Citi Foundation and UNDP bring youth initiative to Aussie shores

Sydney – Youth Co:Lab, a youth social entrepreneurship movement co-led by Citi Foundation and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has partnered with the Minderoo Foundation Generation One team on the Dream Ventures Masterclass Youth Cohort in support of young Indigenous entrepreneurs.

As part of the Dream Ventures Masterclass Youth Cohort program, five young, inspiring Indigenous business leaders took home a share of $75,000 in seed money to invest in and grow their emerging businesses. This followed a competitive pitching process and mentoring program, which partnered the entrepreneurs with business leaders from Citi, Atlassian, Blackbird VC, and many more.

Commenting on the program and partnership, Managing Director at Citi Australia, Katrina Efthim, said Citi's values aligned closely with the Minderoo Foundation's and this program was making important strides to close the gap and secure a better future for all Australians.

"The Minderoo Foundation is dedicated to creating parity for Indigenous Australians within one generation, a goal which closely aligns with Citi's commitments to address racial equality and elevate the voice of Indigenous Australians," Ms Efthim said.

"These passionate, inspiring, and innovative young Indigenous entrepreneurs have shown they have the skills and potential to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and influence the economic, social, and environmental outcomes of future generations.

"Congratulations to the finalists and winners of the Dream Ventures Masterclass Youth Cohort and to all the brilliant young minds who participated in our local Youth Co:Lab."

The Youth Co:Lab is the largest youth social entrepreneurship program in the Asia-Pacific region. Since its inception in 2017, Youth Co:Lab has reached over 200,000 youth participants, benefited 11,000 young social entrepreneurs and helped to launch or improve over 1,240 youth-led social enterprises addressing Sustainable Development Goal challenges.

Commenting on the program and partnership with Minderoo, Beniam Gebrezghi, Programme Specialist, Youth and Civil Society, UNDP in Asia and the Pacific, said: "At Youth Co:Lab, together with our co-leads Citi Foundation, we are excited to have partnered with the Minderoo Foundation to support young Indigenous entrepreneurs. Leaving no one behind is at the core of our work and programming, and the Dream Venture Masterclass will only help us further realise the vision of empowering all youth."

The Minderoo Foundation's Dream Venture Masterclass is part of the Generation One program, a first of its kind initiative dedicated to equipping Indigenous Australians with the connections, capabilities and access to capital to become investor ready. Since inception in 2019, the program has supported more than 120 Indigenous Australians. This year, it collectively awarded $150,000 in funding to both youth and all-ages participants.

Generation One Director, Shelley Cable, said the program has made significant inroads to removing barriers for Indigenous Australians but there was more work to be done.

"This year has been the best and biggest we have had for the Dream Venture Masterclasses," Ms Cable said. "We must continue to back the next generation of Indigenous business leaders and entrepreneurs. Research shows that majority-owned Indigenous businesses are up to 100 times more likely to employ Indigenous workers than other Australian businesses, and their growth can start a chain reaction that accelerates Indigenous employment parity."

Learn more about the winners of the Dream Ventures Masterclass Youth Cohort here:

Impact: Provvy – $20,000

Alisha Geary

Alisha is descended from the Gurang-Gurang, Deibau and Wuthathi clans from QLD. She is the founder and CEO of Provvy. Provvy is a unique tech platform that empowers artists to claim ownership of their work as well as monetise it through tokenising their art into NFTs and selling usage rights.

Never Ever Give Up (NEGU): Yaali Collective – $20,000

Cleveland McGhie

Born in Wollongong and raised in the Dharawal community in the Illawarra, Cleveland identifies as a Wiradjuri man. He also acknowledges his Wiradjuri connections to Condobolin and Lake Cargelligo, NSW, through his maternal family. Yaali Collective's vision is to develop proud identities by delivering authentic and interactive learning resources that are accessible and easy to use.

Ready to Grow: South Coast Seaweed – $20,000

Sarah Gorst

Sarah is a Kamilaroi woman born and raised in the Hunter Valley, NSW. She is a marine conservation advocate and co-founder of South Coast Seaweed, an Indigenous aquaculture initiative on the far south coast NSW, focused on the revitalisation of traditional knowledge to create modern resources using seaweed.

Rising Star: Gan-bu Country – $7,500

Skye Hunter

Skye is a Taungurung woman. She is 27 years old, lives near the beach on Bunarung country. Skye is currently experimenting with creating skincare products using native plants in her formulations. She has already made some good products and is looking to expand her knowledge within traditional practices and Australian regulations to create innovative products.

Rising Star: Alinta - $7,500

Alinta Tatana

Alinta is a proud Bundjalung and Te Rarawa woman. She grew up on a Bundjalung country within community before moving to Durag country to further her career in the justice system. Alinta's brand vision is to build a culturally safe space for people and communities, and to create quality, environmentally sustainable pieces which cater for all genders, sizes and shapes from XS-XL.