Founded in Auckland in 2020, we believe workplace culture deserves the same careful thought as product or strategy — not left to chance or copied from overseas playbooks.
Co-founder · Culture Design
Elara spent twelve years facilitating organisational change across Canterbury and Auckland before co-founding Drainwystrain. Her approach centres on listening sessions that surface what teams already know but rarely articulate.
She leads the customisation of feedback rhythms and onboarding warmth guides, drawing on experience with both scaling startups and established professional services firms.
Co-founder · Research & Frameworks
Marcus brings a background in organisational psychology and workplace research from Wellington and Sydney. He structures the evidence base behind each guide, ensuring recommendations are grounded in observable behaviour rather than trends.
His focus areas include decision transparency frameworks and hybrid alignment protocols for distributed New Zealand teams.
Principal Advisor · Facilitation
Hana joined as principal advisor after leading people operations at a Māori-owned enterprise in the Waikato. She ensures our guides reflect bicultural awareness and the relational values common to many Aotearoa workplaces.
She facilitates leader orientation sessions and workshop rollouts, translating written frameworks into lived practice.
Every guide we publish passes through these editorial standards before reaching your team.
If a concept cannot be explained in plain language, it does not belong in the guide.
No two organisations share identical culture challenges. Customisation is not optional — it is essential.
Frameworks serve people, not the other way around. We design for dignity in daily interactions.
Schedule a conversation at our Newmarket studio or via video call.
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