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Agenda

Day 1

Day One - Tuesday, 20 August 2024

8:00

Registration and Welcome Coffee 

8:30

Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony

Henry Fourmile, Traditional Owner

8:50

Chairperson’s Opening Address

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Lil Gordon, First Assistant Secretary - First Nations Partnerships, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

WALKING IN TWO WORLDS: RECONCILING CULTURAL IDENTITY AND PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP ASPIRATIONS

9:00

Panel: Finding a place for cultural identity in your leadership journey regardless of profession or industry

  • Validating the thought leadership that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people bring to workplaces and communities 

  • Advocating for self-determination in workplace RAPs, cultural safety and anti-racism mechanisms

  • Learning the difference between when being part of a board or leadership team is conducive to your professional development and when you don't have capacity for additional cultural load

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Moderator:
Phillip Brooks, Deputy Director-General, First Nations Strategy and Partnerships, Department of Education Queensland

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Panelists:
Jacara Egan, National Clinical and Cultural Advisor, Headspace

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Lil Gordon, First Assistant Secretary - First Nations Partnerships, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

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Clynton Munns, Coordinator - Indigenous Employment Program, Glencore

10:00

Case Study: Achieving nationwide change, when no one believes you!

  • How did Ray become one of Australia's leading exercise physiologists?

  • Making a change in your own community - from growing up in a "diabetes hotspot", to developing a successful health program to reverse type 2 diabetes

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Ray Kelly, Founder, Ray Kelly Fitness

10:30

Morning Tea

11:10

Leading from behind: lessons from years of facilitating connections between community and mainstream organisations

  • Leading by listening and learning in order to make more informed decisions, be more empathetic, and demonstrate positive behaviour

  • Analysing the different forms of leadership that went into working with the Young Father's Group and Gambling Help Queensland

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Thomas Jia, Principle Consultant, Jarraga

SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF FIRST NATIONS LEADERS

11:40

Leading with Integrity: Developing Cultural Safety in Leadership

  • Psychological Safety: Reducing exposure to harm and compounded trauma

  • Improving Data Sovereignty through Indigenous Co-Design Principles

  • Authentic Leadership: Emphasising transparency, genuineness and honesty

  • Decolonizing Leadership: Creating more just and humane experiences

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Kat Henaway, Founder, Politics in Colour

12:10

Lunch

1:30

Panel: Supporting each other - how can First Nations men and women uplift each other in the workplace, in community and within leadership teams?

  • Why is it important that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women leaders support each other, especially in light of funding discrepancies?

  • What does that support look like and how can it be implemented?

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Sandra Creamer.jpg
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Moderator:
Lil Gordon, First Assistant Secretary - First Nations Partnerships, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts


Panellists:
Professor Sandra Creamer, Adjunct Professor, The University of Queensland

Constable Laurie Bateman,
Acting Senior Constable, Queensland Police Service

Shantelle Thompson OAM,
Founder & Chief Empowerment and Visionary Officer, Kiilalaana Foundation

2:20

Explanation of Yarning Circles and Connection Activities

2:30

Yarning Circles and Connection Activities

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Mitch Torres_edited.jpg
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Johannah Maza.jpg
Lia Paapaa_edited.jpg
  • Yarning Circle A: Strongbala Woomin’ Yarning Business: Making an impact in your community as First Nations women leaders through self-employment and entrepreneurship  â€‹

​(Female-Identifying Only Session)  
 

Cindy Reese Mitchell, Program Director, Indigenous Women's Entrepreneurship, Good Return 

​

Michele Torres, Entrepreneur & Ambassador, Maganda Makers Business Club 

​

  • Yarning Circle B: Empowering First Nations young people to become leaders within their industries and communities

​

Mark Nannup, Community Engagement Facilitator

​​​

  • Connection Activity: Weaving and Art Workshop

​

Johannah Maza, Co-Founder, Ngamumu

Lia Pa'apa'a, Co-Founder, Ngamumu
​​

3:30

Afternoon Tea

BUILDING YOUR RESILIENCE AND WELLBEING AS A LEADER

3:55

Promoting First Nations leadership in the men's mental health space by encouraging vulnerability, resilience, and mateship

  • Learnings on the mental health and wellbeing of First Nations men from a career in the Navy and public service

  • Finding ways for First Nations men to support each other so they know they are not alone

  • What can mainstream organisations do to demonstrate leadership that can support and uplift male First Nations employees?

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Raymond Rosendale, Australian Indigenous Programs Manager, Movember

4:25

Family Centred Business Models.

  • Creating spaces for Motherhood within our leadership practices.

  • Allyship- in our business structures and creative practice

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Johannah Maza, Co-Founder, Ngamumu

Lia Pa'apa'a,
Co-Founder, Ngamumu

4:55

Chairperson's Closing Address

5:00

End of Day One

Day 2

Day Two - Wednesday, 21 August 2024

8:30

Welcome Coffee 

9:00

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Chairperson’s Opening Address

Mark Nannup, Community Engagement Facilitator

INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC CASE STUDIES OF FIRST NATIONS LEADERSHIP

9:10

Panel: How are First Nations leaders changing the Australian political landscape?

  • Outlining current and historical examples of how First Nations leaders have shaped the Australian political landscape

  • Making politics an appealing career for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

  • What are some of the emerging trends that we are seeing as part of political change and how does that impact the next 5-10 years?

  • Considering Mental Wellbeing for First Nations leaders when engaging in politics

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Moderator:
Mark Nannup, Community Engagement Facilitator

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Panelists:
Kat Henaway, Founder, Politics in Colour

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Michelle Deshong, Managing Director, Deshong Consulting 

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Phillip Brooks, Deputy Director-General, First Nations Strategy and Partnerships, Department of Education Queensland

10:00

Shifting the narrative from an external leadership model to an authentic leadership model

  • Exploring the connection between identity and leadership

  • Moving away from the idea that leadership is performed via status and power

  • Embracing a model of First Nations leadership that is intrinsically linked with identity

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Jenni Walke, Founder, Principal Consultant, Elephant in the Room Consulting

10:30

Morning Tea

ELEVATING FIRST NATIONS BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC LEADERSHIP 

11:00

Creating a statewide policy for cultural awareness of artefacts and significant sites that promotes leadership among community, allies, and the police

  • Interpreting the role of policing in a way that promotes community leadership, even when that does not follow the typical career pathway for police

  • Bringing together traditional owners and community members to promote education, respect, and the preservation of cultural heritage

  • Reviewing the inspiring results of undertaking this project and what it could mean for other states and jurisdictions

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Constable Laurie Bateman, Acting Senior Constable, Queensland Police Service

11:30

Panel: Ensuring First Nations leaders in business have a seat at the table through employment representation and supply chain diversity

  • Underscoring the “why” of including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in corporate business

  • Highlighting the mutual benefits and far-reaching economic impacts of including First Nations businesses in supply chains

  • Advocating for your business and building networks to maximise your engagement

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Moderator:
Mark Nannup, Community Engagement Facilitator

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Panellists:
Jenni Walke,
Founder, Principal Consultant, Elephant in the Room Consulting

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Rachelle Towart OAM, Managing Director, Pipeline Talent

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Cameron Costello, Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Committee Member

12:30

Lunch

1:30

Delegates to move to Yarning Circles and Connection Activities

1:40

Yarning Circles and Connection Activities

CindyMitchell_079-ps_HEADSHOT (1)_edited.jpg
Mitch Torres_edited.jpg
mark nannup_edited.jpg
Johannah Maza.jpg
Lia Paapaa_edited.jpg
  • Yarning Circle A: Strongbala Woomin’ Yarning Business: Making an impact in your community as First Nations women leaders through self-employment and entrepreneurship  â€‹

(Female-Identifying Only Session)  

​

Cindy Reese Mitchell, Program Director, Indigenous Women's Entrepreneurship, Good Return 

​

Michele Torres, Entrepreneur & Ambassador, Maganda Makers Business Club 

​

  • Yarning Circle B: Empowering First Nations young people to become leaders within their industries and communities

​

Mark Nannup, Community Engagement Facilitator

​​​​

  • Connection Activity: Weaving and Art Workshop

​

Johannah Maza, Co-Founder, Ngamumu

Lia Pa'apa'a, Co-Founder, Ngamumu

​​​

2:35

Afternoon Tea

3:00

Case Study: Building on your communication skills to build confidence in your leadership skills

  • Breaking down the connection between communication, connection, and leadership

  • Practicing communication as though it is a skill rather than a gift

  • Analysing the organisational benefits of having a workforce with exemplary communication skills

  • Accepting and developing diverse forms of communication that empower and celebrate First Nations employees

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Travis Cardona, Head of First Nations, National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA)

3:30

Table discussion: What takeaways have you learnt and how will you apply your learnings to your work, life and community?

Advisory Board Facilitators:

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Cameron Costello, Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Committee Member

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Rachelle Towart OAM, Managing Director, Pipeline Talent

4:00

Wrap up and End of Forum

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