About Us
Empowering First Nations people to lead the future in food and agriculture
Em-Power Foundation is a First Nations-led social enterprise creating opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to grow confidence, leadership and innovation — grounded in culture and guided by Country.
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We deliver programs that connect culture, confidence and careers, creating visibility and leadership for First Nations people in the industries shaping Australia’s future — including food, sustainability and innovation.
Our
Story
EM-Power Foundation was established in 2022, following the Indigenous Women in STEM & Entrepreneurship Pathways (IWSEP) Project, delivered by Food Futures Company and funded by the Australian Government.
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The IWSEP project was developed through Food Futures Company’s work within the native food industry, where it was identified that there is a very low representation of First Nations people in the broader agriculture and food sectors — despite Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples being Australia’s first agriculturists and the original developers of sustainable food systems.
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Within the native food industry, this participation rate was even lower — particularly for First Nations women.
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Through extensive community consultation across several ‘hub’ regions, the IWSEP project developed and piloted a series of programs focused on building confidence, visibility and cultural connection as part of career pathway development in food and agriculture.
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These pilots revealed a powerful insight: that meaningful participation and leadership in the sector must begin with cultural confidence and empowerment. When First Nations people could connect their cultural identity and community knowledge to real-world opportunities, their sense of belonging and potential grew exponentially.
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Recognising the impact of these programs, and the need to continue building these connections in a culturally safe and significant way, EM-Power Foundation was established.
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Since then, EM-Power has continued to grow, led by proud Wiradjuri woman Holly Hoad, who was instrumental in the design and delivery of the original IWSEP pilot programs and now leads their evolution across Australia.