“The harmonious co-facilitation by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal facilitators working together, had exceptional value, as it modelled the very skill we wanted to teach our staff.”
Kristen Toohey, Cancer Council NSW
Our Founders
Munya Andrews
Munya Andrews is a Bardi woman originally from the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Despite a socially disadvantaged background and not speaking for the first five years of her life, Munya has been an accomplished and influential voice for her community. As a public speaker, she is much sought after in Australia and abroad.
Educated in Australia and the USA, Munya has degrees in anthropology and law. She has practised law in Victoria and New South Wales as a solicitor and barrister, including as a legal academic at the University of Melbourne and at Southern Cross University, teaching Indigenous legal subjects.
Munya is equally well-versed in traditional laws, customs and practices.
Like many Aboriginal people, Munya has learned to work and live in two worlds. Her dream is to bring them closer together, and cultural awareness is an invaluable tool in the process.
“There’s only one Munya.” — Justice Peter Gray of the Federal Court of Australia.
Carla Rogers
When most of her friends were having their gap year in Europe, Carla set off for the remote Kimberley, inspired by a longstanding desire to learn from our First Nations people. It’s a journey she’s still on today. A Churchill Fellowship in 2001 led to her founding Evolve in 2005, before joining forces with Munya in 2011 to focus on Closing the Gap between black and white Australia.
Laying the wisdom of the Elders over a world-class facilitation framework has resulted in award-winning solutions. There’s the Meeting Marketplace. The Seven Steps to Practical Reconciliation™. The R3 Culture® model. There’s also the Songlines Pathways® approach, developed with Munya.
A highly-respected program designer and facilitator, Carla makes sure that participants at Evolve’s training sessions don’t just leave more aware – of other cultures and of themselves. They also go back to work ready to use time-tested leadership and communication skills – skills that have never been more important.
Before establishing Evolve Communities, Carla held senior positions in local and state government.
“Carla is an entrepreneurial spirit supported by creativity and a strong ability to connect to people and help them identify and achieve their wishes. I know of the respect in which other experienced facilitators hold Carla. People who work with Carla report that she leaves them feeling good about themselves while encouraging them to perform at their best.“
Dr. Bob Dick
Our Accredited Indigenous Facilitators
We have a rigorous accreditation program for our trainers, who are based across Australia. They are also required to participate in ongoing professional development sessions, and to reflect and learn from client feedback. They delight in sharing their cultures and learning about other cultures. When supporting Evolve you are also supporting a range of Indigenous Businesses.