I hope you had a great NAIDOC Week! We celebrated the theme of The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy at SydDT #115 on Thursday night.
We were lucky to collaborate with Stephen Rutter from First Nations Finance to bring together an awesome group of Indigenous changemakers who are designing better ways to protect Country, use technology for culture, and back the next generation of entrepreneurs.
It was a night of connection and deep insight… and as Lisa Sarago said, it was an invitation “to walk with us”.
Tshinta Morris-Fernando from UTS TD School got us started with a meaningful Acknowledgment of Country and sharing her reflections on what NAIDOC Week and this year’s theme means to her.
After short talks by Tim Moriarty from Muzo.ai, Lisa Sarago from Land On Heart Foundation and Tiddas in Tech, Jet Williams from Nallawilli Bunjil, and Stephen Rutter from First Nations Finance, Tshinta hosted a panel with the speakers to continue the conversation.
Rather than me trying to synthesise my highlights, I recommend watching the video and hearing from these leaders directly… and connect with them to get involved. So many rich insights and exciting initiatives.
Thanks to everyone who came along and made it such a fun night. Couldn’t make it or just want to relive it? Watch it now.
A huge thanks to Stephen, Lisa, Tim, Tshinta, and Jet for generously sharing your wisdom and experience. There was a real buzz and it resonated with so many people.
The graphic recording this month was done by Lucie Kwak.This initiative is a collaboration with Sh8peshifters and their Think Visual Morning Meetups community. SydDT is a friendly environment for people to practice their live graphic recording skills.
A massive thanks to Michelle Cabanela ThinkPlace/Synergy Group, Stephen from First Nations Finance, Alan Chen and Diana Ayoub from Sh8peshifters, and Dynamic4 for making it all happen.
Thanks to Corey Grech from Native Botanical Brewery, whose brewery combines traditional Indigenous knowledge with modern brewing techniques to produce unique, sustainably sourced drinks too!
Our next meetup is SydDT #116: Corporate Therapy with Matt Anderson & Rob O’Donnell on Thursday, 14 August. Grab your ticket!
Meetup Announcement
Thursday, 10 July 2025 @ 6pm. ThinkPlace, Sydney
To celebrate NAIDOC Week, we’re collaborating with Stephen Rutter from First Nations Finance to bring together a group of awesome Indigenous changemakers who are designing better ways to protect Country, use technology for culture, and back the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Join us for a night of connection, insight, and celebration. We’re lucky to be hearing directly from leaders of mob-led ventures who are pushing boundaries and creating impact by designing a better future, grounded in culture.
After hearing from Stephen, Scott, Lisa, and Tim, we’ll move into a panel yarn on the state of Indigenous innovation today hosted by Tshinata… and open the floor to questions and reflections from the audience.
NAIDOC Week 2025
The theme for NAIDOC Week this year is The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy. It marks 50 years of honouring and elevating Indigenous voices, culture, and resilience.
The theme celebrates both the achievements of the past… and the bright future ahead, empowered by the strength of our young leaders, the vision of our communities, and the legacy of our ancestors.
Let’s celebrate, elevate, and walk forward together.
Whether you’re a startup founder, a creative, or just curious about what Indigenous innovation looks like in 2025, come and join the fun!
Speakers
Stephen Rutter
Director, First Nations Finance
Stephen is a proud Trawlwoolway man and longtime advocate for Indigenous entrepreneurship. Through First Nations Finance, he’s working to build culturally safe pathways to funding, capital, and business growth for mob across the country. Stephen’s mission is simple – support more Indigenous entrepreneurs to start, grow, and lead their ventures on their own terms.
Lisa Sarago
Lisa, a proud Bundaburra Yidinji/Western Yalanji woman and award-winning Indigenous leader, is the CEO of Land on Heart Foundation – a leading organisation dedicated to promoting cultural awareness and education within business organisations. The organisation is also deeply committed to nurturing emerging tech talent within Indigenous communities – creating employment and economic opportunities for mob on country.
Scott Allen
CEO, Nallawilli Bunjil
Scott, a proud Awabakal and Gumbaynggirr man, is all about putting Traditional Owners at the centre of environmental decision-making. Through his platform BunjilView, Scott is helping communities lead biodiversity and land management efforts in a way that respects and embeds cultural knowledge and values. He’s a seasoned leader who knows how to blend tech, culture and purpose.
Tshinta Morris-Fernando
Associate Lecturer – Indigenous Academic Development Program, Transdisciplinary School UTS
Tshinata is a proud Barkindji and Gamilaroi woman and a leader in innovation and cultural advocacy. She’s had a rich and varied professional journey in the fitness industry, the non-for-profit sector, and as a graphic designer. Her research at UTS explores Indigenous social entrepreneurship and the experiences of First Nations women entrepreneurs.
Tim Moriarty
CEO, MuzoAI
Tim is a proud Nyoongar man with a deep love of data, design, and innovation. His startup, MuzoAI, uses AI to help artists, producers and industry professionals discover music through sound-based search. Tim’s building tech that listens and learns like we do – transforming how we interact with sound and creativity.
Event Sponsors
This event is brought to you by ThinkPlace, First Nations Finance, Sh8peshifters, and Dynamic4.
We take photos and record our events for documentation and promo purposes. Just let us know if you prefer not to be featured.
