Meet the Mob

Des is Nyoongar-Yamatji and a passionate business person. He is the CEO/Director of Spartan First, an Indigenous owned, mainstream health services provider offering a wide range of health and well being services to industry, Government and community. Whilst being highly recognised for his AFL sporting history, Des had spent his subsequent years creating, developing and advocating for the Indigenous community. Des is an active, social family and community member, maintaining cultural and sporting commitments.

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Gordon Cole is a Noongar man from Western Australia who is highly regarded for his leadership and contribution to the Aboriginal Business Sector in Western Australia and across the Nation. Gordon is the CEO of Cole Supplies, an award winning Business that specializes in supplying Workwear and PPE, Health, Medical and Industrial Supplies. Gordon is the Managing Director of G Cole Consulting, a firm that provides diverse services, such as Business Development, Mentoring, Coaching, Leadership and Strategic Indigenous Services. Gordon is a Director and co-founder of Blak Digital.

 Gordon is exploring Renewable Energy, Water and Food Security and Financial Investment. Gordon is the Chairperson of the Noongar Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Gordon also plays an active role in community affairs. He currently occupies and has several voluntary positions across a variety of fields. Is a member of the National NAIDOC Committee and Director on First Australians Capital. Gordon has also been busy working on another new start with his sons. Blak Digital Pty Ltd. This a very proud moment for Gordon to be able to work alongside his sons. You can check out Blak Digital by following the link - https://blakdigital.com/

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Shaz is of Yamatji and Baluchi (Aboriginal and Australian Afghan camel drivers) decent. Shaz is one of Australia’s leading land access and cultural heritage lawyers. He has 25 years’ legal, management, regulatory and compliance, and dispute resolution experience in the mining, energy, resources, oil and gas industries specialising in cultural heritage, land claims and native title.

His expertise includes advising some of Australia’s largest mining, energy and resources clients on the development and operation of major projects across Australia. Shaz is the Managing Director of Arra Group Pty Ltd (ARRA), a majority Indigenous (Aboriginal), owned, managed, and controlled company, Perth, WA based company. Shaz has successfully founded and built many companies, that are now thriving across WA.

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Raquel Todd is a proud Kariyarra and Banjima woman from Port Hedland, Western Australia. Her journey has been a dynamic one, marked by resilience and determination. After relocating to Perth for education, a gap year helped her discover her true passions. While she initially pursued law, she found her calling in teaching, though she eventually chose to leave university to follow her heart.

Raquel has worked in community advocacy and co-founded Sista Girl Sign and Print, a business that weathered the pandemic’s challenges before exiting. Now, as a co-founder of Blak Line Industries, dedicated to empowering Aboriginal women in traditionally male-dominated industries.

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Ashley is a Lunga Kitja man from the east Kimberly's and has spent more than fifteen years in the mining and oil and gas industry. With detail drafting and structural engineering as his foundation, Ashley has been fortunate enough to be involved in projects such as Roy Hill, Ichthys and Prelude and has been involved in the delivery of more than $14 billion in projects.

 Ashley has a significant amount of experience across: Quality Assurance, Risk Management, Quality Control, Legal Compliance, HSEQ Integrated Business Management Systems, Change Management, Engineering, Drafting, Corporate Governance & Corporate Strategy, Indigenous engagement and Corporate Social Responsibility. Ashley now is Managing Director of Four Hills Services, a JV between Four Hills Group an 100% Indigenous owned entity, and Australian Listed Company SSH Group.

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Rowena is a wongi from the northeastern Goldfields region. She has connections to the Wajarri Yamatji Traditional Owners in the Murchison, as well as the Esperance Noongar and the Mirning Traditional Owners in the southern Goldfields. Rowena operates a mining & civil contracting company with her sister Katrina from their hometown of Kalgoorlie/Boulder in WA, celebrating 10 years in business this year.

Rowena completed a Law and Arts degree at the University of Western Australia. She is actively involved in her community, chair of Kurrawang Aboriginal Christian Community Inc. as well as Chair of the Goldfields Aboriginal Business Chamber, helping Aboriginal businesses connect with opportunities in the Goldfields region.

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Jaynaya is a proud Noongar/Balladong woman from Quairading in the wheatbelt region of Western Australia. Jaynaya has a strong background across the Employment and Recruitment sectors through partnerships throughout the Education and Employment across regional and remote areas within Western Australia and Victoria. Having previously worked within the recruitment industry specialising in disadvantaged cohorts across wider Australia under the employment services framework Jaynaya has been able to assist in identifying the gaps in engagement deliveries and having the ability to effectively articulate throughout the partnerships on how to actively develop these.

 Jaynaya describe herself as a Cycle breaker, a Glow Getter, an Indigenous Entrepreneur. She's a dual business owner and is passionate about making the most of every opportunity and to continue to grow. She believes in supporting others and their passion as we are stronger together. And leads a number of women focused businesses and initiatives such as Blakbone Sistahood, and SheEO.

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Rebecca Wessels (nee Harvey) is the founder and CEO of Ochre Dawn Creative Industries. A descendent of the Stolen Generations from Ngarrindjeri and Peramangk peoples, as well as the City of Salisbury founder, John Harvey, Rebecca is passionate about South Australia, First Nations’ community, storytelling and creative business practices.

With years of experience in community services and youth work, combined with skills obtained from over a decade working in corporate IT, Rebecca proudly provides a unique and professional service to her varied clients. One of the guiding drivers of Rebecca’s work with Ochre Dawn is to support Aboriginal and multicultural artists. She does this by securing sustainable income and furthering their careers through opportunities to showcase and commercialise authentic First Nations artwork. Now in its 15th year of operation, Ochre Dawn is committed to supporting local South Australian and Australian businesses.

By working collaboratively with local small businesses, Aboriginal businesses, government and large corporate organisations, Rebecca expresses her creativity by finding more authentic ways to appeal to a wide audience. She assists her clients to think more strategically and adopt corporate strategies to ensure they remain competitive, inclusive and sustainable.

⇢⇢⇢ MEET THE MOB Meet the Mob is a YouTube series dedicated to showcasing Blak Excellence in Indigenous Business. Each interview is designed to provide an introduction to an Indigenous business leader, what drives them to succeed and how they're creating positive change for organisations and Indigenous communities. #meetthemob #indigenousbusiness #indigenousprocurement #supplierdiversity #BlakExcellence

ABOUT KRISTAL Kristal Kinsela is the supplier diversity expert who’s done it all before. A published author, trusted advisor to leading global organisations and descendant of both the Jawoyn and Wiradjuri nations, Kristal brings lived experience and over 18 years of business expertise to every partnership.

CONNECT WITH KRISTAL Website: https://www.kristalkinsela.com/ LinkedIn:   / kristalkinsela   Facebook:   / kristalekinsela   Twitter:   / kristal_kinsela  

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Colleen Strangways (Raven) is a proud South Australian Arabana and Northern Territory Mudbura Warlpiri woman, who grew up in Alice Springs and moved to Adelaide SA to be closer to family. Because of Colleen’s unique ability to capture award-winning photography via her Business Nharla Photography, she is being recognised on various national and international media platforms.

Colleen has spent many years working with more than 50 different communities in Australia and has been sourced by NITV and ABC networks to showcase her works. She is committed to showcasing her culture by telling stories through an Aboriginal lens and to pass on the photography skills and the knowledge she has learnt over the years to the next generation of emerging artists. Colleen has been awarded the 2018 NADIOC business of the year and was awarded the Gladis Eplick award in 2019 for her work. Colleen has produced and filmed short documentaries for her Arabana families in regards to language , a welcome to country video to be shown at Aboriginal athletics SA and a documentary for South Australian health organization Nunkuwarrin Yunti. VR film Arabana Songlines and the Stolen Documentary “Unbreakable” for Reconciliation SA.

Colleen has over 12,000 followers on social media alone. And is also now an Nikon Australia Ambassador. She is now also a business woman running her own printing service working for community and government alike to represent her community in both a humorous and serious way. Brought up in community and being well connected, Colleen is now using her creative flair to bring her art and others art into the print business to showcase to the world. Not bad for a single mother.

⇢⇢⇢ MEET THE MOB Meet the Mob is a YouTube series dedicated to showcasing Blak Excellence in Indigenous Business. Each interview is designed to provide an introduction to an Indigenous business leader, what drives them to succeed and how they're creating positive change for organisations and Indigenous communities. #meetthemob #indigenousbusiness #indigenousprocurement #supplierdiversity #BlakExcellence

ABOUT KRISTAL Kristal Kinsela is the supplier diversity expert who’s done it all before. A published author, trusted advisor to leading global organisations and descendant of both the Jawoyn and Wiradjuri nations, Kristal brings lived experience and over 18 years of business expertise to every partnership.

CONNECT WITH KRISTAL Website: https://www.kristalkinsela.com/ LinkedIn:   / kristalkinsela   Facebook:   / kristalekinsela   Twitter:   / kristal_kinsela  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anthony is a proud Ngarrindjeri and Kaurna man with family ties to the Narungga and Arrente country. He plays league football for the Norwood Football Club in the SANFL and was drafted by the Adelaide Football Club at the end of 2014 for the 2015 season. In more recent years, he has worked as a youth mentor with AIME helping to shape the next generation of Aboriginal leaders. Anthony has a strong passion for Aboriginal youth, the environment and creating economic growth and self sufficiency within communities.

Nood supplies a natural, sustainable and environmentally friendly range of cleaning chemicals, bathroom products, personal care & home care products that are made using environmentally sustainable formulas that feature native Australian botanicals. For thousands of years Aboriginal people have been using native Australian botanicals and we wish to tell the stories of the Native Australian botanicals from an Aboriginal perspective.

⇢⇢⇢ MEET THE MOB Meet the Mob is a YouTube series dedicated to showcasing Blak Excellence in Indigenous Business. Each interview is designed to provide an introduction to an Indigenous business leader, what drives them to succeed and how they're creating positive change for organisations and Indigenous communities. #meetthemob #indigenousbusiness #indigenousprocurement #supplierdiversity #BlakExcellence

ABOUT KRISTAL Kristal Kinsela is the supplier diversity expert who’s done it all before. A published author, trusted advisor to leading global organisations and descendant of both the Jawoyn and Wiradjuri nations, Kristal brings lived experience and over 18 years of business expertise to every partnership.

CONNECT WITH KRISTAL Website: https://www.kristalkinsela.com/ LinkedIn:   / kristalkinsela   Facebook:   / kristalekinsela   Twitter:   / kristal_kinsela  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.