When Tara Croker discovered that less than two per cent of businesses in the native food sector were Indigenous-owned, she was determined to take a bite out of the industry.

For the Proud Wiradjuri woman, it wasn't about getting a slice of the $50 million a year First Nations food industry pie, but about protecting her culture.

So, Ms Croker started Yaala Sparkling with her mum, Mel Davey, in early 2023 to increase First Nations representation in the industry.

"I think it surprises people to learn that despite the knowledge of using these plants coming from our people, we actually only makeup two per cent ownership of the entire native food supply chain," she told the Indigenous Business Review.

"And that just really didn't sit right with me because the knowledge of using these plants is coming from our people… but none of those economic benefits were returning to where that comes from.

"So that became my mission to increase that representation, so I worked closely with Indigenous wild harvesters, local farmers, and all the way down the supply chain and across the business with other mob where possible."

The 34-year-old, who has an extensive background in marketing, said she always had a passion for native plants but needed to work out the logistics of turning that into a thriving business.

She openly admits there were a few hurdles and hiccups trying to get the company off the ground. Shortly after setting up Yaala Sparkling, one of the manufacturers she was dealing with went belly up.

"There were so many challenges in entering the manufacturing space around logistics, supply chain management, and the complexities behind that supply chain management with native foods and that ownership I spoke about," she said.

"So, yeah, definitely some challenges along the way but I think there has been some exciting traction in those first couple of years."

So why did Ms Croker decide to produce alcohol-free drinks infused with native ingredients?

After months of going through the research and development process and experimenting with loads of different plants, she landed on sparkling water.

But that was after spending hours in the lab testing a variety of different drinks, including kombuchas, ciders and ginger beers.

"I wanted an inclusive drink, so non-alcoholic felt right, and sparkling water felt right because I could highlight the plants that we were using," she said.

"And I really wanted to sort of instigate that nostalgia that many people have because we've eaten these plants growing up. "I wanted to be able to share that with people who haven't experienced that and didn't have that nostalgia also, to know what these plants taste like.

"So, it' s all about bringing the ancient knowledge of our traditional plants to the present moment so people can enjoy that in a modern way."

Shortly after the business was launched, Ms Croker used all her savvy marketing skills to land a spot on the TV show Shark Tank.

The Sydney-based company ended up getting a $125,000 investment from businesswoman and Shark Tank judge Dr Catriona Wallace.

Since the television exposure, the business has picked up a swag of gongs including the First Nations Business of the Year award at the 2024 SHE-com awards.

"Getting to go on Shark Tank really helped to amplify the brand," Ms Croker said.

"It was an enormous win being able to talk about Indigenous businesses and those issues in the native food industry on a mainstream platform."

Despite the business' infancy, the company already has two of its products on Dan Murphy shelves - Lemon Myrtle and Native Blossom and Davidson Plum and Waratah.

Ms Croker said the company was about to launch two new products.

She said Yaala worked with First Nations artists to tell the stories behind the ingredients in her drinks.

"We want to tell the stories authentically of the plants that we're using in these bottles," she said. "Because another thing I noticed was mainstream businesses using these plants were not respecting them with the meaning and everything behind them for our mob."

Ms Croker hopes one day her sparkling waters become the "true drink of Australia".

But more importantly, she is passionate about giving back to her community. Throughout our interview, she expressed her fervent desire to empower First Nations people.

"The reason why I'm here today is that I'm constantly meeting mob who are out in the community or working in the native food space that are starting to think about growing these ingredients or are already starting to grow them," she said.

"It's a beautiful and positive way to share and celebrate culture and connect people which I think we need after the referendum in this country.

"And for me, it's all about that collective lifting of mob and the supply chain so we can all grow together."