Tracey Cuttriss-Smith takes home RIN award for Trading Tracks program

Tracey Cuttriss-Smith and Brendan Bishop are working to connect Indigenous businesses across Mackay, Isaac, the Central Highlands and Woorabinda through the Trading Tracks program. And that is only the beginning.

Mackay’s Tracey Cuttriss-Smith and Brendan Bishop are leading the charge to uplift Indigenous entrepreneurs with their new Trading Tracks program.

The program will help Indigenous businesspeople pursue their dreams through a range of educational and networking opportunities.

The program is only in its infancy but already Trading Tracks has hosted two workshops at the Resources Centre of Excellence, one on how to use social media for business and another on how to write out an effective capability statement, a crucial part of the tendering process.

“We’ve had great results already and definitely there will be a lot more to come,” Mr Bishop said.

Mr Bishop, an Aboriginal man from the Kamilaroi people, is the founder and CEO of Indigenous Business Builders, the company that will act as service provider for Trading Tracks as the program moves from its beginning stage to maturity.

Though the promise and dazzle of start-up tech companies suck up attention, the program is designed to encompass every shard of business, from METS firms and professional services to businesspeople working in arts and crafts.

The wide net is mirrored by the scale of country it will cover.

The initial phase of Trading Tracks ropes in Mackay, Isaac, the Central Highlands and Woorabinda, but Mrs Cuttriss-Smith and Mr Bishop plan to expand to the Pilbara in Western Australia and the Hunter region in NSW.

The idea came to Mrs Cuttriss-Smith, the C-Res CEO, about 18 months ago and she did the initial legwork to get it up and running.

Now, she has handed over the baton to Mr Bishop who will take it forward.

“With Indigenous Business Builders, they are developing the program,” she said.

“We’re providing the support, the partnership, the funding, whatever is needed to get this up and running, but I feel that my work is done.”

The Resource Industry Network has celebrated her efforts with its Striving for Diversity award.

“It feels great,” Mrs Cuttriss-Smith said.

“I’m very mindful that the recognition is for the process we’ve gone through up until now to get this program up and running.

“But the key outcomes and real successes are yet to come.

“We’ve had some successes, but we know that we’re just at the start of this journey.

“But it does feel amazing to have this recognised.”