Celebrating Kevin Wilson’s Success

Wirra Hub Client Kevin Wilson was honoured as the WA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year at the WA Training Awards recently. This outstanding award is the result of Kevin’s dedication and passion to his artistic pursuits.

“I feel like I have grown so much as a person and I have started to believe in myself and get more confidence and being nominated for something like this just feels really rewarding,” said Kevin.

Kevin has always had a love for art, but it wasn’t until recently that he started to consider it as a possible career pathway. Taking the leap away from work as a machine operator and into a graphic design course at North Metropolitan TAFE was a difficult but life changing decision for him. 

“It hasn’t been easy, I feel like I have pushed myself up hill and sometimes I have down days but when you get awards like this, it’s nice that the lecturers and people around you see you and the work that you have been putting in.”

Kevin started his business Nani Creative at the start of 2020 after seeing a lack of Indigenous representation in the graphic design field in Perth.

“I was working on Nani one day a week, then it began to get busier, and I started to take it more seriously. I knew a lot about design but not a lot about business,” said Kevin.

In need of advice on how to take the business further, Kevin got in contact with the Wirra Hub.

“I came to the hub and had a 3-hour session with my Business Coach Rob, we spoke about aspects of starting a new business that I had never thought of.”

Supported by the National Indigenous Australian Agency (NIAA), the Wirra Hub provides Indigenous business owners with valuable advice and tools to building a successful business. For Kevin, this meant working with him to refine his goals and workshopping his ideas to form a sustainable business plan.

“I’ve just been getting mad support from the hub to iron out my idea. That’s where my concept of graphic design moved into more design thinking.”

Working out of the Wirra Hub’s office in Burswood Kevin has access to state-of-the-art facilities, experienced business coaches and the support of other Indigenous Business Owners.

“It has been really helpful being here at the hub, I can just stop, make a cup of coffee and talk to Rob or the other coaches and bounce ideas off them and learn from their experiences.”

Kevin hopes to grow Nani Creative to a point where he can provide internships and support to other Indigenous people.

“I want to support other Indigenous businesses; I may not know all of the answers, but I do know the people that do.”

To find out more visit www.wirrahub.org.au