The Pacific Standard
A written method for deciding whether an outside partnership should go ahead: three gates, and the rules applied to every partnership. Free to download.
Torres Strait Islander · Speaker, facilitator and adviser
Benjamin Isaiah Mitchell
From a borrowed lawnmower in Cairns to speaking at the United Nations. I bring stories and practical lessons on Indigenous enterprise, cultural competency and community-led decisions to your event.
Opening address at the United Nations, Sydney 2026Cultural competency for 26+ DCCEEW executives · 95% satisfaction438 Indigenous businesses supported one-on-one
Three ways to work with me
A talk for your audience, a session that moves a decision forward, or advice on a community partnership.
SPEAK
Opening addresses and keynotes, 5 to 45 minutes. Stories and practical lessons on Indigenous enterprise, cultural competency and community-led decisions for your conference or forum.
Fees on enquiry
FACILITATE
Bring people to a shared decision. Workshops and executive sessions for teams and partners. Half day, full day, or a program over several sessions.
Fees on enquiry
ADVISE
The Sovereignty Audit. In 4 days, I check whether a community can hold the funds coming to it, and whether ownership stays with that community. I'm running a small number of pilot audits now.
Price on enquiry
My story
I grew up in Cairns, in Australia's far north. My family is from the Torres Strait, the Merriam and Mualgal peoples, and our governance of land, sea and kinship is older than any institution I now work with. That is where my method comes from.
My first business was a borrowed lawnmower and 12 weeks of knocking on doors in Cairns. It paid for my first semester at university. Since then I've watched good ideas stall with the funding already in hand, because nothing was built to hold the money.
I've worked in Cairns, Darwin, Canberra, Hawaii, New York, Brazil, Fiji and Sydney: with small business owners one at a time, with federal executives, and with delegates at UN climate forums. The pattern repeats at every scale. The money and the goodwill arrive before the structure that could carry them.
I'm completing a research degree (MPhil/PhD) at the Australian National University, and I founded Indigo.Co, a First Nations-owned business. I'm married with three young sons, and they set the limits on how much I take on.
What grounds my work
- Grounded in family and Country
- I'm of the Merriam and Mualgal peoples of the Torres Strait. Our governance of land, sea and kinship is where my method begins. My wife and three sons set the limits on what I take on.
- Ownership stays with community
- The people who carry the knowledge keep the intellectual property. Community information is used only with that community's consent.
- Practical work, not just words
- From working one-on-one with business owners to bringing executives to a shared decision, I focus on what people can put into practice.
Proof in practice
DARWIN, 2024
Indigenous Business Australia and the Northern Territory Government ran an accelerator for Aboriginal tourism businesses. I facilitated mentoring and pitch preparation. The group secured A$139,000+ in pitch funding.
Read the case studyCANBERRA, 2025
Cultural competency sessions for 26+ DCCEEW executives. 95% participant satisfaction.
Read the case study“(Ben) brought energy, camaraderie, and insights to the room and shared practical examples and tools with the participants to help them progress their ideas. Ben's approach to using real-world examples and modern tools to work smarter was a big help for the participants. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Ben for future development projects.”
Speaking and facilitation portfolio
SYDNEY, 2026
Gave the Day 2 opening address at a United Nations forum, speaking to government delegates and international institutions.
NADI, FIJI, 2026
Guided a session on Indigenous knowledge and data sovereignty at the youth dialogue before the 2026 UN climate conference.
NADI, FIJI, 2026
Spoke on a panel at the UN's Pacific gathering on Indigenous Peoples and climate change.
CANBERRA, 2025
Facilitated cultural competency sessions for 26+ DCCEEW executives. 95% satisfaction.
CANBERRA, 2024
Brought 12 executives from 7 national sport agencies to a shared draft framework on racism in sport.
BRAZIL, 2025
Delegate to COP30, the UN climate conference, where I signed a three-year memorandum of understanding with the Government of Niue.
Organisations I've worked with
- UNFCCC Standing Committee on Finance
- Northern Territory Government
- UNICEF Australia
- Climate and Health Association
- Xbox
- Xbox ANZ
The thinking behind the work
The Indigo Brief
Notes from my work on Indigenous enterprise, knowledge and community-led decisions. One idea, no sales pitch.
Tell me about your event or project.
I read every message myself and reply within five working days.
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