When First Nations entrepreneur Jack Reis founded a cybersecurity company in 2018, he was so broke that the business had to operate from the foyer of the Hilton Hotel in Brisbane.

Since those humble beginnings, Baidam Solutions has grown to become one of Australia's biggest Indigenous ICT security services and solutions providers, and last year turned over a staggering $200 million.

The Indigenous-owned company now employs approximately 70 staff, with 15 per cent being First Nations employees.

"When we first started, we didn't have two dollars to rub together, and we operated out of the lobby of the Brisbane Hilton," Mr Reis told this masthead.

"We had no cash flow, so we would call customers or partners and say, hey, we're just passing the Brisbane Hilton, so you want to pop in for a coffee?

"Unbeknownst to them, we'd been there the whole day working. So, the genesis of Baidam was built around having a solution to a problem."

The proud Badulaig (Kenedth Ke) man said while a bit of luck is needed when starting in business, success also depends on meticulous preparation.

"Luck plays a role, but you have to make your luck," he said.

"There's a lot of looking backwards - I can pinpoint every moment where I felt that sinking pit in my stomach, going, oh no.

"But then you work through it, and you keep working through it, to reach where we are today, and now I have a business with $200 million in revenue.

"That is just incredible."

The Brisbane-based company recently underwent a significant restructuring, with Mr Reis appointed as chair and proud Ngiyampaa woman and IT expert Jo Masters brought in as chief executive, alongside Anita Sheridan-Roddick as its new national sales director.

Mr Reis said the First Nations company was always looking at evolving to stay competitive.

"I'm a big believer in refreshing leadership," he said.

"There's always a new cutting-edge technology, and AI is a big player in the field now.

"As the chair, part of my role is building governance for the board, because the plan will be to have directorships and the foundational governance so that we can bring more expertise under the board to help guide the ship, so to speak."

The 38-year-old, who cofounded the business with Phillip Jenkinson, said he was passionate about giving back to Indigenous communities.

Baidam has established scholarships for Indigenous students to attend several universities across Australia.

Mr Reis said the scholarships would provide First Nations students with vital skills and opportunities that they might otherwise be denied.

"Yeah, these scholarships are significant, and that's the whole genesis, as I mentioned earlier, about why we started, because that's a key part of our identity," he said.

"We have funded three lifetime scholarships at those universities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and now we can bring intergenerational wealth into the conversation."

Baidam has joined forces with Google, ANZ, and most other major brands to encourage underrepresented communities to explore careers in cybersecurity.

At the core of the company's ethos is giving back over 50 per cent of profits to regional and remote communities, which has created training and employment opportunities for Indigenous peoples.

"When we get that partnership right and we're part of the federal and the Australian national cybersecurity fabric, we can showcase how the impacts look, and I truly believe what makes us a standout as an indigenous business," Mr Reis said.

"There are the fiscal aspects of the business, and the second cog is the impacts we generate. And neither sits above the other.

"But we know that to create impacts and reinvest, we need partnerships and revenue to make those impacts."

Mr Reis shared some wise advice for any First Nations people thinking of starting a company - believe.

"Believe in yourself, and without deterring anyone, the path is hard but rewarding," he said.

"Without sounding corny, a successful person or business is someone who has experienced failure multiple times. It all comes down to resilience and tenacity.

"Be tenacious, be resilient; you're going to get those no's. You have to keep pushing until you find the yeses."