Stawell indigenous business Luggarrah has won big at the CGU Kayku Kumpa Awards 2020.
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Luggarrah founder David Parkin was awarded a $5,000 professional development grant from CGU Insurance.
Luggarrah is an education management business that runs events and workshops in regional areas to upskill First Nations people and communities and provide them with career pathways within the technology industry.
"I'm really proud to have been recognised as a winner of this year's award. Receiving this grant will allow me to develop the necessary skills to increase the social presence of my business and grow the brand," Mr Parkin said.
"We are pretty excited about the award. It was across indigenous business month and there were a lot of participants, and to be a recipient of the award is quite a surprise.
"We are looking at a number of different things at the moment including drones ... and the preservation of culture, language and looking at bringing some of the traditional history to a digital space."
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Mr Parkin, who is a proud Trawlwulwuy man from Tebrakunna Country in Tasmania, currently lives on Djab Wurrung lands in Western Victoria.
"It's important we bring our people and communities along the journey when celebrating First Nations businesses so that we can inspire the next generation of small business owners and increase participation in the start-up field," Mr Parkin said.
"I think covid has highlighted that anywhere and anyone in the world no matter what background, can participate in the tech space."
CGU Indigenous Engagement Manager Phil Lockyer said he was excited to announce Luggarrah as a winner of the awards program.
"We were inspired with the way Luggarrah uses technology to upskill people in regional communities, and also provide them with an understanding of the different career pathways within the technology industry," he said.
"As an insurer of businesses around Australia, we proudly support the ambition of small business owners.
"We were really impressed with the quality of entries we received from First Nations small business owners for our awards program this year, and congratulate all the winners."
The CGU Kayku Kumpa award takes its name from the local language of the Gringai people of the Wonnarua nation of the Hunter Valley in NSW.
Kayku Kumpa means 'strong yesterday, stronger tomorrow'. It was chosen as it represents the opportunity for participants to become stronger business owners and help create a better future for themselves, their communities and their business.
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