Empowering Indigenous talent: Lola Digital's mission
3-minute read
Discover how Lola Digital, an Indigenous content and creative agency, is helping to empower First Nations communities.
To stand out in the crowd of marketing agencies can be challenging.
Yet when your agency has a social purpose at the heart of its work, like at Lola Digital, you become more than just another agency.
A certified Indigenous business based on Waibene (Thursday Island) in the Torres Strait, Lola Digital makes every effort to employ local Indigenous artists, creatives and subcontractors across its supply chain.
"We aim to help bridge the digital divide for First Nations peoples living across the communities in Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait) to help them pursue thriving careers and entrepreneurship opportunities, whilst staying on Country and on Island,” says Kantesha Takai, Founder at Lola Digital.
Recently recognised as the Indigenous Business category winner in the 2024 Innovate with nbn® Grants Program, Lola Digital was awarded $15,000 towards its mission – which is more than purely marketing services.
Kantesha Takai, Lola Digital.
Creating opportunities for locals
Launched in 2019, the business offers content and creative services including website and graphic design, copywriting, photography, videography and event management.
Each is designed to help businesses amplify their key messages and brand presence through “creative content strategies that are respectful to community, culture and traditions”.
With most of its services being digital-first, Kantesha has also advocated the need for better connectivity in her region to help ensure digital inclusion for First Nations people across the Torres Strait.
Digital literacy for all
Kantesha from Lola Digital managing an event. Photo by Lewis Bin Doraho.
For many people, digital literacy is as easy as breathing. For many others, turning on a computer can feel like the start of an arduous journey.
At Lola Digital, the team aims to close this digital divide.
Not only does it offer marketing services for businesses in the region and beyond, it offers seminars and workshops for local families to improve their digital literacy.
"We want to connect with families, especially those with children in the vulnerable ages of 16 to 20, to strengthen their digital capabilities and online confidence,” says Kantesha.
“We will aim at not only empowering young people but their parents and guardians as well to ensure the entire family feels involved, and able to understand the digital landscape and the opportunities it provides for the future of work for young people.”
And financial literacy, too
Kantesha knows the digital divide isn’t the only gap Indigenous communities can face – financial disparities can also prove isolating and difficult to manage.
"In addition to digital capabilities, we aim to offer families financial confidence workshops delivered by a partner agency, Lugger Indigenous Finance Education.
“We believe that, like all households, income and finances play a crucial role in determining better health and wellbeing of First Nations people. Therefore, if we wish to help unlock income-generating opportunities through increasing digital capabilities, we want to provide families the supports to make healthy financial decisions."
To this end, Lola Digital knows a fast and reliable digital infrastructure is key.
“It’s incredibly important. I’ve got clients across the country, so I need to be able to send big files to them. So, it’s a matter of having that constant high-speed internet connection that’s super crucial.”
The future looks bright
Looking ahead, Kantesha has plenty more planned for her business and community.
“I want to establish a digital hub based here in the region – set up a proper office space for the team and offer remote services to the mainland.
“So, rather than people outsourcing overseas, they can employ the amazing young talent we have in remote communities on home soil.
“The aim is to have a workspace where local contractors can come and work for whoever on whatever but stay in community and on Country. Close to family and friends and the things that ground them but still making a life for themselves.”
Kantesha accepts her Innovate with nbn Grants Program award.
The Innovate with nbn Grants Program
Lola Digital is among the seven Australian businesses that received awards in the 2024 Innovate with nbn Grants Program. Now in its fifth year, the popular program is designed to recognise and showcase extraordinary regional and remote businesses that live and breathe technology. Grants are awarded across seven categories: Agriculture, Arts, Education, Health, Indigenous Business, Tourism, and Women in Regional Business.
Hear from Lola Digital’s Kantesha Takai, winner of the Indigenous Business category:
Header image: Kantesha Takai interviews Thomas Pedro, winner of the 2023 Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award. Photo by Lewis Bin Doraho.
