Breaking Barriers: 3 Inspirational Indigenous Women Shaping the Tech Landscape
Despite the representation of Indigenous people within the tech industry being slim around the globe, we are here to challenge the status quo by highlighting influential Indigenous women paving their own paths within the world of technology.
We sat down and spoke with three inspiring women, Khia Emslie-O’Brien, Marissa Williamson Pohlman and Florence Drummond. With vastly different backgrounds, all three women are making waves within the tech industry with their unique inspirational stories. Delving further into their endeavours, each woman reveals not only their personal advancement but also their ongoing dedication to disseminating expertise and forging pathways for future generations.
One thing they have in common is that they are making a definitive impact and a source of inspiration for every Indigenous, or non-Indigenous, woman.
Khia Emslie-O’Brien, Graduate GIS Analyst at Winyama
Khia was born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory, and is a proud Wiradjuri woman with a strong family connection to her father and the Tubbah Gah people of the Wiradjuri Nation. Khia doesn’t have the typical background you’d expect of a GIS Analyst Graduate. She didn’t graduate with a spatial science degree from university but instead, studied contemporary dance at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and worked as an Art Consultant for an Indigenous gallery in Perth’s CBD. Having always had a passion for arts and culture she continues to engage with community arts in her spare time.
Khia began her journey in the tech industry in 2021 by joining Winyama as an intern in their pilot internship program without prior technical experience. During her internship, Khia completed the six-month-long SheCodes program, worked on projects with colleagues and clients, and was a training assistant for the Indigenous Mapping Workshops in Broome and Brisbane. Khia’s dedication and accomplishments led to her graduation from our program, and she is now an impressive GIS Analyst Graduate, with support from highly knowledgeable mentors; Danielle and Merindah. In the last two years, she has grown immensely in her technical capability and is now in a position where she is completing billable work, running training sessions for large groups of people, and speaking at local geospatial networking evenings.
Khia actively participates in the Australian geospatial community and consistently seizes opportunities to share her experiences as an Indigenous woman in the tech industry. These experiences highlight her incredible ability to inspire, teach, and show natural leadership that will get her far in this field.
We asked what she wished for herself and her future. Khia noted that this question got her thinking. She wishes to spend more time at the beach whilst it’s still warm. As for her future, she wishes it to be simple.
What motivates her is the team's enthusiasm to share skills with Indigenous people and communities; ensuring better protection of the land and Indigenous knowledge for generations to come. “I’m passionate about experiencing people coming together to share their stories and ideas. This happens especially during the Indigenous Mapping Workshops, where I get to hear from others on what they are currently doing or exploring.” - Khia Emslie-O’Brien
Marissa Williamson Pohlman, Heritage Policy Officer - First People State Relation Department of Premier and Cabinet (Victoria), 2024 Olympic Qualifying Boxer
Marissa is a proud Ngarrindjeri woman with strong family connections to Quandamooka, Yidinji and Wurundjeri Woiwurrung. Marissa is also an Indigenous Mapping Workshop Australia participant who has shown tremendous leaps and bounds both personally and professionally. Marissa continues to demonstrate that you can change any negative circumstance into a positive outcome with strength and determination.
Marissa has used her past experience to redefine herself, push the boundaries and fight for what she believes in. As you may know, being a role model for young ones can give you a sense of warmth, and that's precisely what it did for Marissa.
At the age of 16, Marissa walked into a boxing gym in the western suburbs of Melbourne with the impression that boxing would keep her fit and support an AFL career. While struggling with in school fighting and the foster care system, little did Marissa know that she was walking into a non for profit gym for at risk youth, that couldn’t have come at a better time and would determine her trajectory.
“Boxing truly saved my life.” - Marissa Williamson Pohlman
Marissa feels that she is truly blessed to have the inner resources to be able to keep up with her career as a three-time Australian champion boxer and Olympic qualifier, but also in her role in caring for Country.
Many elements make Marissa the person she is. Marissa prides herself as a package of human rights, land justice, community, and culture. She has a desire to be great, a desire to be the role model to children she wishes she had growing up, and to break down barriers. Even though Marissa feels that she is a complex human, it is this desire that keeps the fire inside her burning.
Marissa has a dual career through her role as a Caring for Country practitioner that she commenced when she was 18 years old. Taking on a traineeship with the Narrap Ranger Unit (Wurundjeri), this traineeship was an opportunity for Marissa to get a tertiary qualification, an opportunity she was never offered before now. Marissa believes that working as a Narrap Ranger was a blessing she never thought she’d have, and was fortunate enough to be mentored by her Aunty Mandy Nicholson where she learned Woiwurrung language, stories, plant names, and uses of cultural fire. From there, Marissa began working as Agriculture Victoria’s first Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Officer, exploring Aboriginal Cultural Heritage on privately owned land that had not quite been explored before. Alongside boxing, Marissa continued her work in the Heritage space, working as a heritage policy officer within First Peoples State Relations.
In October of 2023, Marissa attended the Indigenous Mapping Workshop Australia National event that was held in Narrm, Melbourne. An opportunity presented by fate, as a participant that could no longer attend offered their space to Marissa; it was somewhere she was meant to be at that time.
The workshop provided Marissa with a refreshing new learning opportunity she hadn’t encountered before; mapping. She was fortunate enough to have formed a special friendship with Steve DeRoy, founder of the Indigenous Mapping Workshop in Canada, who had a similar story to her own. During this time Steve DeRoy became a wonderful mentor and inspired her to keep working and leaning into the beauty of mapping.
“Attending the IMW Australia Workshop opened my eyes to a technology I never even considered. The cross-cultural exchange was something I never had experienced before, meeting Mob from Canada, USA, Aotearoa, but also countrymen and Mob from all over Australia.” - Marissa Williamson Pohlman
Having the opportunity to grow up on Country, with family and community was never really an option for Marissa. However, attending the IMW Australia Workshop has provided Marissa with a sense of healing. Ever since she has been an active voice in starting conversations about the power of the map, contributing to and supporting the co-design of a Regional IMW taking place on Wadawurrung Country in February 2024.
Marissa hopes to study a double bachelor’s degree in either law and science or law and arts in the foreseeable future. This educational pathway stems from her adoptive parents who are a true inspiration to Marissa. She dreams of completing a tertiary education in the way her adoptive parents have, not for herself, but for humanity.
Marissa encourages Mob to take opportunities. After believing she wouldn’t get to attend university due to systemic and colonial disadvantages, she was inspired after taking the opportunity in an area not directly aligned with her work. Marissa works tirelessly to support and encourage these safe spaces for Mob to learn, grow and succeed.
Florence Drummond, Co-Owner of Kara Ged
Florence was born and raised on Thursday Island in far north Queensland, with a lineage that is as diverse as the trading route region itself. Flo is Dauareb (Eastern Islands of the Torres Strait) and Wuthathi (White Sand people north of Lockhart River) with ancestry from the people of Borneo in Malaysia and Routouma in the Pacific Islands
Florence’s journey of turning dialogue into action in the tech space truly did start with her company Kara Ged. Kara Ged meaning "my home" is where the company first started in 2022, to address the challenges of lifestyle accommodation and heightened security for mining camps.
For the past decade, Florence has worked in the minerals sector, leading her to understand the challenges of Indigenous inclusion in the sector but also procurement opportunities for Indigenous business to service the industry as a pathway for equity partnerships and sustainable economic stability.
Florence reflects on her journey, having taken a lot of steps initially as a "gut feeling". This feeling, or intuition, can be of service to what we are most passionate about.
This initial “gut feeling” led Florence to the Indigenous Women in Mining and Resources Australia (IWIMRA), a network for Indigenous women in the minerals sector. Connecting her to an international audience raising awareness and creating opportunities for Indigenous women, Florence found herself at national roundtables, regional forums, and International public and private roundtables to work together with stakeholders to build a better future.
“For me, it got to a point to ask myself "well what can I actually do about this, what do I have in my control and capacity to turn this dialogue into action?" - Florence Drummond
Kara Ged found itself to be one of the only Indigenous-owned, women-led tech hardware companies in Australia. They have been recognised and awarded for their journey and look forward to truly shifting the dial on making a difference in addressing systemic and colonial lifelong challenges.
Speaking on her team, Florence notes that Kara Ged is still learning, and continuing its growth in the education and tech hardware supply space. They found that to be able to address challenges, they took a step back to see how to create awareness through education and therefore build a pipeline that is future-focused and culturally safe for women and girls in the STEM and tech business.
From a personal position, Kara Ged is a business Florence invests her interest in. Like many entrepreneurs, Florence still has a day job she loves. This love for her work folds into influencing the greater narrative of "no one left behind" as the globe transitions forward. One of the biggest things Florence has learned is that “we have to be the change we want to be" and lead by example. For Florence, this is how and why she and her staff are striving forward with Kara Ged. To create space for many more First Nations people - around the globe to share their stories in the tech space.
From a very young age, being the eldest in her family, Florence was always driven by responsibility through caring and asking questions for curiosity and the safety of others. As Florence grew into her younger adult years, her identity continued to form in a world far from her home, island and community.
“My previous hat with IWIMRA took my identity and put it on the world stage - which, to be honest, was so overwhelming - it was scary, intimidating, fuelled with adrenaline but at the end of the day, the question was - would I rise to the challenge to elevate something I was truly passionate about? It became less scary when I reframed my fear of vulnerability of my own story to responsibility to educate. There has always been such a steep learning over the past 7 years (professionally) which led me to continue to lead with action with Kara Ged. One thing I would say, is that you don't always have to be the expert at something - as long as you are curious and determined to solve a problem, you will find yourself in circles of people who are the missing pieces to your puzzle. Just keep on believing in yourself and never give up - ever!” - Florence Drummond
Florence comments on the relationship between herself, Kara Ged, and Winyama. She speaks of the thrill of working closely together with another inspiring Indigenous team. “It has been such a great journey to share with each other in the sense that we are both professional businesses, finding synergies to ensure that we bring as many First Nations people along as possible.”
For the future Florence wishes for the most in regards to Kara Ged. Discussing legacy, she hopes to build a community of drone enthusiasts who can interpret Indigenous stories and preserve First Nation’s histories.
“I wish that we will no longer be left behind and that we truly know and believe that we are part of a future in technology.That the value we bring is something so sacred and unique, and that we can determine who to share that with.” - Florence Drummond