Aunty Munya Andrews & Carla Rogers- Evolve Communities
Aboriginal Elder Aunty Munya Andrews and co‑Director Carla Rogers lead Evolve Communities, modelling genuine partnership and Allyship as they deliver practical Cultural Awareness, Reconciliation and Allyship training to organisations nationwide. Working with major government agencies, NGOs and leading corporate brands, they help create culturally safe and inclusive workplaces — an impact that secured their place as Finalists in the 36th Annual Indigenous in Business Category.
Q: How did Evolve Communities begin?
A: Evolve Communities began with a shared vision. Carla and Aunty Munya met in 2011 while working on a community engagement project in remote Western Australia, quickly connecting over their commitment to a kinder, more inclusive Australia. In 2014, Aunty Munya joined Evolve as a majority shareholder, and together they created the Seven Steps to Reconciliation and Allyship™ framework, which now underpins all Evolve training programs.
Q: What drives the work Aunty Munya and Carla do today?
A: Evolve exists to create safer, more inclusive workplaces for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, with a bold goal of inspiring 10 million Allies across Australia. By blending Aboriginal cultural wisdom with modern learning design and technology, they deliver practical, interactive training that helps people understand cultural safety, unconscious bias, privilege and Allyship in real, actionable ways.
Q: What challenges did Aunty Munya and Carla face building the business?
A: Like many purpose‑led businesses, securing early funding was a significant hurdle, with substantial time and energy devoted to obtaining grants and financial support. Another challenge lay in helping organisations understand the importance of culturally safe policies and training. Much of Evolve’s early work focused on demonstrating that cultural awareness and Allyship training were not simply valuable additions, but essential foundations for creating genuinely inclusive workplaces.
Q: What makes Evolve Communities different?
A: Evolve’s “no judgement, no shame” approach is a key point of difference, blending the wisdom of the world’s oldest living culture with modern, engaging learning methods. Their training is grounded in practical outcomes, supporting organisations to meet Reconciliation goals and create workplaces where First Nations people feel safe, respected and empowered.
Q: How has the business grown over time?
A: What began as a partnership between two people has grown into a national training provider working across government, corporate and education sectors. Evolve has launched one of Australia’s first online cultural awareness courses, published Practical Reconciliation, and created the country’s first Ally Accreditation Program for professionals.
Aunty Munya Andrews and Carla Rogers pictured with Joseph Assaf AO, Founder and Chairman of the EBA
Q: What impact are Aunty Munya and Carla most proud of?
A: Seeing the ripple effect of education and Allyship is something the team is deeply proud of. Major organisations have rolled out Evolve’s training to hundreds of thousands of employees, sparking conversations and cultural understanding far beyond the classroom. For Evolve, success isn’t measured by business growth alone — it’s defined by creating real, measurable social change.
Q: What is Evolve’s bigger mission?
A: Evolve’s bigger mission is to build a kinder, more inclusive Australia through Allyship. By deepening partnerships with Indigenous organisations, expanding leadership pathways and using technology to scale cultural education, they aim to stay at the forefront of cultural awareness and Allyship training. Ultimately, Evolve empowers individuals and organisations to strengthen relationships with First Nations communities and drive meaningful, lasting change.
