Indigenous Economic Development Agenda

Summit Day 1 | Wednesday, 25 November
Summit Day 2 | Thursday, 26 November

08:30

Registration and welcome coffee

08:40

Welcome to Country
Graham Davis-King, Board Member, Deerubbin Local Aboriginal Land Council

08:50

Chairperson’s opening remarks
Monty Noble, NSWICC Director & CEO, Noble Brands Worldwide

Policy and Planning to Drive Indigenous Economic Development

09:00

Government Keynote: Working alongside Aboriginal people and communities to stimulate Indigenous Economic Development
Don Harwin MLC, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, NSW Government

Leading the NSW Government’s contribution to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

Cultural and Community Benefits of Growing Indigenous Business

09:05

Closing the digital gap to help Indigenous Australians develop cutting-edge businesses for the 21st Century
Sally Browner, Chief Executive Officer, Goanna Solutions
Corey Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Goanna Solutions

What are the main digital literacy gaps that require addressing in Indigenous communities?
Why are advanced digital capabilities important for the future of Indigenous business?
How do we build digital capabilities in a way that boosts Indigenous economic development?

09:30

Case Study: Sourcing the means of production from an Aboriginal Corporation to fund community investment
Katina Law, Chair/Director , Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils
First Australian winner of the UN Equator Prize for outstanding local community and Indigenous Peoples’ initiatives

Treating entrepreneurship as a way of looking after country
Working in partnership with Indigenous organisations to extend the economic benefits

09:55

Pivoting to domestic tourism while international travel restrictions are in place
Linc Walker, Co-Founder, Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat Tours

Maintaining your business during times of economic hardship
Attracting a client base that’s closer to home to achieve short and long-term business benefits
Sharing culture to foster understanding and respect for land and tradition
Developing the tour from idea to sustainable business

10:20

Promoting culture through business to achieve social and economic returns
Rex Winston Walford, Founder, Winston Walford

Harnessing online advertising to sell art and spread culture during periods of lockdown and social distancing 
Discovering the benefits of smart social media usage to promote your Indigenous business

10:45

Marketing your Indigenous business to maximise exposure, develop your brand, and achieve success
Greg Hodgkinson, Founder, IndigiSpace

Developing a marketing campaign for the virtual world
Identifying your audience to tailor your marketing
Knowing your story to establish a strong Indigenous brand
What are the dos and don'ts of business marketing

11:10

Morning Tea

11:30

How is The Unexpected Guest utilising media to ensure future business and community growth?
Jenny Khan, Director, The Unexpected Guest

Sharing stories to overcome the challenges COVID-19 presents to Indigenous businesses
Devising a media strategy across various platforms
Keeping your brand consistent and in-line with your cultural values
Promoting Indigenous initiatives to empower, engage, and inspire

Getting Your Indigenous Enterprise Off the Ground

11:55

Culturally Principled Business Practice: Building an organisation that is authentically Indigenous
Linda Ryle, Executive & Managing Director, CALM (Cultural Advocacy Legal Mediation)

Embracing social justice movements that you believe in as part of your business strategy
What is black cladding and how to avoid it?
Making sure your Indigenous business has a positive impact on community

12:20

Planning for long-term commercialisation by developing an intellectual property management plan
Charisma Cubillo, Solicitor, Terri Janke and Company

Protecting intellectual property and Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property
Managing from the front – using IP laws, protocols and contracts to create a wholistic plan

12:45

Lunch

INTERACTIVE ROUND TABLES

01:45

Interactive yarning circles 
These interactive sessions allow for extended discussion among a small group and are excellent for giving and receiving targeted feedback and engaging in in-depth discussions. 

Yarning Circle One:
Finding your why: how to make your business stand out
Monty Noble, NSWICC Director & CEO, Noble Brands Worldwide  

Yarning Circle Two:
How can Indigenous businesses support each other and the community through partnerships?
Greg Hodgkinson, Founder, IndigiSpace

Online Yarning Circle One:
Ensuring the employment benefits of Indigenous business strengthen First Nations entrepreneurship
Linda Ryle, Executive & Managing Director, CALM (Cultural Advocacy Legal Mediation)

Online Yarning Circle Two:
How can Indigenous businesses support each other and the community through partnerships?
Scott McCartney, CEO, Kinaway Chamber of Commerce

02:45

Understanding the basics of business as an aspiring Indigenous entrepreneur
Lenore Dembski, Owner, Paperbark Woman

Prioritising personal skills over technical skills
Sustaining cash flow for economic security
Becoming media literate and strategically minded

03:15

Afternoon Tea

03:40

Unlocking the potential of tech-based Indigenous business during the pandemic
Liam Ridgeway, Co-Founder, Ngakkan Nyaagu

Understanding new technologies that have become applicable to business as a result of COVID-19
Expanding the definition of what an Indigenous business should look like to maximise economic development
Discovering new ways to share Indigenous culture and stories

04:05

The Yalagan Group & its Founder Nathan Martin’s Story – Train, Mentor & Employment Outcomes
Nathan Martin, COO, Founder, Yalagan Group

Creating long term opportunities for Indigenous people and our communities
Providing opportunities and a ‘second chance’ to people that many others would not
Focus on upskilling and training for increased pay or increasing employment outcomes
Guiding and mentoring young Indigenous candidates into successful careers and employment environments

04:30

Chairperson’s closing remarks and end of Day One

08:45

Registration and welcome coffee

08:55

Chairperson’s opening remarks
Monty Noble, NSWICC Director & CEO, Noble Brands Worldwide

Ensuring Indigenous Business Remains Sustainable

09:00

Indigenous Economic Development – ‘The National Strategic Narrative’ and how it will help Indigenous businesses survive and thrive during a recession
Eddie Fry, Chair, Indigenous Business Australia, Chair, Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation

How will the recent national agreement on Closing the Gap improve land and sea rights for Indigenous people
The potential of our future
Leveraging scale and addressing Social imperatives
Protect and conserve the Indigenous Estate

09:25

International Keynote: Positioning cultural values as the cornerstone of Indigenous business
Mavis Mullins, Director, Paewai Mullins Shearing
Member of the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame

Visualising your end goal and working incrementally towards it
Using the ancient values and knowledge that nurtured our old people
Adopting a model of wealth creation that benefits your whanau, hapu, iwi and larger community

09:50

Building capacity to create resilient sustainable and competitive Indigenous businesses
Debbie Barwick, Chairperson, First Australians Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FACCI), CEO, NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce (NSWICC), Director and Owner, Winya Furniture

Future-proofing your business to withstand unpredictable and large-scale change
Taking the next step and growing your Indigenous business
How can you independently build the scale of your business?
What supports can you access to build the scale of your business?

10:10

Economic Survival Through COVID: Fostering entrepreneurial collaboration between Indigenous organisations to meet the economic challenges of COVID-19
Scott McCartney, CEO, Kinaway Chamber of Commerce (The Victorian Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce)

Assisting the approx. 58% of Indigenous businesses who have closed due to the economic impacts of COVID-19
Exploring B2B options that strengthen the Indigenous economy
Realising the benefits of trading between Indigenous organisations

10:35

Morning Tea

10:50

Building a business against the odds: fulfilling your business dream in times of economic hardship
Gillian Mailman, CEO, MJB Solutions
Australia’s first Aboriginal female qualified electrician

Overcoming economic hurdles on your path to creating a sustainable business
Challenging social bias to succeed as an Indigenous woman in tech

11:15

You can start a business - with no start-up capital and clean up
Narelle Anderson, Managing Director, Envirobank Recycling

11:40

Inspiring Indigenous women to achieve success in business
Remy Crick, Founder, Nextmove

What are the barriers to entry that Indigenous women confront when trying to start a business?
How can budding female Indigenous entrepreneurs set themselves up for success?
Utilising support networks and resources to help you achieve your business dream

12:05

Lunch

12:55

Indigenous Tourism Panel: Transforming traditional knowledge into commercial opportunities
Moderator: Dwayne Bannon-Harrison, Tour Leader, Ngaran Ngaran Culture Awareness
Panelists: Linc Walker, Co-Founder, Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat Tours
Cameron Costello, Chief Executive Officer, Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation

What is the future of Indigenous tourism over the next few years?
Diversifying your product to ensure you remain sustainable during the period of economic hardship
Reclaiming ownership of country through sharing cultural knowledge
Learning how to operate an Indigenous tourism business that is culturally safe and enriching
Assessing the societal benefits of indigenous tourism

01:35

Growing the market for native foods while protecting them from mass international commercialisation
Dale Tilbrook, Director, Australian Native Food and Botanicals

Establishing the importance of provenance in the native food economy
What needs to happen to build the native food economy?
Finding ways to ensure the economic benefits of native food-based products are returned to Indigenous communities

Maximising Procurement Opportunities

02:05

Increasing the profit percentage that Indigenous organisations receive in procurement partnerships
Renee Snelling, Associate Director Policy, NSW Procurement, NSW Department of Treasury

Working towards more sizeable Indigenous procurement contracts with big businesss

02:35

Keynote: Strategizing to become a leading procurement option for big business as an Indigenous company
Herb Smith, Founder and CEO, Dreamtime Tuka

Winning contracts with the big end of town as an Indigenous supplier
Continuing to grow and develop after you achieve success

03:05

Afternoon Tea

03:20

Supporting Indigenous at Barpa: Indigenous companies procuring products and services from Indigenous companies
Jeremy Clark, Business Development Manager, Barpa

Building Indigenous economic independence through employment and commercial collaboration
Shifting your business outlook to realise the significant economic potential in partnering with Indigenous organisations

Economic Development and Support Networks

03:45

How has a national network of Indigenous Chambers of Commerce helped the economic development of First Nations organisations across Australia?
First Australians Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FACCI)

Launching the First Australians Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Providing representation to Aboriginal businesses across the Country’s states and territories
Accessing diverse benefits to support the aspirations of any Aboriginal Entrepreneur, Business Owner or enterprising Community to establish and operate a business or enterprise.

04:00

Chairperson’s closing remarks and end of Day Two
Monty Noble, NSWICC Director & CEO, Noble Brands Worldwide

Back to main page