Manu (Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāti Hauā, Pākehā) grew up in Tauranga, studied in Wellington and now lives with his whānau near Ruatorea. 
Elected to Gisborne District Council in 2010, since 2015 Manu has co-founded four biotechnology companies focused on proven therapeutic products derived from plants and indigenous organisms.
As part of Te Weu (www.teweu.nz) community research collective, Manu helped produce a suite of resources focused on climate change and land use in Tairāwhiti. In January, Manu helped organise a petition that led to the establishment of a Ministerial Inquiry into past, present and future land use in Tairāwhiti and Wairoa.