founders, Derek Wenmoth and Nick Billows stepped back into consulting roles in the company, and Dr Hana O’Regan our first Tumu Whakarae | Chief Executive Officer was appointed.

Over this period people came together to shape a new vision and mission — one that further built on our place as leaders in digital technology for education and also positioned CORE more strongly as a bicultural social enterprise with a focus on equity. 

We made the decision to be known by our Māori name first: Tātai Aho Rau Core Education.

2025 and onwards

Under the leadership of Tumu Whakarae, Maralda Williams, Tātai Aho Rau continues to thrive with smaller teams who are pushing the boundaries of possibilities with products and services for the education sector.

Over 20+ years the company has evolved into one of the most sought after professional services companies for education in Aotearoa.