Our team brings a wealth of experience, a commitment to genuine partnership and the delivery of real outcomes that improve the lives of the communities we support.
Ours is an ethos based on partnership with your teams, your leaders and your stakeholders on the delivery of outcomes.
Mark is a thought leader who advocates for First Nations people to have a voice. He has a proven track record of being a change agent and over many years has developed a unique set of skills that enables him to navigate different worlds to deliver genuine outcomes.
During his time as a Commonwealth Public Servant, he was awarded a Public Service Medal for ‘outstanding public service in implementing the Council of Australian Governments’ Whole of Government Indigenous Trial in the Murdi Paaki region’. The trial focused on strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community governance and putting community at the centre of decision making, in partnership with all levels of Government.
Mark also spent 10 years at the National Rugby League as General Manager, Indigenous Strategy, advancing Rugby League’s commitment to First Nations peoples on and off the field, delivering groundbreaking initiatives developed through co-design and implemented
through partnership - including the Voice Against Violence program, developed with Mudgingal Women’s Resource Centre to educate rugby league clubs and community groups on domestic and family violence.
He returned to the Public Service in 2021, joining the NSW Department of Planning & Environment (now the Department of Planning, Housing & Infrastructure) as the Executive Director, Aboriginal Outcomes, where among other programs was responsible for the Department’s commitments to Closing the Gap and oversaw the development of initiatives aligned to socio-economic targets 9 and 15.
Mark deWeerd is a proud Gamilaroi man from Walgett in northwest NSW who has spent the past 30 years in Aboriginal affairs, working across both the public and private sector at a national, state and local level.
Mark deWeerd
DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER
Kyleigh grew up in Southern Africa, an upbringing that instilled in her a deep-seated sense of equality and a lifelong desire to make the world a better place. As a result, Kyleigh is a passionate advocate for community-led outcomes, consistently putting people at the centre of decision-making and engagement processes.
Kyleigh Laughlan
DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER
Kyleigh is a purpose-led and inclusive leader, bringing 25 years of diverse experience across both the public and private sectors, with deep operational experience in government, logistics, oil and gas, mining and defence.
More recently Kyleigh’s roles in the Commonwealth and NSW Public Services spanned corporate strategy, program performance and evaluation, customer experience and design as well as leading stakeholder engagement, customer experience and communications functions. In these roles she was responsible for embedding the principles of Closing the Gap into corporate functions and
associated programs through robust program design and ongoing evaluation and program improvement strategies.
In addition to her role with Kyma Group, Kyleigh serves as Chair of the Fundraising & Philanthropy Committee of Housing All Australians (HAA), a national for purpose organisation committed to addressing Australia's housing crisis through innovative, collaborative and systemic solutions.
As Committee Chair, she provides board-level oversight and strategic direction for revenue sustainability and philanthropic partnerships, helping position the organisation to grow its impact and deliver on its mission. This appointment reflects Kyleigh's enduring commitment to systemic social change and her ability to contribute meaningfully at a governance level to organisations tackling complex, community-centred challenges.
In July 2026, Kyleigh was elected to the General Assembly of Greenpeace Australia Pacific (GPAP) a significant governance appointment that reflects her standing as a trusted, values-aligned leader in the not-for-profit and social impact sectors.
A proud Gamilaroi and Yuin woman, Tehneya is a lawyer with experience working at Australia’s top tier and international law firms where she has gained invaluable experience advising on complex legal matters for both private and public sector clients.
Tehneya deWeerd
DIRECTOR
Tehneya’s experience includes providing pro bono legal services to First Nations communities. Alongside her professional experience, she has dedicated her time to community legal services, including volunteering at Redfern Legal Centre and undertaking a placement at the NSW Aboriginal Legal Service.
Tehneya is passionate about the law being a positive instrument for change amongst First Nations communities. She is committed to using her legal skills and experience to advocate for social justice and empowering communities to contribute to meaningful and lasting change.
Tehneya holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of NSW, which she completed in 2020. She was admitted as a lawyer to the Supreme Court of NSW in 2022.
Racheal is a strong and proud Yuin woman with more than 17 years of experience in public education, encompassing classroom teaching, instructional leadership and
executive roles, providing strategic leadership across whole-school operations, staff performance and student wellbeing.
Racheal Morgan
Racheal has led Aboriginal Education across the Illawarra region, working in close partnership with schools, principals, executive teams, teachers and community to strengthen culturally responsive practice and improve outcomes for Aboriginal students. Her role focused on supporting schools to effectively embed Aboriginal education across curriculum, pedagogy and school culture, ensuring Aboriginal
students are provided with the best possible academic and social outcomes within safe, inclusive and welcoming learning environments.
Racheal has extensive experience in delivering and guiding strategic planning in Aboriginal Education across local schools, supporting alignment with system priorities while responding to local community contexts. This includes building staff capability, supporting evidence-informed practice, and driving sustainable improvement through targeted planning, evaluation and accountability.
Racheal’s leadership is grounded in high expectations, cultural integrity and collaborative practice. She is committed to strengthening relationships between schools and Aboriginal communities, elevating Aboriginal voices, and ensuring that Aboriginal education is not an add-on, but a core component of effective school leadership and practice.
First Nations Education & Engagement Lead
Our team have experience across:
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Strategic Business Planning
Oil and Gas
Aviation
DEFENCE
SPORTING ORGANISATIONS
LOGISTICS
ASX LISTED COMPANIES
KEY INDUSTRIES
KEY SKILL SETS
Local/State and Federal government
ESG and Wellbeing based reporting frameworks
Program and Project Establishment
Performance Frameworks and Reporting
Evaluation guidelines, reporting and monitoring
Quality assurance, strategic review and re-baselining of existing work practices & program delivery frameworks
Customer Experience design and delivery
Community co-design
Stakeholder Advocacy and negotiation
BROKERING AND Agreement Making
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
GRASSROOT START UPS
NOT FOR PROFITS
EDUCATION
