A suggestion from a volunteer firefighter at a Blue Mountains fundraiser put Wiradjuri entrepreneur Terri-Ann Daniel on a path to securing capital and igniting diversification of her business.
The Cooee Native Superfoods owner said after donating Cooee Cookies to a bushfire prevention fundraising effort, a local bushfire brigade community member recommended she apply for an entrepreneurs grant via the Minderoo Foundation.
After scrambling to complete forms within the 24-hour timeframe, Ms Daniel was among six businesses owners selected, which eventually led her to Ochre Ventures, a specialist First Nations venture capital firm.
Ms Daniel said early challenges almost stalled her business before it found the right support with Ochre, which has become an influential player helping Indigenous-owned businesses move from early-stage survival to national scale.
Cooee Native Superfoods was focused on creating allergen-free food products using native Indigenous ingredients, but while demand for its products grew rapidly after launching during COVID-19, Ms Daniel said early growth was constrained by high operating costs, limited access to capital and lack of commercial mentorship.
The Minderoo Foundation grant led Ms Daniel to Ochre, which provides critical support for Indigenous entrepreneurs transitioning from small-scale operations to growth businesses, a gap often overlooked by mainstream funding pathways.
"Working with Ochre was essential to me growing the business," Ms Daniel said.
"They didn't just provide capital; I needed mentorship to understand how to run my business efficiently.
"They helped me make executive decisions and hire a leadership team - something I didn't really know how to do, given I started off cooking in my own humble Blue Mountains kitchen."
Ochre's approach extended beyond financial investment, with the firm putting a strong emphasis on operational capability, leadership development and long-term value creation within Indigenous-owned businesses.
In Cooee's case, the support led to significant commercial outcomes, with Ms Daniel since securing a major one-year partnership with Qantas, her products distributed across economy and business class flights during the summer holiday peak travel period just gone.
Its pet food subsidiary, Bunji, now has national distribution through Bunnings, while Cooee's recent acquisition of Creative Native Ingredients has strengthened the company's supply chain.
Ms Daniel believed the investment philosophy of Ochre Ventures aligned commercial success with broader economic impacts across First Nations communities.
"Ochre understands that building strong Indigenous businesses has flow-on effects," she said.
"The growth of Cooee creates opportunities across our supply chain, particularly for Indigenous growers and producers.
"It's about building an ecosystem, not just a single business."
