Karen Milward

Over the past 20 years, Karen Milward has built a successful business and reputation as one of Victoria's leading Aboriginal consultants. She chairs Aboriginal organisations at state and national levels and is the director of a mainstream water corporation.

Karen has led the way in business and supports women to find their leadership prowess and harness their inner strength with combined empowerment through culture and sisterhood. Karen demonstrates impartiality and kindness in all that she does. She has shown incredible tenacity while operating under sometimes difficult conditions to deliver cultural awareness and immersive experiences for the non-Aboriginal sector.

Karen has recently co-developed and delivered an intensive, one-of-a-kind First Nations women's leadership program called ECHO – Empowering Connections, Healing Ourselves that went through rigorous co-design with Victorian First Nations women of all ages and from all walks of life. She has diversified her reach into the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal space and as the chair of Kinaway, took a team to Milan in early 2022 to promote First Nations fashion at the Milan fashion show. Karen believes in supporting her community and educating the broader community to understand First Nations issues.