ARC Centre and partners at Inspiring Social Enterprise World Forum!

Indigenous Enterprise Partner Michelle On and her two daughters Tahlia and Marlise from Kiril Park Wild Harvest were joined by Uniquely Australian Foods Director Professor Yasmina Sultanbawa and Engagement Coordinator Sophie Ader at this year’s Social Enterprise World Forum – SEWF22 

This is an annual international forum, which began in 2008 and which was held in Brisbane this year for the first time ever. It attracted 2,770 delegates from 93 countries, had over 100 speakers across 70 sessions over two days. There were additional activities on days surrounding the forum too, including tours and visits to award winning social enterprises. The forum agenda is to raise awareness of social enterprise as an expanding global mechanism for global change (read the report here).

Given all of our Indigenous Enterprise Partners are themselves social enterprises – in that they exist to create positive change for their families, communities and country – this conference gave really relevant and inspiring information, including business structures, digital story telling, policy changes, funding options and more.  The conference was inspiring, to say the least.

Marlise being interviewed by ImpactBoom for a SEWF conference montage

Tahlia wearing 3D virtual reality computer glasses, where she went on a tour of Antarctica through time, to see the impact of climate change on the ice

Also inspiring is Kiril Park Wild Harvest’s founder and director, Michelle On, who was known to many of the Indigenous delegates in attendance at this forum. Michelle is an inspiring role model and leader in the native botanicals industry, who is also heartfelt, respectful, genuine and humble, so it was little wonder she was approached by so many people who wanted to have a yarn and ask about her company. We are proud of you, Michelle!

While SEWF was on we also took the opportunity to catch up for dinner with some of our more locally based Indigenous Enterprise research partners (and their families) Madonna Thomson from Nyanda Cultural Tours and Tracey and Doug Goebel from Native Oz Bushfoods.