Heta grew up in a small cottage in Rānui, West Auckland, and later in Te Atatū North.
[7][8] After graduating, she took a series of short-term contracts, including for DesignTRIBE, in television and film, and also travelled to the United States.
She was co-opted to the board to represent Ngā Aho, a national network of Māori design professionals.
[10] In 2022, Heta was appointed co-director of the UIA (International Union of Architects) Indigenous Peoples Work Programme.
[10] In 2022, Heta received a Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects President's Award.