Two Bond University alumni have received a Queensland Government grant to help Indigenous women expand their businesses.
Indigenous Innovation Ventures co-founders Yohann Azlee and Ryan James (both Class of 2020) will use the money to continue their work nurturing First Nations enterprises.
Their new initiative, dubbed AMPLI-FI (Amplifying Indigenous Female Innovators), will provide tailored support to female-led businesses wanting to scale up.
“It is challenging enough for women entrepreneurs, but even more so for First Nations women due to historical, socio-economic, and cultural barriers.” Mr James said.
“Our program is designed to uplift Indigenous female entrepreneurs through a culturally-considered business accelerator which includes practical and experiential executive-level training, mentorship to build skills and capacity, and creating connections between other First Nations female entrepreneurs on a similar path.”
AMPLI-FI was born after Mr Azlee and Mr James identified a significant gap in resources for Indigenous female entrepreneurs.
“We work with many First Nations businesses, and most are run by women,” Mr Azlee said.
“We didn't specifically target this demographic but as word spread about our work, more women entrepreneurs approached us with similar challenges: accessing capital, growing their businesses, and how to lead and manage teams.
“Recognising this need, we saw an opportunity to make a real difference. We thought, let's see how many more we can help.”
The AMPLI-FI program will span 12 months and includes an online study component, monthly virtual meetings, and quarterly in-person check-ins.
Mr Azlee said these sessions would allow participants to learn from successful Indigenous and non-Indigenous women in business and engage in interactive workshops.
Bond University’s Gold Coast and Brisbane campuses will serve as meeting hubs for program participants.
“(Bond University) Provost Keitha Dunstan has generously offered in-kind support, providing access to academics and researchers,” Mr Azlee said.
“We’re collaborating with experts from Bond's Business School to leverage the university's academic and entrepreneurial prowess.”
More than $2 million in grants will be shared among 11 leading education and industry organisations to help Queensland women launch or grow their innovation-driven businesses.
Expressions of interest to take part in the next round of AMPLI-FI open on August 19.