Celebrating Indigenous Business Month
Each October, Indigenous Business Month celebrates the strength, innovation and impact of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses across Australia. The 2026 theme, Local and Connected, recognises that genuine economic strength begins on Country, within communities and through the relationships that connect people to place.
As a proudly 100% Aboriginal-owned business, this theme strongly resonates with Kooya and the way we have approached business from the beginning.
Kooya was founded with a clear vision: to build a successful and sustainable business that creates meaningful opportunities for Aboriginal people, businesses and communities. From humble beginnings, we have grown into a diverse national business with expanding operations across salary packaging, novated leasing, fleet management and vehicle rental.
While we are proud of how far we have come, our growth has never been measured solely by revenue or commercial success. For Kooya, success is also measured by the opportunities we create, the relationships we build and the positive impact we can have within our community.
Purpose Before Profit
Kooya CEO and Director Sharna Collard leads the business with a simple but powerful ethos: purpose before profit.
This principle influences how we make decisions, how we grow and how we use our success to support others. It means recognising that business can be a vehicle for self-determination, economic empowerment and lasting generational change.
It also means that as Kooya grows, our responsibility to give back grows with us.
Through our close connection with the Bibbulmun Fund, a portion of Kooya’s profits is reinvested into initiatives supporting Aboriginal health, education, leadership and remote communities. We are also constantly exploring new ways to create employment, support Indigenous suppliers, strengthen community partnerships and use our business platform to open doors for others.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Aboriginal Business Owners
Indigenous Business Month is an important opportunity to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entrepreneurs and the contribution Indigenous businesses make to Australia’s economy and communities.
It is also an opportunity to inspire the next generation.
At Kooya, we aspire to show other Aboriginal people, particularly young people, that business ownership is achievable. We want them to see Aboriginal businesses succeeding, growing and competing nationally while remaining connected to culture, community and purpose.
We know the path is not always easy. Building a business requires resilience, strong relationships and a willingness to learn and adapt. However, Aboriginal entrepreneurs also bring a powerful connection to community, Country and collective success, qualities that strengthen businesses and create impact far beyond the balance sheet.
Growing While Staying Connected
As Kooya continues to expand its operations, we remain committed to the values and purpose that shaped our beginning.
Our growth allows us to employ more people, partner with more organisations, support more customers and increase our contribution to Aboriginal communities. It also gives us a stronger platform to advocate for Indigenous procurement and demonstrate what Aboriginal-owned businesses can achieve when provided with genuine opportunities.
The 2026 theme of Local and Connected is a reminder that even as businesses grow, our strongest foundations remain the relationships we hold with our people, our customers, our partners and our communities.
This Indigenous Business Month, we celebrate every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entrepreneur who has taken an idea and turned it into something meaningful. We celebrate the businesses creating employment, strengthening communities, preserving culture and inspiring others to follow.
Kooya’s journey is still evolving, but our purpose remains clear: to build a strong and successful Aboriginal-owned business that creates opportunity, gives back to community and inspires others to chase their own dreams.
Because when Indigenous businesses succeed, the impact is shared and our communities grow stronger together 🖤💛❤️
