Everything begins and ends with Country.
When we care for Country, Country will care for us.
Introduction to Indigital
Indigital is a majority Indigenous-owned and managed social enterprise committed to creating lasting systems change through Collective Action. As a trusted intermediary, they partner with Resources companies and First Nations communities to weave together Indigenous knowledge with cutting-edge technologies—delivering co-designed solutions that care for Country, strengthen Culture and support thriving Communities.
Operating in the mining and renewables sectors, Indigital addresses complex, place-based challenges that require shared leadership, cultural insight, and deep community engagement. Through their work, they collaborate with mining companies to improve their environmental and social outcomes while supporting First Nations communities to build economic independence, develop technological capabilities, and strengthen cultural resilience. Indigital’s values of reciprocity, respect, and relational power guide them in creating common ground where both communities and corporations grow together.
Aunty Melanie, Tanaya, and Tully during the Aurukun Masterclass
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Case for Action and Starting the Diversity & Inclusion Journey
Indigital’s D&I journey has always been an extension of their cultural foundations. From the beginning, their mission was not only to amplify Indigenous voices in the tech and resource sectors but to weave First Nations values directly into the fabric of business practices. The company recognised early on that conventional approaches often excluded cultural protocols and Indigenous agency, so they created a model where Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing are not just acknowledged but are central.
Indigital build trust through deep community relationships and ensure that all engagement is community-led and culturally governed. Their policies and practices reflect this, guided by detailed Cultural Protocols. These protocols, developed in partnership with Terri Janke and Company, ensure that all engagement is community-led, culturally governed, and respectful of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP).
Switching off the laptops to be on Country
Every 12 weeks, the entire company stops—completely. Everyone closes their laptops, silences notifications, and steps away from the noise of work. They call it Indigital Leave—a full paid week off, company-wide, to rest, recharge, and reconnect with what matters most in employees’ lives: their families, their communities, and Country.
“We made a conscious decision to embed this rhythm into our company culture from the start,” says Joanna Baker, Indigital’s COO. “Indigital Leave is about honouring our humanness first and the ebbs and flows of our energy. In business, inputs are as important as outputs, and to show up fully, we need space to rest, rejuvenate, and nurture creativity.”
For Cassandra Rowe, Community Success Lead, the impact is deeply personal:
“To work somewhere that says, ‘We want you to take care of yourself, and we’ll support you to do it,’ is honestly game-changing. I use the time to be with my kids, to get outside, and to reconnect with my own rhythm. It’s made me better at my job and more grounded in myself.”
enjoying time on Country during Indigital Leave
Indigital Leave is more than a pause—it’s a commitment to sustainability and wellbeing. By respecting natural and cultural cycles, their employees return to work more focused, innovative, and connected. As Jo puts it:
“In Western business culture, it’s like we’re expected to operate in summer energy all year. But sustainability comes from balance. Our team’s wellbeing, engagement and results are the proof.”
Indigital founder and CEO Mikaela Jade and COO Jo Baker made this decision from the very beginning. It reflects their belief that when we rest, we create the space for creativity, connection, and purpose-driven innovation—all central to Indigital’s mission.
All employees receive four weeks of Indigital Leave a year on top of their annual leave provisions.
This rhythm of rest and reconnection is part of a larger philosophy, one that honours both Indigenous ways of being, doing and knowing and Western practices. At Indigital, they walk in two worlds, blending the best of both to create culturally grounded, community-led outcomes.
Blending the best of Indigenous and Western practices
Embedding D&I isn’t just the right thing to do—it has given Indigital a strategic edge. As a trusted intermediary in a highly regulated and scrutinised sector, Indigital helps Resources companies navigate Indigenous engagement authentically and effectively.
With 60 per cent of their team being Indigenous and 40 per cent non-Indigenous, Indigital blends the best of Indigenous and Western practices. Walking in both worlds, they enable communities and companies to do the same.
Their inclusive approach results in better outcomes for Country and communities as well as enhanced Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance, and meaningful long-term partnerships.
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Understanding Our Results
Indigital’s inclusion initiatives have reinforced the importance of trust, reciprocity and community voice. Internally, their team is more connected, values-aligned, and purpose-driven. Externally, they’ve created reciprocity between corporate goals and community aspirations—helping both thrive. Their work has shown them where they must keep pushing: cultural leadership, intergenerational knowledge transfer, and systematised community empowerment.
Key achievements
- Indigital Leave: Every 12 weeks, their entire team takes a paid week off to rest, reflect, and reconnect with Country and community. This rhythm increases creativity, energy, and connection to our purpose.
- Cultural Protocols: Authored in collaboration Terri Janke and Company, Indigital’s protocols guide all external engagements and internal decision-making. These ensure ethical use of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and prioritise community governance.
- Policy Leadership: From gender-neutral Parental Leave to robust Working with Children policies and trauma-informed workplace respect guidelines, Indigital’s internal policies are as inclusive as they are culturally attuned.
- Community-Led Co-Design: All Indigital’s projects are grounded in cultural values and guided by Elders and local leaders. They have facilitated multi-stakeholder collaborations that lead to shared goals such Conservation Technology programs in Cape York and Connecting with Country programs for hyper-scale data centres.
- Tech and Storytelling Training: Through AR/VR programs, Indigital empowers Elders and youth to digitally share cultural knowledge—preserving identity and building future-ready skills.
“Many people told us as a small Indigenous business it would be difficult to retain the benefits we have introduced including Indigital Leave and supportive parental leave policies, but we disagree. These culturally sound policies are critical to our productivity and success as a business.” Mikaela Jade, CEO and Founder.
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Impact
Indigital describes these key areas of impact:
For our people: Indigital employees feel respected and supported as whole people. They are free to bring cultural identity, caregiving responsibilities, and creative expression to work. This leads to stronger retention, engagement and innovation.
For our communities: Indigital’s model enables true co-design. Communities don’t just participate, they lead. With the support of wrap-around services and ecosystem partners, they identify challenges and design solutions that reflect their values.
For corporate partners: Indigital helps companies achieve stronger ESG results and community support by embedding cultural inclusion into every stage of engagement.
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Business Case
Indigital’s D&I strategy has directly influenced their growth and reputation as a leader in social impact through cultural partnership. Indigital’s approach built on reciprocity, systems thinking and co-design—has strengthened their business and the businesses of their clients. It’s made them more adaptive, resilient, and aligned with the social and environmental future we all want to build. Inclusion is not just woven into the fabric of Indigital’s strategy—it is considered their competitive advantage and the pathway to meaningful, sustainable change. At Indigital, they believe that true progress is only possible when it is grounded in Country, led by community, and shared by all.
Website: indigital.net.au