From celebrating International Women’s Day at the Australian Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to a creative collaboration at a First Nations Fashion and Cultural Exchange in Chile, Kirrikin CEO Amanda Healy has been inundated with more invitations than she can attend.
“In the past decade that we have been operating, there has definitely been an increased interest in indigenous cultures,” said Amanda, a proud Wonnarua woman, originally from the Hunter Valley in NSW. “People want to know who we are as Aboriginal people; some are even surprised that we still exist. It was a bit of a surprise to me to discover that there are a lot of indigenous people who look to us as an example of what’s possible. To them, we are an aspirational label. 
“Wherever we go now, we go as a cultural package. We bring a dancer, we bring a didgeridoo player, we bring Aboriginal models and photographers with us. We want people to know, ‘This is different, we are different. What you’re about to see and hear, you’ve never ever seen before’.” 
While Amanda is proud to represent Aboriginal culture on runways, in studios and at embassy ballrooms around the world, she has never lost sight of what motivates her every day – to inspire in other Aboriginal women the courage and self-belief to start their own businesses.
“Being a leader with purpose means I am here to open doors and to create pathways for Aboriginal women to follow after me,” she reflects. “I know that because of the colour of my skin, despite my cultural background, I have experienced a level of privilege that many other Aboriginal women haven’t. I want those women to have the same opportunities.”
After 10 years at the helm of Kirrikin, Amanda remains as committed as ever to the principles of social enterprise, but there is one thing she has dropped – any limiting self-beliefs.
“You are subjected to so much scrutiny as an Aboriginal business and I used to worry about what people thought of me, about fitting in, about what other people thought my business should look like,” Amanda admits. “Now, I don’t give a damn. I walk my own path.”
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Images by Jalaru Photography & Lucas Dawson Photography