BilaEmpower

07/08/2026

October is Indigenous Business Month, and we can’t think of a better reason to come together, share a cuppa and strengthen the connections between our First Nations businesses.

BilaEmpower is excited to be hosting the Adelaide CBD Black Coffee Indigenous Business Networking event on Kaurna Country this October.

Black Coffee is about keeping networking simple and relational. A chance to meet other Indigenous business owners, have a yarn about what you’re working on, share ideas, make new connections and see where a conversation might lead.

For BilaEmpower, supporting First Nations economic empowerment is part of who we are. We actively create opportunities for sovereign First Nations businesses and professionals, because strong businesses create employment, leadership, choice and opportunities that ripple through families and communities.

☕ Friday 30 October 2026
🕚 11.00 am
📍 Level 2, 70 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide
💻 Can’t make it in person? You’re welcome to join us via Zoom.

Light refreshments and, of course, plenty of cuppas will be waiting.

Come along during Indigenous Business Month and connect with the people behind the businesses. You never quite know what might grow from one good yarn.

Please register for catering purposes via the QR code.

06/08/2026

🚨 Noah to debut! 🚨

Huge congratulations to Port Noarlunga junior Noah Howes, who will make his AFL debut on Sunday as the Pies take on West Coast in Perth!

CFC story: https://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2092105/defender-to-make-afl-debut

Go well Noz! 💙🤍

06/08/2026

BilaEmpower is on an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) trade stand today for one of our SA State Gov clients, SA Department of Health and Well-being.

If you are a DHW employee pop in and say hi.

30/07/2026

Today, Tod from Warru Counselling and Consultancy and Bianca from Warida Wholistic Wellness created and facilitated a culturally integrated workshop on managing workplace stress for the SA Department of Infrastructure and Transport’s SA Aboriginal staff forum.

Photos taken from the rooftop walk and talk section of the training.

BilaEmpower loves our sovereign First Nations collaborative and the changes we are facilitating in workplaces.

24/06/2026

We’re heading to Supply Nation Connect 2026, and BilaEmpower has a trade stand kindly scholarshipped by EY. If you’ve ever wanted to ask all things BilaEmpower, come and see us.

Curious about our First Nations led Employee Assistance Program? Want to yarn about culturally integrated counselling, yarning circles, workplace wellbeing, critical incident support, training, or how we work with sovereign First Nations clinicians across Australia?

Come over, say hello, ask the questions, have a proper yarn.

BilaEmpower was created because workplace wellbeing needs to feel culturally safe, relational and grounded in real trust, not just policy language. We’d love to connect with organisations, companies and Departments who are serious about doing things differently and investing in culturally grounded support for their people.

See you at Supply Nation Connect 2026. www.bilaempower.org

24/06/2026

BilaEmpower’s work strongly aligns with the National Mental Health Workforce Strategy 2022–2032.

As a First Nations-led, culturally grounded Employee Assistance Program, we are strengthening access to culturally safe mental health support, while also creating national contract pathways for First Nations clinicians and sovereign businesses.

This matters because culturally safe care is not just about who receives support. It is also about who delivers that support, how that workforce is valued, and whether First Nations knowledge, social and emotional wellbeing, trauma-informed practice, supervision, fair remuneration and sustainable workforce growth are built into the model from the beginning.

For us, this is not theoretical. It is the work we are already doing.

The National Mental Health Workforce Strategy 2022–2032 and associated documents provide a vision and roadmap for building a sustainable workforce that is skilled, distributed and supported to deliver mental health treatment, care and support that meets current and future population needs.

16/06/2026

BilaEmpower is beyond excited to welcome the amazing, Lydia Kav, to our Board of Directors!

With Lydia joining us, she brings a wealth of experience to our majority-led, skills based Board. Her depth of experience of investment, governance and leadership experience strengthens the foundations of BilaEmpower as we continue growing our work in culturally integrated First Nations-led Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services, education, employment, leadership and economic empowerment.

The Board is absolutely honours to have Lydia join us, and we'd like to share a little about Lydia so that you can see why we think she is so deadly ;).

Lydia Kav (nee Serafim) is an experienced investment leader and capital steward with 30 years in financial markets, including two decades supporting Boards and Investment Committees.

Her career spans senior leadership roles at AMP Capital Investors and Perpetual Ltd, as a Head of teams focusing on portfolio management and manager research across diversified and single-sector portfolios. She has deep expertise in multi-asset, multi-manager investing across public and private markets, including traditional and responsible (ESG) strategies, serving clients in superannuation, philanthropy, insurance, and wealth management. Lydia is recognised for her empowering leadership, and rigorous approach to asset allocation, risk oversight, and valuation governance. Lydia is a First-Class Honours Economics graduate and member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

As BilaEmpower continues to grow our national footprint, we are deeply grateful to be surrounded by Directors who bring strong governance, commercial discipline, cultural integrity, balanced with a heart-led approach, and importantly a shared commitment to lasting impact for First Nations individuals, families, and communities, and strong workplaces.

Welcome Lydia. We are so glad you are walking with us.

Bianca
Chairperson
BilaEmpower

08/06/2026

As we move towards the end of the financial year, this is a beautiful time to consider where your giving can create lasting change.

BilaEmpower is a growing First Nations-led charity established to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families and communities through culturally integrated wellbeing, leadership, education, employment and economic empowerment pathways.

Every donation helps us strengthen community-led programs, expand access to culturally safe support, and create practical opportunities for people to heal, grow, lead and thrive.

Donations over $2 are tax deductible in Australia, so your contribution can also be claimed at tax time. No matter the size, your donation becomes part of something meaningful: First Nations-led healing, opportunity and self-determined change.

Donate before 30 June: https://bilaempower.org/donate-1

18/05/2026

There’s something deeply special about gathering in spaces that hold story, connection and community.

Today, BilaEmpower is honoured to support the SA Housing Trust Aboriginal Staff Forum alongside our valued collaborators at Warida Wholistic Wellness and Legacy Counselling and Consultancy, held at the beautiful Yitpi Yartapuultiku.

Together, we hope the next two days create space for conversation, reflection, shared experiences and culturally grounded wellbeing. Not through ticking boxes or corporate language, but through genuine connection, deep listening and the strength that comes when people feel safe to yarn openly.

At BilaEmpower, we know workplace wellbeing cannot be separated from culture, identity, relationships and community. This is why our work continues to centre culturally integrated approaches that honour people as whole human beings.

A heartfelt thank you to the SA Housing Trust Aboriginal Staff Forum for trusting us to walk alongside you in this space as part of your EAP service, and to everyone who contributes their presence, honesty and care throughout the next two days.

These conversations matter. So do the spaces that hold them.