11 May 2026, 12:17

We’re deeply saddened to share that Mike O'Connor, one of the five directors who founded Catalyst, passed away on 4 May 2026.

Mike was a dedicated supporter of the Mahara project from day one. Together with the other directors, he made it possible for the team to continue working on Mahara past the initial funding period and established a dedicated project team within Catalyst.

Mike was closely involved with the Mahara project team. He joined us in many conversations and client meetings, and genuinely cared about the use of portfolios in education, particularly to support education in Aotearoa New Zealand.

We're grateful for Mike’s leadership and support of the Mahara project team throughout its 20-year history, so we’re dedicating the Mahara 26.04 release to him.

If you'd like to pass on a message to Mike's family, you can email me directly or visit his tributes page.

Our thoughts are with his family and everyone who loved him.