Liz Liddle is a skilled manager and administrator who has worked within Aboriginal arts, economic development and business communities. Liz has strong Aboriginal policy, governance, implementation, planning and strategy expertise and is passionate in supporting the Aboriginal business community to grow and thrive.
Liz, an Arrernte woman living in regional Victoria is excited to support Aboriginal retailers to start and grow their businesses, build capability in retail, promote greater inclusion and appropriate engagement in the industry.
Her senior management experience has delivered economy building outcomes for Aboriginal Economic Development in the business and start-up sectors. She has delivered sector development strategies and initiatives including implementation of $6.3million Victorian government's Aboriginal Business Strategy. Through this strategy, she championed retail business development support in Victoria including activities to support building export capabilities and continues to champion outcomes and inclusion for the Aboriginal retailers.
Equally, Liz has led in Aboriginal Arts & Creative sector development across Victoria. She has worked with many peak arts organisations to champion the development of Aboriginal arts for more than 15 years. She has created and supported the development of major arts initiatives in Victoria including creating fashion development programs.
This passion and experience in the intersection between the creative industries and entrepreneurship led to her to create two retail businesses, First Nations Gifts and Mwerre. These businesses have helped to build first-hand experience in building businesses in the retail sector and brought to the front the need for greater inclusion and participation of Aboriginal businesses in the retail sector.
Laura Thompson is a notable figure in the Australian fashion industry, particularly recognised for her role in co-founding ‘Clothing The Gaps’ an Aboriginal-led social enterprise and B-corp. She is a Gunditjmara woman and has been actively involved in advocating for Indigenous rights and social justice.
Clothing The Gaps is renowned for its work in promoting Aboriginal culture and identity through fashion. The brand creates merchandise that supports Indigenous communities, raises awareness about social issues, and fosters a sense of pride and belonging among Indigenous people.
One of the significant campaigns led by Laura Thompson and Clothing The Gaps is the #FreeTheFlag campaign. This movement was launched in response to a licensing agreement that restricted the use of the Aboriginal flag on clothing and other merchandise. The campaign aimed to reclaim the flag for unrestricted public use, emphasizing that the flag belongs to all Aboriginal people and should not be controlled by a private company. The #FreeTheFlag campaign garnered widespread support and highlighted the importance of cultural symbols and their free use in promoting identity and unity within the Indigenous community.
Under Laura's leadership, Clothing The Gaps has become a platform for celebrating Indigenous culture and advocating for important social changes. Her work extends beyond fashion; she is a prominent advocate for health and wellness in Indigenous communities, often collaborating on initiatives that promote physical activity and healthy living. Her contributions have been instrumental in raising awareness and fostering positive change within and beyond the fashion industry.
After working many years in the cultural heritage space, researching and working with the artefacts of his Ancestors, Mick founded Ngarga Warendj (Dancing Wombat) in 2005 to demonstrate that not all Aboriginal art and design was the same across Australia.
Mick designs and creates a range of high-quality products that accurately represent the linework that is indicative of Micks’ Indigenous Ancestors from southeast Australia. Mick is dedicated to protecting and reinvigorating culture within his community. Through his business, Micks’ aim is to create a legacy for his children and community by providing quality culturally accurate products and services.
In creating Ngarga Warendj, Mick has successfully combined the creation of art and design into an arts, manufacturing and retail business.
Mick brings strong negotiation skills and strategic thinking to community development and has an extensive corporate governance experience including being a founding member of Kinaway Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce.
He demonstrates extensive experience in small business and navigating the creative and retail sectors and has been dedicated to his roles as artist, cultural heritage advisor, retail business owner and various leadership roles on numerous community & government boards and committees over the past 30+ years.
Sara Stuart's unparalleled expertise and commitment has transformed and reshaped the landscape of inclusive workplaces across Australia.
Throughout her career, Sara has consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to bridge the gap between Aboriginal job seekers and forward-thinking employers.
Her deep understanding of cultural nuances, combined with her extensive network and strategic approach, has resulted in a remarkable track record of creating and expanding employment opportunities for Aboriginal people. Her interventions have led to significant increases in Aboriginal employment rates, improved retention, and enhanced workplace satisfaction. Her work not only changes individual lives but also contributes to the broader goal of economic empowerment and social equity for Aboriginal communities.
What truly distinguishes Sara is her exceptional and well-documented history of leadership across diverse sectors. Her impressive career trajectory includes executive positions in State Government, where she honed her skills in policy-making and public administration. Sara has also held key roles in non-profit organisations and social enterprises, where she successfully balanced profit motives with societal benefits and produced impact with limited resources. Equally, Sara’s experience in large corporations led her to successfully navigate complex organisational structures and stakeholder relationships.
Sara's aspirations extend far beyond merely occupying leadership positions. She is deeply committed to effecting meaningful and lasting change that will pave the way for a brighter, more equitable future for Aboriginal people. Her vision is both ambitious and pragmatic, focusing on creating systemic improvements that will ensure future generations do not face the same obstacles and challenges that are prevalent today. This forward-thinking approach demonstrates Sara's ability to address both immediate concerns and long-term societal issues.
Sue’s passion for balancing commerce with creativity stems from decades of experience in transforming customer experiences and productivity indicators across a disrupted retail industry.
Following her diverse leadership career with national and international consumer brands, Sue co-founded Co Squared, an applied innovation consultancy to deliver creative solutions for complex business challenges. Sue now specialises in facilitation of strategic innovation across many industry settings. In her facilitation role, Sue works to connect very diverse stakeholders to the networks, trends, tools, and technologies that help them drive productivity, purpose, and impact from their investments.
Sue has significant expertise and qualifications in retail innovation, business improvement, and change management. Through her consultancy and facilitation work she supports businesses, and government sectors to apply creative thinking to critical issues and social outcomes that can be impacted through the productivity of business and the economy.
Kaylene Hunter has had a diverse career working across law, politics and Indigenous business development and procurement. She is a descendant of the Nyul Nyul peoples from the north of Western Australia.
Kaylene has also had a long association with the arts and cultural sectors through a range of previous roles in First Nations arts, culture and media. She was a senior advisor to Senator Patrick Dodson, and also worked as lawyer at ASIC, Maurice Blackburn and in the community legal sector.
Kaylene is currently a member of Tarwirri - the Indigenous Lawyers and Law Students Association of Victoria, Victorian Women Lawyers, and volunteers with the Arts Law Centre of Australia.
