Karabena Consulting

28/07/2026

Australia’s AI future must include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, knowledge and expertise.

This important article explores why First Nations participation is essential as the Federal Government develops its new Office of AI.

Read the full article here:
https://www.croakey.org/the-federal-governments-new-office-of-ai-needs-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples-expertise/

The Albanese Government should explain how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will participate in its new Office of AI, how Indigenous data and cultural knowledge will be protected, and what power the Office will have to stop harmful systems, says a leading Indigenous scholar.

17/07/2026

Our Managing Director has joined the OTIE Advisory Panel, which met for the first time late last month.

We take on advisory roles where we can shift outcomes for our peoples. Watch this space.

15/07/2026

Tuesday nights are for our sistas in business. 💼

Professor Kerry Arabena coaches First Nations women entrepreneurs every week through the Kinaway Sistas in Business sessions.

Pricing, contracts, confidence, cash flow and everything in between.

When our women prosper, whole communities feel it. Want to go deeper?

Modern Matriarch enquiries are open.

14/07/2026

Our Managing Director spent Friday in Canberra running a workshop on cultural responsiveness feedback.

The idea is simple. Services improve when our people can safely say what is working and what is not, and when services must act on what they hear.

That is the practice we built with Safely Talk Back.

13/07/2026

What does cultural safety feel like when you are the renter?

Over the past fortnight our team asked exactly that, in consultations with renters, staff and boards for the CHIA Vic Aboriginal Cultural Safety Project.

Real frameworks start with real voices. We are proud to be doing this work during NAIDOC Week.

13/07/2026

Two imminent threats to the Indigenous GDP

The Indigenous GDP is threatened from two directions at once, and both threats have the same root: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are not yet trusted to govern their economy, nor adequately resourced to care for Country on their own terms.

In this new discussion paper, Kerry Arabena examines the potential undoing of Victoria’s Treaty and the growing threat of H5N1 to Country, wildlife, cultural livelihoods and the wider biocultural economy.

Governance and care are not separate agendas. They are the two hands of self-determination.

Read the full discussion paper:
https://bit.ly/4f0GyQE

We would value your thoughts.

08/07/2026

Today we are sharing Counting with Country, a paper Professor Kerry Arabena has been carrying for years.

Last month she brought its central idea into the first meeting of the Office for the Indigenous Economy, alongside Indigenous Business Australia and a wonderful group of Australians.

The idea is plain. We are born into ecosystems, not societies. Our economy is grounded in Country, and our national accounts have never learned to see it.

This paper shows how we could count what enterprise earns and what is made with Country and returned to Country. Care for Country is the productive base of our economy. Counting it is the truth catching up with the practice.

Read it here: https://www.karabenaconsulting.com/papers

13/05/2026

A heartfelt thank you to Lisa Sweeney, Business in Heels and the Gender Equity Awards for creating space for honest conversations about what meaningful change can look like in practice.
It was a privilege for Kerry Arabena and Ilan Style to contribute to the breakfast discussion on advancing gender equity and women’s leadership.

At Ilan Style and across the work of Karabena Consulting, gender equity is not treated as a statement of intent. It is embedded into the way we work, lead and support our people every day. Alongside delivering programs like the ECHO Leadership Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, Kerry has implemented workplace practices designed to create long-term structural change for women and families, including:
• Four-day working weeks
• Paid parental leave
• Grandparents leave
• Full-time superannuation contributions for staff returning part-time after caring responsibilities

These initiatives are about more than workplace flexibility. They are about promoting gender equity in practical ways that improve economic security, leadership participation, wellbeing and long-term financial outcomes for women and families.

The decision to continue paying full-time superannuation for staff returning part-time after caring responsibilities can make a difference of more than $50,000 in retirement savings over a woman’s working life. It is one example of how organisations can actively address the structural inequities that continue to impact women across Australia.

Victoria continues to lead nationally through the implementation of the Gender Equality Act 2020, with legislated obligations requiring parts of the Victorian public sector, councils and universities to take positive action toward gender equality.
Thank you again to everyone involved in such an inspiring morning focused on practical action, courageous leadership and building workplaces where equity is lived, not simply discussed.



https://genderequityawards.com/

22/04/2026

Kinaway is excited to invite you to express your interest in joining the Sistas in Business Program — a powerful initiative created to support, connect, and elevate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in business across Victoria.

Delivered in partnership with Professor Kerry Arabena and Karabena Consulting, this program brings together cultural strength, business skills, and real opportunities for growth.

Who’s it for?
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in business and aspiring entrepreneurs across Victoria — whether you’re just starting out or already running an established business.

About the program
This statewide, culturally grounded initiative is designed to help you build strong, sustainable, and successful businesses. It focuses on overcoming key barriers by supporting capability development, financial literacy, access to procurement pathways, and building meaningful peer networks.

🖤 EOIs are now open and close Wednesday 30 April 2026
Spots are limited — don’t miss your chance to be part of this incredible opportunity.

14/04/2026

Traumatology Talks – Black Wounds, White Stitches is now available as an online course and has been approved for 3 ACEM CPD hours.

Developed through a partnership between Karabena Consulting, the Lowitja Institute and the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, the course draws on extensive research into cultural safety in emergency departments, highlighting the importance of understanding social and cultural determinants of health alongside clinical care.

This course offers practical insights for healthcare professionals looking to strengthen culturally safe, trauma-informed approaches in their everyday practice.

Enrol now: https://www.karabenaconsulting.com/courses