In the heart of the Northern Territory, a quiet revolution is unfolding. This shift isn't born from headlines or handouts; it's powered by purpose, driven by Aboriginal entrepreneurs building wealth, creating jobs, and shaping a future led by their own vision.

At the centre of this momentum is Aboriginal Investment NT, which recently injected $3.7 million into 39 Aboriginal businesses through the first round of its Business Grants program.

More than just funding, it's fuel for transformation. Across the Territory, Aboriginal businesses — 95% of which are small businesses — are rising to meet community needs with innovation, cultural integrity and economic ambition. The power of these investments is in their ripple effect. Each dollar granted becomes a seed, growing not only enterprises but also opportunities, employment and pride in communities.

Economic empowerment isn't just a buzzword. It's a strategy for self-determination. It's about more than surviving, it's about thriving. When Aboriginal people are given the tools, trust and capital to lead their own enterprises, we don't just build stronger businesses — we build stronger futures. We disrupt cycles of disadvantage and dependency by replacing them with frameworks of equity, ownership and legacy.

Aboriginal Investment NT chief executive Nigel Browne understands this well.

"We want to support those businesses, not only so that business owners can achieve well-deserved economic success, but so that the Aboriginal communities in which they operate can also experience positive indirect and direct benefits such as increased employment, further economic development and sustainable wealth creation," he said.

"We want to see real and lasting impacts across the Territory, which can only be done through empowering Aboriginal Territorians to lead and develop their own opportunities. We cannot wait to see the tangible effects that round one of Business Grants will have on the community and the wider NT economy."

The message is clear: real impact comes from investing with community, not just into community.

But empowerment doesn't stop at grants. It continues through mentorship, governance, leadership and collective action. Aboriginal Investment NT's holistic approach — from business and community grants to community-led project-based initiatives — proves that economic success and cultural integrity are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are strongest when braided together.

The work being done is also about restoring what has long been denied; control. Control over how, where and why money flows. Control over what success looks like on Country. Control over intergenerational wealth that's not extracted but expanded.

As a proud First Nations woman, I've seen firsthand how wealth creation is more than a financial transaction. It's deeply spiritual, cultural and communal. It means being able to employ your cousin, support your niece's education, bring services back to remote communities, or fund local language projects through your profits. It means backing our vision, not just with belief, but with capital.

And we know that when First Nations people are in the driver's seat, the road leads somewhere different; somewhere better. It's led by cultural knowledge, grounded in responsibility to Country, and informed by generations of survival, innovation and adaptation.

We must continue to back Indigenous business, not as a gesture of goodwill, but as a strategy for national growth and justice. Because investing in Indigenous businesses doesn't just benefit Aboriginal communities; it uplifts the entire Northern Territory economy, fosters inclusive growth, and builds a more resilient Australia.

Wealth is more than money. It's legacy. It's leadership. It's our right.

And thanks to initiatives like Aboriginal Investment NT, we are taking that right into our own hands — and building futures that look like us, sound like us, and serve our people, our way.

This is how futures are built, grounded in Country, driven by purpose, and powered by Aboriginal excellence. Backing Indigenous business is not optional; it's essential. It drives equity, fuels economic growth, and delivers lasting change led by community, for community.

The momentum is here. The time is now. Stand behind it — and be part of the transformation.

More information is available at www.aboriginalinvestment.org.au.