Aboriginal Entrepreneurs Program

20th July & 19th October 2024

Are you a First Nations entrepreneur with an existing small business or idea for a business? This program will help you get the support you need to help your business succeed, or get your business started.

This will be one of the first programs run out of the new GLaWAC Community Economic Hub in Morwell, aiming to grow a community of deadly local entrepreneurs who can create jobs and livelihoods for themselves and their community.

Delivered by Hollie Johnson, a proud Gunaikurnai, Monero Ngarigo woman living on Gunaikurnai country, and an experienced local entrepreneur who cofounded Deadly Wears, as well as Shaun Mallia, Executive Officer of Kindred Spirits Enterprises. Through his work at Kindred Spirits Enterprises and previously at AGL, Shaun has been involved in supporting a number of First Nations community and economic development projects.

The workshop will cover:

  1. How to come up with ideas for new products or services for your business. This is important even for entrepreneurs with an existing business, to be able to identify new customers and adapt to changes.
  2. Understanding your customers, including their motivations and barriers and how best to reach them.
  3. How to test new products or new marketing approaches by talking to real customers from day one, so you can learn what will work best without spending a lot of time and money.
  4. Building business partnerships: how to start and grow your business more quickly by partnering with more established local businesses.

This hands-on workshop will finish with some follow up activities so you can immediately put your learnings into practice. You will also get an individual coaching session with either Hollie or Shaun and will come back together as a group after 2 weeks to share your learnings and progress.

This is a great opportunity to connect with other First Nations entrepreneurs and get help with your business in a safe, supportive environment. We hope to see more First Nations’ products and services launched from this event, and new connections made to help support you into the future!

We will be running two programs, one starting July 20th 2024, and one starting October 19th 2024.


Click here to sign up to the July program!

Click here to sign up to the October program!