About us — Dilin Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership

Working towards an economically powerful Indigenous Australia

Our ways of working

Our vision

An economically powerful Indigenous Australia which showcases Indigenous talent, embraces Indigenous leadership and turns to Indigenous knowledges as a source of information and inspiration.

Our values

Grounded in culture and respectful partnerships with community and allies, we strive for excellence in work that addresses community priorities.

Our strategy

Our 10-year strategy is divided into three horizons.

Horizon 1 - Connecting our ecosystem: we will foster essential connections to generate systemic foundational strength.

Horizon 2 - Bringing the ecosystem into flow: we will ensure the flow of resources, education, research and capitals through Dilin Duwa to nourish Indigenous businesses, leaders, communities and entrepreneurs.

Horizon 3 - Global connectivity: building on our work, we will connect our ecosystem into the flow of global capitals.

This work will be delivered through five priority areas:

Embedded research, knowledge, data and insights
Impactful, sustained education pathways
Culturally grounded small business entrepreneurship
Community leadership and change activations
Sustainable firms, capital flows and circular economies

Our work focusses on five strategic storylines:

Research
Education
Entrepreneurs
Community leadership
Sustainable stakeholder engagement

Our team

Executive team

Michelle Evans

Director | Koori

Dr Michelle Evans is the Director at the Dilin Duwa Centre and holds a Professorship in Leadership at the University of Melbourne and Melbourne Business School, specialising in the areas of Indigenous leadership and entrepreneurship. She is also co-Founder of the award-winning MURRA Indigenous Business Masterclass Program and Indigenous Business Month, and lead researcher on multiple research projects at the Centre.

Paul Paton

Associate Director | Gunai, Monero-Ngarigo & Gunditjmara

Paul Paton is the Associate Director at the Dilin Duwa Centre and has responsibility for the Centre’s overall operational management and planning plus development and implementation of systems, policies, and procedures, as well as managing resources to ensure the Centre’s effective and efficient functioning. 

Paul has held several Director, Executive and Management roles in both community organisations and government departments working with Victorian Traditional Owners in areas such as land justice, economic development and language revival.

Sara Kaltz

Centre Manager 

Sara Kaltz is the Centre Manager at the Dilin Duwa Centre and has administrative oversight of the Centre including budget, HR and contractual responsibilities.  Sara has a Masters in Science Communication from University of Otago. Since joining the University of Melbourne in 2018, she has developed a strong commitment to supporting impactful research.

Lan Hoang

Executive Officer 

Lan Hoang is the Executive Officer at the Dilin Duwa Centre and has 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.  Lan has a Bachelor degree in Arts/Law.

Academic team

Mark Jones 

Associate Dean (Indigenous) & Programs Stream Lead | Karajarri Yawuru

Dr Mark Jones is the Associate Dean (Indigenous) at the Faculty of Business and Economics and the Programs Stream Lead at Dilin Duwa where he has oversight of the Centre’s academic programs. Mark Jones’ 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 contributing to a First Peoples worldview of economy.

Ash Francisco

 Lecturer | Wiradjuri

Dr Ash Francisco is a Lecturer at the Dilin Duwa Centre. In her time at Dilin Duwa, Ash has lead engagement initiatives and ensured the Centre remained 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. Ash completed a PhD in NSW Aboriginal History at the Wollotuka Institute at the University of Newcastle.

Christian Eva

Senior Lecturer 

Dr Christian Eva is a Senior Lecturer at The Dilin Duwa Centre; previously he was a Research Fellow at the Australian National University, where he completed his PhD on Indigenous employment in the Indigenous business sector. Christian’s research focus to date has primarily involved qualitative and quantitative policy research relating to Indigenous employment, business ownership, housing, justice, remote education, and procurement. Christian has taught and designed courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Miriam Edwards

Educational Designer/Senior Lecturer 

Dr Miriam Edwards is an Educational Designer/Senior Lecturer (Education Focused) within the Dilin Duwa Centre. Miriam provides leadership relating to learning design,  delivery  and assessment. Miriam's research focuses on innovative and inclusive practice within higher education. Miriam has worked at the University of Melbourne for nine years. Her qualifications include a Masters in Education (Knowledge Networks and Digital Innovation), a Masters in Art (IT in Education and Training), and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Melbourne.

Angela Chen

Postdoctoral Research Fellow 

Dr Angela Chen works on the Historical Frontier Violence research project for the Centre and is the project manager for the Indigenous Economic PowerProject. Her research interests include compassion, suffering, and healing division. She received her PhD in Management from the University of Melbourne and has 17 years of experience as an HR professional in the United States.

Admiral Manganda

Postdoctoral Research Fellow  | Karanga (Zimbabwe)

Dr Admiral Manganda is a Postdoctoral Researcher on the Indigenous Preferential Procurement Policy research project and holds a PhD from Massey University. His research focuses on Indigenous Entrepreneurship, Indigenous procurement, and the ways policy, enterprise, and community aspirations intersect to deliver meaningful social and economic outcomes.

Peter Musinguzi

McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow | Abagyeri clan of the Bakiga people (Uganda)

As the McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr Peter Musinguzi is exploring Indigenous economic self-determination through stories with Indigenous entrepreneurs. His qualifications include Masters studies from Copenhagen and Cranfield, and a PhD from the University of New England.

Cain Polidano

Principal Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute

Dr Cain Polidano is an economist based at the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research academic department in the Faculty of Business and Economics. Cain works on key research projects at the Dilin Duwa Centre, including the Indigenous Economic Power Project Snapshot study and key ARC-funded projects focussed on Evaluating the impact of Indigenous Preferential Procurement Programs and Measuring the Contemporary Impacts of Historical Frontier Violence.

Arianna Gatta

Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute

Dr Arianna Gatta is a Research Fellow at the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, within the Faculty of Business and Economics. Arianna specialises in quantitative and experimental methods to study workers preferences, hiring practices and managerial decisions more broadly. She has extensive experience in handling large-scale administrative datasets and works alongside Cain Polidano, Julie Moschion and the Dilin Duwa Centre on the development of I-BLADE, the evaluation of the Indigenous Preferential Procurement Programs and the delivery of the Indigenous Business Snapshots.

Professional team

Dinah Hippolyte-Blake

Research Manager

Dr Dinah Hippolyte-Blake serves as Research Manager at the Dilin Duwa Centre. In this role, she leads the Centre's research portfolio, providing strategic oversight of research policy, program delivery, research quality, and the development of a collaborative and culturally responsive research culture. She supports the Centre in delivering research that is rigorous, impactful, and aligned with its strategic priorities.

Dinah holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of the West Indies (Trinidad and Tobago), and brings to the Centre her extensive experience in private sector development from Small Island Developing States in the Caribbean, where she worked to strengthen small and medium-sized enterprise development through research, policy, and capacity building.

Chris Riley

Programs Manager | Noongar

Chris Riley is the Programs Manager at the Dilin Duwa Centre and works to ensure the effective delivery of our educational initiatives. Chris coordinates the MURRA Indigenous Business Masterclass, community outreach activities,  provides student support, and brings over 30 years of experience in logistics and community engagement. 

Kate Munro

First Nations Communications & Media Advisor | Gamilaroi / Wiradjuri

Kate Munro is Dilin Duwa's First Nations Communications & Media Advisor. A public relations and writing professional, Kate has worked in a number of organisations including the Wilin Centre for Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development, Tranby Aboriginal College, NITV/SBS and with the Guardian. Kate is committed to First Nations advancement and believes in the balance of First Nations’ connection with western constructs to advance economic independence and in keeping connection to ancient and cultural ways of being. Kate has a Bachelor of Arts (Professional Writing/International Relations).

Brooke Murray-Noble

Marketing Manager | Yorta Yorta

Brooke is the Marketing Manager at the Dilin Duwa Centre and holds a bachelor’s degree in business marketing.   She has worked across key endeavours at the centre,  including  the Indigenous Economic Power  Project  Snapshot study, ARC-funded project focused on  evaluating  the Indigenous Preferential Procurement Policy and leading the  program  coordination for the  Regional Series  in  Tasmania.