Cormach Evans On Creating Space For Aboriginal Excellence, On TDF Talks

Cormach Evans has dedicated his life to creating spaces that nurture Indigenous excellence. The Yorta Yorta man and community leader has founded two organisations supporting First Nations individuals and communities – Strong Brother Strong Sister, a culturally appropriate safe place for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, and Ngarrimili, a not-for-profit charity that provides Indigenous-owned businesses, creatives and entrepreneurs with support to establish and grow their ventures. You might also recognise him from the story we did with him and his gorgeous family last year!

In our final TDF Talks podcasts conversation for 2021, Cormach chats with our host Lucy Feagins about how his own upbringing motivated his life’s work, the importance of culture and community and how it affects every aspect of our lives, and the need for more support frameworks that allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to thrive.

Written

Sasha Gattermayr

Supported by Nelson Alexander

Yorta Yorta man Cormach Evans was raised on Wadawurrung Country in Geelong, Victoria. Here he is there with his daughter, Winnie, in 2020. Photo – Nikole Ramsay.

Teaching son Waari how to play to the didgeridoo. Photo – Nikole Ramsay.

Cormach with his wife Coco Eke and their two children. Cormach and Coco founded Ngarrimili – a not-for-profit small business incubator for First Nations entrepreneurs – in 2019, a few years after he founded Strong Brother Strong Sister – a youth program and mentoring network for Aboriginal kids. Photo – Nikole Ramsay.

Writer

Sasha Gattermayr

25th of November 2021

Cormach Evans currently lives on Larrakia Country (Darwin) with his wife and business partner Coco Eke, and their two children, Waari and Winnie. Before that, he was based on Wadawurrung Country in Geelong, where he founded and operates two community-led organisations supporting First Nations people. In this episode of TDF Talks, we go deeper into the story and work of this incredible community leader.

Cormach is pretty candid about the racism he personally faced as an adolescent, and the challenges his father faced as a member of the Stolen Generation. Determined to prevent young people from falling through the same cracks in the system he nearly did, he founded Strong Brother Strong Sister in 2016. This is a youth support organisation that holds mentoring programs, youth group meetings, round-the-clock access to mental health professionals for Aboriginal kids, helping them reach their full potential.

This naturally led to co-founding Ngarrimili with Coco a few years later. Ngarrimili is essentially a small-business incubator for First Nations entrepreneurs and businessowners, holding workshops, co-working spaces, networking events, business planning and financial support services, and even a youth talent pipeline.

Together, these organisations support the empowerment and self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at all stages of life.

As you’ll hear in his conversation, Cormach’s style of leadership is pretty unique – he is a strong and charismatic leader, but he’s also super chill, incredibly open – and most importantly, he’s full of optimism for the future.

This episode of TDF Talks is supported by Nelson Alexander who have been selling and leasing properties in Melbourne since 1971.

With 16 offices across Melbourne and over 50 years’ experience, Nelson Alexander are the experts in local real estate, offering a deep understanding and knowledge of the markets they operate within. Experience better with Nelson Alexander here.