Empowering Yorgas in Business

The Waalitj Hub hosted our inaugural “Empowering Blak Business: Yorgas in Business” event, at Mineral Resources Park last week. Bringing together an intimate group of First Nations businesswomen for a day of educational workshops and presentations designed to support them in their business journey.

Erin Rundle, Manager of Corporate Engagement at the Waalitj Foundation, was the facilitator for the day. Dot Henry gave a beautiful Welcome to Country to commence the event, and Josie Todd, Assistant Business Coach at the Waalitj Business Hub, provided an introduction to the Waalitj Hub.

Kyra Galante, First Nations Participation Director at Worley, a worldwide industry leader in the energy, chemicals, and resources sector delivered an empowering Keynote Address.

Kyra spoke of her impressive career journey and how she entered the mining industry at a young age. One of the great takeaways from her keynote was the importance of role models, a concept that was mentioned several times during the day. Kyra mentioned her role model, her dad, and the role he played in her educational journey. She also touched on how important it is to understand your history.

Next was an insightful panel discussion between four inspirational Aboriginal businesswomen: Narelle Henry from Ember Connect, Marcia Edwards from The Cryogenics Group, Tamara BinAmat from Impact Digi, and Kerry Morrison from Empowerment2be.

The session covered various subjects ranging from the importance of self-care, time management, and the power of celebrating your own achievements. Panellists also spoke of how crucial it is to become a cheerleader for the women around you and how this helps build strong support networks.

During the afternoon, the attendees enjoyed two educational sessions designed to provide them with practical tools to implement in their businesses.

Nikki Atack, Senior Manager at Deloitte Digital, gave a great introduction to the ever-changing world of marketing, practical steps attendees can take to kickstart their marketing efforts, and advice on marketing tools to keep an eye on.

In the second education session, Kerry Morrison from Empowerment2be spoke on imposter syndrome – a concept many in the room could relate to. Kerry gave the audience some powerful tips on navigating the feeling of being an imposter, such as surrounding yourself with honest people who believe in your capabilities and the importance of growing and nourishing your network.

It was exciting to see many inspired participants exchanging ideas and forging meaningful connections.

This event was made possible thanks to The McCusker Charitable Foundation.

The Waalitj Hub supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people wanting to start, grow or sustain their businesses through a combination of in-house business coaching and access to professional support and is supported by the National Indigenous Australians Agency and Corporate partners. Find out more.