About Us

Since launching Politics in Colour in November 2020, we’ve been the only Political Leadership Incubator (PLI) in Australia advocating for cultural diversity in politics. On a shoestring budget during significant COVID restrictions, we’ve managed to run 5 x Political Candidate Training workshops and 8 x Candid Conversations webinars engaging over 850 people in our programs. We’ve reached 117k people via Facebook and tens of thousands more via Instagram and LinkedIn. 

As a result, we’ve worked directly with, and supported 27 women of colour in politics including 15 First Nations as well as 12 Culturally Diverse women of Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Turkish, Pakistani, Assyrian, Malaysian and West Indian heritage. They include women from Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian faith who reside in metropolitan, regional and remote Australia. 

Since early 2021, Politics in Colour has run the only Women of Colour Political Candidate Training workshop in the country and we’ve provided a platform for 29 Women of Colour politicians and candidates to speak in our programs.  Creating this platform of representation for women of colour in politics, Politics in Colour has inspired thousands of women of colour to run for office in Australia.

Our work has been viewed online in 10 countries and in early 2022, we were honoured to be listed in the top 28 Political Leadership Incubators globally by global democracy think tank Apolitical Foundation.

Our clients include Pathways to Politics for Women program, Women Leading Locally (Victoria), Women for Election, Dubbo Regional Council, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. 

CEO & Business Development

Kat was born and raised in Indigenous communities in North Queensland and is a descendant of the Mer and Mua people of the Torres Strait Islands. Over the past 30 years, she has gained significant experience working in multinational companies, government agencies and universities in Sydney, London & Edinburgh.
 

Kat worked at City of Sydney (2009-2014) in the Office of Independent Councillors as well as in Council business. Today Kat is an Indigenous entrepreneur that specialises in Indigenous business and investments. As a Learning Designer, Kat has designed and delivered some of the country’s most innovative leadership programs including the country’s first Political Leadership Incubator for Women of Colour which was funded by Pathways to Politics for Women.  She has volunteered for UN Women (2014), served as Board Director for Women for Election (2018-2020) and is currently Board Director for Bankstown Women's Health Centre and Indigenous People's Organisation Australia. Kat is also Indigenous Advisor to Women & Leadership Australia & Generation women.

Director & Advisor

Marie Barbaric is a proud Dunghutti and Gamilaroi woman and CEO of Koori Kulcha Experience, which provides catering, cross-cultural training, team building workshops and tourism. She is a Director of Illawarra Wingecarribee Aboriginal Alliance; a Director of Hume Coal Charity; and lead negotiator for OCHRE , the community focused plan of the NSW Government.    Marie is also Director of Women's Business and has completed political training with Women for Election Australia and Pathways to Politics Program for Women at UNSW.

CFO

Raghu is an experienced CFO and Strategy executive with more than 20 years experience. His career has spanned large companies like Accenture, GE and Westpac and was recently working at an Indigenous Investment Bank (Iba.gov.au). Most recently he is focused on start-ups and scale-ups in the fin-tech and med-tech space, such as X15 and Trimph. His passion with Politics in Colour is to encourage minority groups to participate in the political process.