Meet the Team
Who We Are
Project Sunrise was started by three friends: Riss, Flo and Pete. We’d experienced the benefit of community ourselves and decided to start our own.
It was born out of a simple idea: that when you're struggling with stress, burnout or your mental health, sometimes the most powerful thing is just being around people who get it.
We started small, with 14 people on Takapuna Beach in March 2025. The word spread as more people heard about what we were doing, and that one-off event became our weekly Friday Sip' ‘n’ Stroll. We started to add other weekly events, monthly get-togethers, workshops and more.
Now we're a community of 600+ people, but the mission and concept remains the same: there’s no pressure, no pitches, no expectations. Just people showing up themselves and for each other.
We're not a counselling service and we're not a replacement for professional mental health or medical support.
We're a community, and we’d love you to be a part of it.
Our Community Leaders
Riss
Co-Founder | Event Lead - Sip ‘n’ Stroll
You’ll probably see me at:
Rise ‘n’ Stride, Sip ‘n’ Stroll, Movie Club, Outdoor Club
Talk to me about:
Hiking, camping, running, food, horror movies, writing.
Flo
Co-Founder | Event Lead - Rise ‘n’ Stride, Movie Club
You’ll probably see me at:
Rise ‘n’ Stride, Sip ‘n’ Stroll, Movie Club
Talk to me about:
Movies, hiking, running, cheese, dogs, travelling.
Pete
Co-Founder | Event Lead - Rise ‘n’ Stride, Men’s Coffee ‘n’ Kōrero, Movie Club
You’ll probably see me at:
Rise ‘n’ Stride, Coffee ‘n’ Kōrero, Sip ‘n’ Stroll, Movie Club
Talk to me about:
Running, movies, football (unless you’re a Liverpool fan), mountain biking, skiing, food & beer.
Katrina
Event Lead - Sip ‘n’ Stroll
You’ll probably see me at:
Sip ‘n’ Stroll
Talk to me about:
Yoga, coffee, food, learning to surf, art, travel — and yourself!
Arlan
Community Support
You’ll probably see me at:
Sip ‘n’ Stroll, Rise ‘n’ Stride
Talk to me about:
Neuroscience, mental health, philosophy, football, guitar.
Maria
Event Lead - Midweek Morning Tea
You’ll probably see me at:
Midweek Morning Tea
Talk to me about:
Painting, drawing pet portraits, knitting, road trips, my kids and grandkids.
Chanel
Event Lead - Sunset Stroll Mt Eden
You’ll probably see me at:
Sunset Stroll
Talk to me about:
Food, wine, pilates, live gigs, cooking, gardening.
Sarang
Event Lead - Sip ‘n’ Stroll
You’ll probably see me at:
Sip ‘n’ Stroll
Talk to me about:
Brazilian zouk & salsa, Auckland’s best croissants, workouts and wine.
Ross
Event Lead - Coffee ‘n’ Kōrero
You’ll probably see me at:
Coffee ‘n’ Kōrero
Talk to me about:
Mindset, psychology, books, sport, travel
Vicki
Event Lead - Sunset Stroll Mt Eden
You’ll probably see me at:
Sunset Stroll, Rise ‘n’ Stride
Talk to me about:
Card tricks, bush walks, anything ocean related, playing pool.
Richard
Event Lead - Midweek Morning Tea
You’ll probably see me at:
Midweek Morning Tea, Coffee ‘n’ Kōrero
Talk to me about:
Cars, cycling, beaches, hiking, the outdoors.
Fiona
Event Lead - Movie Club
You’ll probably see me at:
Sip ‘n’ Stroll, Movie Club, Midweek Morning Tea
Talk to me about:
Theatre shows, live music, animals, bush walks, movies, reading, drawing, neuroscience and good coffee.
Want to become a Community Leader?
We’re often in need of backup support for our regular events, committed volunteers to help lead them, as well as support with WhatsApp moderation and social media. If you’re reliable, have good communication and a people person, we’d love to hear more about what you could bring to our community.
Before filling out the expression of interest form below, come along to some events and meet us. It will help you understand what Project Sunrise is all about and if it’s the right fit for you.