YARPA SERVICES
Business Support
Coaching and mentoring, practical training, and hands-on assistance to steer First Nations businesses toward growth and sustainability.
EMPOWERING FIRST NATIONS BUSINESSES
Business Support at Yarpa
Yarpa is here to support First Nations entrepreneurs across NSW. We work with businesses to build capacity, capability and competitiveness. Whether you're starting a new business, trying to keep it running smoothly, or aiming to grow, we offer personalised support tailored to your needs, from the fundamentals for new startups to advanced strategies for more established businesses. Yarpa membership is free.
Becoming a Yarpa member is quick and easy, providing you with opportunities like specialised training from industry experts, free use of our vibrant Hub space in Liverpool, and access to networking events. Don't miss our popular annual Meet The Buyer event, a key opportunity for making industry connections. Join our community where support, learning, and opportunities are always growing.
Yarpa provides flexible and responsive business advice, training and support across an array of key business areas, including:
- Business basics: for ideation/startups
- Business growth: for mature, well established businesses
- Accounting and finance
- Grants and lending
- Marketing and communications
- Networking and mentoring
- Legal, procurement and contracts
Yarpa Hub Business Coaches
Our Yarpa business coaches are experienced professionals committed to supporting both new and established businesses along their journey. They're here to provide personalised guidance and strategic insights every step of the way.
WAYNE METTERS | darkinjung
Wayne Metters, boasting three decades of dedicated experience as a seasoned business coach within the finance industry, enriches the Yarpa Hub team with a multifaceted career. His extensive background encompasses business coaching, financial acumen, and stakeholder empowerment, providing valuable insights for the Yarpa team’s success.
- Business Coaching
- Financial Acumen
- Stakeholder Empowerment
Kristy Lee Priestly | Biripi
Kristy Lee Priestly is an accomplished professional with extensive experience driving better outcomes for Aboriginal communities. Her career is grounded in cultural integrity, strategic thinking, and community empowerment. Kristy’s strength lies in building strong, respectful relationships and creating culturally informed solutions that honour Aboriginal ways of knowing, being, and doing.
With qualifications in Project Management, Counselling, and Business Administration, as well as leadership and cultural capability certifications, Kristy combines strategic insight with lived experience to deliver community-led change. She is deeply committed to empowering others through knowledge-sharing, advocacy, and collaboration.
- Project Management
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Culturally Responsive Program Delivery
ALEX SANDERSON | Wiradjuri
Alex brings expertise across strategy, operations, procurement and supply chain systems to the Yarpa Hub team. With 10+ years’ corporate experience and an MBA from UNSW, he has built a strong foundation in commercial strategy, operational improvement, and business transformation.
At Yarpa, Alex supports Indigenous businesses through procurement, sourcing, supplier management and operational scalability, with a focus on improving price competitiveness, strengthening value propositions and building sustainable and resilient business systems for long-term growth.
- Strategy, Operations & Supply Chain
- Procurement & Commercial Transformation
- Indigenous Enterprise Development
Mariah Redmond | Yuin & Wonnarua
With experience across the NSW government, business development, stakeholder engagement, and working with Mob. Mariah is passionate about supporting Aboriginal businesses and entrepreneurs to grow, build confidence, and explore new opportunities. With a degree in Tourism Management and a strong interest in business development, she brings a practical and people-focused approach to supporting businesses at different stages of their journey.
She enjoys working alongside people to understand their goals, navigate opportunities, and bring their ideas to life. She values genuine relationships and creating opportunities for our mob and Aboriginal businesses to thrive.
- Connecting people, ideas and opportunities
- Relationship building
- Stakeholder and Community Engagement
THE YARPA HUB
Where Ideas Grow
The Yarpa Hub is based in Liverpool, the lively centre of Western Sydney. Our Hub provides a range of hot desks, meeting rooms, and collaboration spaces. Our members have full access to our Hub and resources including a fully equipped kitchen.
The Yarpa Hub is a culturally safe and practical place for our members to work, meet, and create.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS THINK
Testimonials
“The Yarpa team [under the stewardship of Wes and Shannon], have been an invaluable source of business advice, guidance, & advocacy; not only for Umbarra, but for the broader NSW Indigenous business sector.”
Charles Wilson
Umbarra Group
Business Coaching
“You guys are just too deadly! We are so lucky to have the Yarpa team to connect, learn and grow with – and the facilitators are just as fabulous! Going the extra mile to share knowledge and help mob upskill.”
Leticia Anne
Leticia Anne Designs
Yarpa Grow Program
“I feel bringing Indigenous business owners together to yarn and workshop their business direction, in a safe space such as Yarpa, is gold. It was accessible, inspiring and highly valuable.”
Michael Scarrott
Glow Sky Media
Workshops
“Yarpa has been a supporter at each step as I build my business this past year, and I can’t tell you or explain in words just how intrinsically valuable this is. It’s just brilliant. Marrungbu to all!”
Michael Scarrott
Glow Sky Media
Business Coaching
“Keep up the good work, you are definitely making a difference”
John Mattock
BESIX Watpac
Industry & Strategic Partnerships
“You can tell that the Yarpa Hub Team care very much about their mission. Congratulations.”
Teresa Mendez
Ventia
Industry & Strategic Partnerships
“Nothing but praise for the team, [Meet the Buyer] was the best networking event I have been to.”
Cleve McGhie
Yaali Collective
Meet The Buyer Event
“Thank you to the team at Yarpa for all your input so far into the business plan and other suggestions. They have been very helpful.”
Rob Barnett
Kempsey Health Food Shop & Cafe
Business Coaching
“Starting a new company is a significant endeavour at any time of your career, and Yarpa has been able to help Gadali work …
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through the challenges of excessive information to find the most appropriate pathways and opportunities available in the Indigenous business space.”
Dustin McClung
Gadali Consulting
Business Coaching
“Allpro Plumbing Solutions have been a member and working with Yarpa since late 2021. We have completed multiple business …
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training and development workshops, business coaching sessions and online guidance masterclasses. We have also been to several Meet the Buyer events and also completed the Yarpa Grow Program in 2023. Yarpa Hub provides a safe space for Aboriginal Businesses, and their commitment to our vision and building our capability is second to none.”
Tyson Hubbard
Allpro Plumbing Solutions
Yarpa Membership
“I have attended workshops and networking events that have allowed my business to grow substantially over the past few years. The …
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Yarpa office in Liverpool is a great space for Indigenous entrepreneurs to meet, yarn, and collaborate while working with the business coaches.”
Dylan Frank
Wumara Group
Yarpa Membership
“The team at Yarpa Hub is incredibly professional, and their understanding of our business needs goes above and beyond. We …
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look forward to continuing our partnership with Yarpa and building upon the strong foundation we’ve established together. Here’s to many more years of collaboration and success.”
Barbara Dent
Modern Indigenous Group
Business Coaching
“We are proud to be “Yarpa Grow” Alumni! This program set the foundation of what has been an invaluable 4 year relationship for our …
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business. From these humble beginnings we have developed and continue to strengthen the relationship with our business mentor Shannon. She has ridden the highs and lows of business with us and has been instrumental in the clarification and diversification of our business. A great sounding board and some times shoulder to cry on, Shannon provides us with frank, real and useful advice that informs our strategy and focus.”
Lorrayne Fishenden
2 Rivers
Programs & Business Coaching
“BESIX Watpac is a huge advocate of the fantastic work Yarpa Hub undertakes in providing a platform for businesses like ours …
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to connect to ambitious Indigenous Businesses and provide opportunities to be part of our projects. It’s always a pleasure to deal with the professionalism, passion and friendliness provided by the Yarpa Hub Team.”
John Mattock
Construction Manager, BESIXWatpac
Industry & Partnerships Support
“We have been supported by YARPA through their Business Coaching which helps us take a new approach to our social media content …
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and focus our attention to areas of our business to support our business growth. Further to this we hav attended YARPA hosted workshops which have been wonderful, the best part is the time allowed to connect with mob that are also in attendance and share yarns on small business challenges.”
Taneika and Cleveland
Yaali Collective
Business Coaching
“Yarpa has been an invaluable partner in the growth of my business, providing crucial support through letters of recommendation …
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for funding applications. Their professional guidance and has significantly contributed to our success and I highly recommend their services to any other Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander entrepreneur seeking strategic support.”
Caressa Murphy
Caressa Designs / Made On Country
Business Coaching
“I Couldn’t vouch more for the services, support, and opportunities Yarpa Hub offer. I have been actively engaged with Yarpa over …
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3.5 years, since I first established my business back in 2020. I am grateful for all the support I have received along the way to aid my understanding as a business owner and to not have to walk this journey alone. Business operations and navigating this space can be alot at times, however through opportunities such as being a participant in Yarpa Grow in early 2021 and to have business coaches listen in and share back has helped build my confidence and knowledge set. I am now proud to be a service provider engaged with Yarpa since 2022 to deliver our Canva Social Media Workshops for beginners for other business owners all over New South Wales. To have the Yarpa team see my potential, understand my skills, and then further embrace this on larger scale has helped me broaden my vision from Leticia Anne Designs & Co to now Yirra Miya”.
Leticia Anne
Yirra Miya and Leticia Anne Designs & Co
Business Coaching
GROWING WITH YARPA
Events
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