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Indigenous Professional Services role models for aspiring business

05 December 2017
Jobs, Land and Economy
Indigenous woman in black jacket stands with Indigenous man in blue-grey shirt in a room with other people. Between them is a sign with logos and words including IPS Indigenous Professional Services.

The team at Indigenous Professional Services (IPS) provides advice to businesses of all sizes across Australia.

The team at Indigenous Professional Services (IPS) provides advice to businesses of all sizes across Australia.

Founded in 2015 by Katina Law, from Worora and Walmajarri families, and Damien Chalk,they have since added Kristal Kinsela, a descendant of both the Hawoyn and Wiradjuri nations, to join them as Directors of IPS.

On any given day, the team can be working for a community organisation in regional Western Australia or a large government department in Canberra utilising their network of consultants in Townsville, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth and Bunbury.

The Indigenous Procurement Policy (IPP) has been an important part of their business, enabling them to win 13 contracts valued at over $1.4 million since the IPP was launched in July 2015.

“The Indigenous Procurement Policy is really giving the opportunity to Indigenous businesses and Indigenous business people to become part of the mainstream economy by providing them with opportunities that they wouldn't normally have,” says Katina Law, Managing Director of IPS.

“I think what this means is that they're able to create wealth and the future's really bright for Indigenous business people.”

The aim of the IPP is to assist small and medium sized business owned by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to get a larger chunk of the $50+ billion in government contracts available every year.

According to Damien, the best part of his job is “seeing people like Kristal and Katina just go out and be the executive leaders and the professionals that they truly are. “We know the value and when others start to see it that makes me very, very proud.”

Find out more

Through the IPP, the Australian Government is tapping into the extraordinary capabilities within the Indigenous Business Sector. Further information is available at Indigenous Procurement Policy.