Yamatji chartered accountant Jolene Elliott wanted to break the mould when she and a colleague set out to start their own firm.

She continues to champion more diversity and representation in the sector.

Karlaya Accounting and Business Advisory is a female-led, First Nations-owned company with a focus on 'purpose-driven businesses' and, as Ms Elliott put it, a love for working with non-profits.

At its core, the company was set up in 2019 to be something a little different.

As Karlaya director, Ms Elliott was in June named 2025 Indigenous Accountant of the Year.

"We wanted something more inclusive," she told National Indigenous Times.

Her business partner is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, while Ms Elliott was pointed to the lack of Indigenous representation in accounting during conversation with a well-known name in the industry, she said.

"And I didn't realise that, so it did start me on a journey," Ms Elliott said.

First Nations Australia's are represented as just 0.5 per cent of qualified chartered accountants.

Karlaya's website reads Ms Elliott "had personally experienced the challenges of not fitting into traditional roles".

"Recognising the industry's lack of Indigenous accounting representation, she founded an accounting practice that goes beyond the traditional role of an accounting firm and drives meaningful change while remaining true to her cultural values," it states.

Ms Elliott also feels women could also be better represented in more senior positions across accounting.

She added, as a mum of young children, "my work fits around my family", and work-life balance is part of the ethos as Karlaya - shifting away from the long hours and working yourself into the ground trying to rise to the top.

There are other firms also leading this change, Ms Elliott said.

Ms Elliott's ties to Martu people through her grandmother is where Karlaya gets its name - emu in Martu Wangka.

It has a special meaning for the company, symbolising "walking together" she said.

Of her immediate family, those around her in Queensland, she was the first to go to university. Her mum later followed her as a mature aged student.

Growing up around Ipswich, Ms Elliott said there wasn't a lot of money in the house. That, in part, led her into accounting, while also enjoying the subject at high school.

"I did not want to end up that way," she said.

A member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand's (CA ANZ) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Panel and graduate of AICD Company Directors Course and the University of Melbourne's Indigenous Business Leadership program at the University of Melbourne, Ms Elliott continues to encourage Indigenous people to follow the kind of path she's taken.

Realising financial freedom and financial literacy are major points she raises to consider, while reminding an accounting degree doesn't silo you into one profession, but can be there as a solid piece of business background to chase whatever avenue someone wants to pursue.

Ms Elliott recently spoke at the National Indigenous Business School (NIBS) hosted at Griffith University in 2025.

She also backs CA ANZ's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarship.

"Any scholarship is a great opportunity," Ms Elliott said, adding she was "lucky" to have part of her qualifications paid for by employers, while that opportunity doesn't come for everyone.

"A big barrier for education and university in general is cost," she said, with the scholarship helping to remove it.

"It also just helps you be a bit more known. There's not many people with the scholarship, and it will help you get those connections...inside Chartered Accountant that you might not otherwise have the opportunity to have."

Applications for the CA ANZ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarship are open until September 21.