October marks Indigenous Business Month, a time to recognise the talent of First Nations entrepreneurs and spark conversations about the importance of supporting First Nations-led businesses.
To celebrate, we reached out to some of our First Nations-led business members to find out more about what they do.
Naru Indigenous Corporation
Naru Indigenous Corporation is a registered charity that facilitates a healthy lifestyle through offering cultural and wellbeing programs related to ocean awareness. They deliver cultural knowledge of the ocean, surf skills and lifesaving training to young people and adults, helping over 300 Indigenous youth over the last 12 months. In addition to their programs, they have also run the annual Naru Surf Gathering since NAIDOC Week in 2017.
Tell us a bit about what you do.
Naru Indigenous Corporation is dedicated to offering cultural and wellbeing programs related to ocean awareness and encouraging a healthy lifestyle.
What are you working on at the moment that is making you proud?
The Goori Grom’s Program, where we’ve hosted over 400 surfing sessions along the coast of New South Wales over the past 11 months.
What is one thing you wish people knew about First Nations-led businesses?
How passionate we are to make things work with little to no financial backing.
How are you celebrating Indigenous Business Month this year?
For Indigenous Business Month, we will be continuing to support other First Nations-led businesses and continuing to host our Goori Grom community days.
Violet Co Legal & Consulting
Violet Co Legal & Consulting blends legal advice and consultation to offer unique solutions. They value social responsibility, and offer pro bono legal advice as well as support for community organisations.
Tell us a bit about what you do.
We are a legal and consulting practice focused on working with organisations, businesses and individuals to create positive outcomes for women and Indigenous peoples.
What are you working on at the moment that is making you proud?
At the moment, we are representing Indigenous women in resolving race based discrimination and sexual harassment matters against their employers. At the same time, we are working with organisations to look at how they can improve their response to these issues using transformative mediation, policy and organisational culture programs. This has the potential to create long-lasting, systematic change.
What is one thing you wish people knew about First Nations-led businesses?
First-Nations-led businesses and entrepreneurs can be incredibly innovative, resilient and relationship driven, across all industries and sectors.
How are you celebrating Indigenous Business Month this year?
This Indigenous Business Month, we are busy supporting our First Nations business clients with their strategies and projects. We are planning on reviewing our list of partners and suppliers to see if we can add some more First Nations-led, and ideally, First Nations women-led businesses.
These businesses are recipients of Hub’s Flexi-Impact membership. Each year Australia’s purpose-driven businesses can apply to receive a Hub membership to one of our locations in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, or Adelaide. Each membership provides access to our community, workspaces, and benefits to help them continue to grow their impact. Applications open each year in November. For more information visit our impact page.
