We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we work and live, and the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia. We recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community, and pay respect to Elders past and present.
First Nations UNLIMITED SA is an essential gathering that amplifies the voices, wisdom and leadership of First Nations peoples. This summit serves as a platform for leaders, changemakers and allies to unite, share and learn.
It celebrates the vital roles First Nations individuals play as visionaries, advocates, mentors and custodians within their workplaces, communities and on Country.
Through storytelling, truth-telling, and deep connection, the summit strengthens a growing network of First Nations leaders and equips allies with the insight and integrity to walk beside them as they create a more just and inclusive future.
Our 2026 speakers in
Adelaide
Nerida Saunders PSM
Steve Larkin
Shona Reid
Parry Agius
Andrea Kean
Craig Rigney
Dr Jennifer Caruso
Leeroy Bilney
Judith Lovegrove
Jade Wilson
Cole Butler
Rebecca Kimlin
Margaret Mibus
Toni Shore
Dr Paul Heithersay
Arrin Hazelbane
Cheryl Axleby-Keefe
Keith Thomas
Shane Holland
Ash Easthope
Damien Halliday
Adjunct Professor Scott Wilson
Dana Shen
Why attend
Adelaide | Agenda
The First Nations UNLIMITED Summit provides two days of insights and strength, designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, teams and allies committed to creating meaningful change – on Country, in community and across systems.
All times are shown in ACDT.
Welcome to Country
Opening remarks
A career built on Country, community & conviction
- Reflecting on the journey from community services to head of Aboriginal Affairs
- The skills that have served me best leading in advocacy and Aboriginal Affairs
- Leadership advice for First Nations people navigating complex government systems while staying true to who they are
Walking two worlds, speaking one truth
- What 17 years in native title teaches you about how systems and institutions really behave
- Why legitimacy and trust can’t be rushed, and what long-term relationships actually require
- How genuine Indigenous governance means sharing power, not just sharing the room
Interactive Yarning Activity
Get to know your fellow attendees with a series of thoughtful questions designed to build connection and explore common purpose. This exercise will help you build new connections and deepen existing ones.
Morning Tea
Leadership reflections & advice with a First Nations lens
- What particular strengths do First Nations leaders have that others don’t?
- What do culture and Country bring to your leadership that no formal training ever could?
- How do you stay grounded in who you are when the systems around you were not built for you?
- What is one habit that every emerging leader should build early?
Leading from the inside out: Building culture that actually works for First Nations people
- Why genuine inclusion matters and what it requires
- How intergenerational trauma shapes workplace barriers, and what leaders must understand before they can address them
- What First Nations employees need to stay, grow and lead, and how to build a culture that makes it possible
Lunch
Native title as a foundation for First Nations power & self-determination
- How resolving native title over 60% of South Australia has shifted the ground for Aboriginal nations to advance their own goals on Country
- Why native title is not the finish line but the foundation for economic, cultural and political power
- What the path to treaty in South Australia looks like from the front line, and why the community is ready
Redefining success: Navigating pressure, identity & resilience as First Nations women leaders
- Analysing the multifaceted identities of women and the unique pressures and expectations they face in leadership and life
- Building strong networks, resilience and sustainable strategies to thrive despite systemic challenges
- Challenging structures not designed for women and empowering emerging leaders to create change
Yarning & connecting session
In this extended session, participants and speakers will have the opportunity to move to a circle of conversation they wish to engage in exploring leadership, empowerment and network building.
Afternoon tea
Driving system change by getting under the surface of the status quo
- Why driving systems change can, and should, get messy first
- How to shift the colonial load as a First Nations leader and what cultural responsibility looks like in practice every day
- Where to start when you are serious about decolonising a mainstream system from the inside
Tirkangkaku: Building a university where First Nations knowledge belongs
- Leadership advice from the first Aboriginal person to be appointed to a senior university executive role
- Why embedding First Nations knowledge into institutions is a fundamental shift, not a symbolic gesture
- What First Nations leaders inside mainstream organisations can learn from leading change at the highest level
Closing remarks & networking drinks
Acknowledgement of Country
Opening remarks
Born into obligation: Leading for those who cannot yet speak for themselves
- How a family legacy of giving shaped a life devoted to the rights of Aboriginal children, young people and families
- Lessons in fearless, unrelenting advocacy and what it truly means to amplify a voice that systems were designed to silence
- Why the privilege of obligation is not a burden but the most powerful leadership identity a First Nations woman can carry
About us, not with us: What South Australia's First Nations Voice is changing
- What delivering the inaugural address to both houses of parliament meant for me, and for First Nations people across the state
- Building the plane while flying it — what it takes to establish a genuinely new form of First Nations governance with no rule book, no precedent and everything at stake
- Why people are starting to listen from their hearts rather than their heads, and what that shift means
Morning Tea
What does a successful First Nations procurement initiative look like?
- What is the best way to support Aboriginal businesses through procurement?
- What are the main lessons you have learned in Aboriginal procurement and investment?
- What tips do you have for leaders looking to engage First Nations businesses and communities?
Turning survival into scholarship, advocacy & leadership
- How a childhood shaped by removal became the foundation for a life devoted to truth, history and healing
- Why teaching Aboriginal history from an unapologetically Aboriginal perspective is both a political act and a leadership responsibility
- What the unfinished business of the Bringing Them Home recommendations means for First Nations leaders today
Walking in both worlds
In this extended yarning circle, participants are invited to move to a circle of conversation that resonates with them. Guided by your MC, explore how you balance the demands of professional leadership with your responsibilities to culture, community and Country — and what you have learned while doing both.
Lunch
Training that closes the gap: Creating real entry points to real jobs
- Why 80% of what TAFE SA delivers is community-driven, and what happens when First Nations people design their futures
- From machinery tickets to the Ranger program — building training around industry need and community aspiration
- What it means to watch First Nations people grow from their first entry point into work into confident, skilled leaders in their field
Leading for safety, dignity & self-determination in housing
- Understanding the systems that keep First Nations people unsafe, and how to change them from the inside
- Embedding self-determination, co-design and place-based decision making into the SA Aboriginal Housing Strategy
- Rewriting what is possible for First Nations families across South Australia
Afternoon tea
What I wish I had known: Leadership & allyship lessons from 20 years in SA public service
- Why becoming a genuine ally to First Nations peoples and communities is one of the most important things a senior leader can do
- The leadership habits that matter most early in your career, and how they compound over time
- What emerging First Nations and allies alike need to understand about using positional power to create space for others
Thirty years of showing up: What First Nations leadership is really made of
- What three decades of refusing to give up has taught him about the power of staying in the room
- Balancing the weight of history and the importance of healing, and how to hold both truths with pride and purpose
- The work is hard, the need is real, and First Nations leadership has never mattered more than it does right now
Closing remarks & close of Summit
Post-Summit Workshop - Stepping forward & leading with confidence & culture
Using culturally grounded mindfulness practices and strengths-based reflection, explore the stories you carry about yourself as a leader, reframe self-narratives that limit your confidence, and begin to see the systems you move through with greater clarity and intention. This workshop is practical, grounding and designed to help you step forward with self-awareness, cultural integrity and the quiet certainty that leadership already lives within you. It will support emerging and mid-level First Nations leaders to build confidence, strengthen your leadership voice and identify clear pathways forward.
Attend & learn how to
- Identify & articulate the leadership strengths you already carry
- Use mindfulness as a practical tool for self-awareness, confidence & presence
- Recognise the systems you operate in & how they shape your leadership identity
- Reframe the stories that hold you back from stepping fully into leadership
- Leave with a clear, grounded sense of your leadership direction & next steps
What’s new in 2026?
- Expanded SA-specific speakers covering the First Nations Voice to Parliament, native title, treaty and housing reform
- A diverse lineup spanning government, health, housing, justice, education, business and community sectors
- Post-summit workshop on leadership confidence and systems thinking, facilitated by Ngarrindjeri leader Dana Shen
- New interactive yarning formats designed to deepen cultural connection and peer learning across generations
Lead Together, Learn Together
Learn, connect & grow together
Nurture talent & deepen commitment
Elevate your organisation’s commitment
Who should attend
Your UNLIMITED Experience
Adelaide | Pricing
Two Day Leadership Summit
Post-Summit Workshop
Groups of 5-8 save 10%
Groups of 9-11 save 15%
Groups of 12+ save 20%
ACCO & Community Service Provider Summit Ticket applies to Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, community service providers and local government only. Standard Summit Ticket applies to state and federal government, universities and corporate organisations.
The Hatchery is proud to offer a select number of free passes to First Nations leaders in the community who may not otherwise be able to pay to attend. To apply, please visit: https://form.typeform.com/to/BGEVVOVi
Hear from our community
This year’s artist
woman living on Dharawal country,
Award winning artist
Peta is a Proud First Nations woman and artist, who is a descendantof the Gooreng Gooreng and Kabi Kabi Nations of the Central Coastand Sunshine Coast of Queensland. Peta was fortunate enough togrow up in both Meanjin (Brisbane); Eora Country (Sydney) whereshe has grown inspiration from for her artwork. Peta is currently located on Tharawal Country (Campbelltown NSW).
Artwork Title – Grounded
This artwork depicts a collective of leadersgathering and making informed decisions for our communities and ways forward for better futures for our people.
Bringing the best in First Nations leadership for two days of storytelling, truth-telling and deep connection.
FAQs
Do all the speakers present live in person?
All speakers at The Hatchery present live and in person unless specifically noted on the event program or circumstances prevent the speaker from appearing live.
Are there opportunities to network with other delegates?
The Hatchery provides a number of networking opportunities for all event attendees. Clearly printed name badges are provided to all attendees at registration. Attendees are encouraged to wear these for the entirety of the event to ease networking processes during all session breaks. Attendees are also encouraged to bring plenty of business cards.
Online attendees are encouraged to network and collaborate during break out sessions or via chat forum on the online platform.
How do I access the slides and resources?
Once the event has finished you will be given the opportunity to provide feedback which will provide access to the session resources which we have permission to share.
Are meals included in my registration?
The program will include morning tea, lunch & afternoon tea for all participants. Please refer to the agenda tab above for more details.
Do you cater for dietary requirements and any additional needs?
Dietary requirements and any additional needs are to be communicated to event organisers minimum one week prior to the event commencing. Please identify yourself to The Hatchery staff upon arrival to ensure all your needs are met.
What if I cannot attend all sessions?
Some sessions are being recorded and will be made available after the event ends online (subject to speaker consent).
What happens if I am no longer able to attend?
All cancellations must be raised at least 2 weeks before the event. For cancellations received in writing more than 2 weeks before the event date, a credit voucher will be issued and valid for 12 months from the registration date to use for another The Hatchery event.
Cancellations must be made in writing to [email protected]. The company regrets that no cancellations will be refunded. Course documentation will however be sent to the attendee.
A substitute attendee is always welcome at no extra charge, you must notify us in writing at least 48 hours in advance if you wish to send a substitute participant. Please email [email protected] and quote your invoice number to arrange this. Delegates may not "share" a pass between multiple attendees without prior authorisation.
For an event cancelled by The Hatchery registration fees are fully refundable.
