Dilin Duwa
Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership
Dilin Duwa
Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership
The Dilin Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership was established in 2021 and built on the foundation of the MURRA Indigenous Business Masterclass, the first executive level program designed for Indigenous business owners. MURRA has since graduated over 250 alumni, many of whom are now in senior roles across the country. Dilin Duwa was created in response to the desire of MURRA Alumni to have an Indigenous-led Centre that can deliver business education, research and on-Country initiatives for the benefit of the community. This is achieved through three streams of activity – Programs, Research and Engagement.
103 Barry St Carlton Victoria | dilin-duwa@unimelb.edu.au
Our team
Michelle Evans
Dilin Duwa Director
Dr Michelle Evans holds a Professorship in Leadership at the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Melbourne, specialising in the areas of Indigenous leadership and entrepreneurship. She is also co-Founder of the award-winning MURRA Indigenous Business Masterclass Program, based at Melbourne Business School where she completed her PhD.
Mark Jones
Dilin Duwa Programs Stream Lead, Lecturer & MURRA Program Director
Mark's PhD, First Peoples Enterprise Success: The Third Wave, focuses on Founders of for-profit enterprises, the economic landscape contributing to a worldview of economy, and the 7 Ps required for First Peoples' self-determination. Mark has oversight over the Centre’s academic programs.
Sara Kaltz
Dilin Duwa Centre manager
When Sara started at the University of Melbourne in 2018, she soon developed an appreciation for the research environment and an aspiration to support impactful research. That led her to join Dilin Duwa, initially as the Project Manager for the study, Evaluating the impact of Indigenous preferential procurement programs. As Centre Manager, Sara has administrative oversight of the Centre including budget, HR and contractual responsibilities.
Lan Hoang
Dilin Duwa Executive Officer
With over twenty years experience in the education sector, Lan believes that education is the path towards a more equal and just society for all. She joined Melbourne Business School in 2002, responsible for program management of the Executive MBA. Working in a communications capacity, Lan has been involved in the growth of Indigenous activities at Melbourne Business School, leading to the establishment of the Dilin Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership.
Ash Francisco
Engagement Stream Lead and Lecturer
Ash recently completed a PhD in NSW Aboriginal History at the Wollotuka Institute at the University of Newcastle. She now works with Dilin Duwa in engagement and ensures the Centre, and its services remain responsive to business and community wants and needs. Her interests span from historically guided restorative justice to amplifying the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entrepreneurial spirit through shared experiences.
Olivia Metcalfe
Indigenous Student Engagement Coordinator
In this role, Olivia is responsible for the engagement of Indigenous students at the Faculty of Business and Economics and Melbourne Business School from undergraduate to masters level programs.
Admiral Manganda
Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Dilin Duwa
As Postdoctoral Researcher, Admiral works on the Indigenous Preferential Procurement Policy research project and holds a PhD from Massey University. His research focuses on Indigenous Entrepreneurship and strategic decision making for survival in the 21st century.
Chris Riley
Dilin Duwa Programs Manager
Chris has over 30 years of experience in logistics and community engagement. In the role of Programs Manager, Chris works to ensure the effective delivery of our programs and community outreach activities, including the MURRA Indigenous Business Masterclass.
Mitch Hibbens
Dilin Duwa PhD Candidate
For over a decade, Mitch has been immersed in the health & education sectors which has provided a unique and holistic approach to his work. His engagement in any space is guided by strong cultural values which centre Indigenous sovereignty and Indigenous people’s rights to self-determine. Mitch is a PhD candidate at the Centre and previously the director of the MURRA program.
Contributing to an economically powerful Indigenous Australia
Our history
Centre for Indigenous Business Roundtable 2019
Dilin Duwa has come from the maturation of a journey of sovereignty, education and the place of Indigenous business leaders in Australia. Conceived over many cups of tea over more than a decade, the role and vision of Dilin Duwa has taken shape.
Born from long-term programming, research and partnerships.
Dilin Duwa brings the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Melbourne and the Melbourne Business School Limited together to support Indigenous business. There is an important role for our universities to play in partnership with the Indigenous business sector. It is in classrooms and curriculum where conversations and strategies about the future of business in Australia are shaped.
Through culturally bonded social capital in our universities (people, staff, and researchers), Indigenous-led networks that are founded in the educational process are a strong asset to the Indigenous business sector. The role of these networks is to disrupt business education transmission and expect it to change, adapt and engage.
Streams of work
Engagement
An ecosystem to drive lasting change.
Programs
Building knowledge, skills and networks.
Research
Evidence-based insights for sectoral impact.
Our Story
Created by MURRA Alumni Marcus Lee, the visual depiction of each of our streams tells a story. A coral symbolises our Engagement stream where individuals and ideas are nurtured to thrive. A net symbolises our Programs stream where individuals are gathered, provided with skills and knowledge before being released back into the ecosystem. A web symbolises our Research stream where information is captured and new knowledge is created. All three streams converge in our Dilin Duwa to create an ever-evolving Centre of learning and excellence for the benefit of the Indigenous business sector.
Dilin Duwa
Everlasting Flow (Woi Wurrung)
Through programs, research and partnerships, our three streams continually flow and interact with each other.
These are converging flows of information and activation that strengthen the sector through Indigenous-led and focused business and leadership.
We convene spaces and facilitate relationships in service to the Indigenous business sector locally and globally.