This October marks the 5th iteration of Indigenous Business Month, a month-long celebration and demonstration of the depth and ingenuity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entrepreneurs.
Indigenous Business Month is an initiative of the Murra Indigenous Master Class Program (Murra) alumni, to promote the variety and depth of Indigenous businesses nationally.
Dr Michelle Evans, is an Associate Professor in Leadership at the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Melbourne specialising in the areas of Indigenous leadership and entrepreneurship. She is also co-founder and Program Director of MURRA Indigenous Business Masterclass Program.
In a yarn held a week prior to Indigenous Business Month, Dr Evans revealed that the 2019 iteration is introducing, for the first time in Australia, different awards for Indigenous businesses across the spectrum.
“We will be promoting Indigenous entrepreneurs that engage with community; Indigenous entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence in their industry; and Indigenous entrepreneurs who are also role models and ambassadors for their communities,” Dr Michelle Evans said in the interview.
Applications for the inaugural Indigenous Business Month Awards are open until the 18th of October with winners to be announced at the Indigenous Business Month 2019 Closing Reception on October 30.
This year organisers have also secured partnership with CGU, a leading commercial rural and personal lines insurer, adding to an already impressive line-up of corporate and institutional sponsors.
Partnership with CGU will provide five $5000 Wa-murayangkulang Awards (walk forward) to an Indigenous SME owner or operators.
Winners of theses awards will be able to use the money for further skill acquisition or professional development programs.
Michelle Evans says Wa-murayangkulang Awards also come In recognition of this year’s theme: ‘Indigenous Ingenuity.
The aim of these awards is to uplift Indigenous small to medium enterprise owners or operators to grow their future capacity and capability to ensure that they thrive in an ever changing world.
