Ms Vale was raised on the Aboriginal mission in east Armidale and when she launched her business, Murawin, she wanted to make sure to hold an event in her home community. 

Her Queensland-based firm is all about breaking cycles of disadvantage by promoting opportunities for Aboriginal people. 

A joint venture between Ms Vale and partner Greg McKenzie, the business takes its name from a Dunghutti word meaning “to be educated”.

The business aims to provide mentoring services, educational tours, consulting, work opportunities and professional learning workshops.

Ms Vale’s family still lives on the mission and she credits them for providing her with the support she needed to get to where she is today.

“You only get to do things by those who hold you up and support you in what you do,” she said. 

Ms Vale’s recent career move follows years of working in government roles specialising in Aboriginal affairs. 

She graduated from the University of New England in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts and then went on to achieve a Masters of Indigenous Studies and a Graduate Diploma in Public Sector Leadership.

“My first degree was always going to be at UNE, because as a child growing up it was like, ‘you don’t go to the white building, that’s for town fellas, that’s for white fellas,’ Ms Vale said. “So once I realised I could go to that university, I came back as a mature-aged student.”

Now she’s focused on making sure other Aboriginal people take advantage of business opportunities and she’s focusing on the idea of exposure.

“You only know what you know,” she said. “In order for Aboriginal people to be engaged in business and to be succeeding and participating in business, they need to be exposed to businesses.

“We want to encourage and inspire Aboriginal people to engage economically in things.”

Mr McKenzie said they hoped the business would help inspire Aboriginal people, just as Ms Vale has inspired her own family. 

“Her children have all gone to university, most of her nieces and nephews have gone to university, so there’s already been that intergenerational change by looking at that one person who’s had that influence already so the business will hopefully just compound that interest,” he said. 

Murawin has been established for three months and Ms Vale said they had received a lot of interest from government agencies and corporations.

“There’s lots of opportunities there I believe, it’s just about how we be bold and brave and take up those opportunities and engage in that conversation,” she said.

Ms Vale said her niece and granddaughter were examples of younger Aboriginal people receiving a good education and taking advantage of opportunities.

“It’ll just be a given that they’ll go on to university, to TAFE, to work, to whatever, that they’ll travel the world, all that stuff,” she said. 

“That wasn’t a given for us growing up, but it will be for that generation.”

For more information contact Carol Vale on 0400 294 331 or via email carol@murawin.com.au

Also find out more on her website.