Michael McLeod Appointed Patron of Supply Nation

Supply Nation co-founder and longest serving board member, Michael McLeod, has retired as a director but has been appointed as the organisation’s inaugural Patron.

The Supply Nation Board would like to acknowledge the substantial contribution by Michael McLeod to Supply Nation and the introduction of supplier diversity procurement principles to Australian business and are delighted he has agreed to continue supporting Supply Nation as its Patron.

Celebrating its 15-year anniversary, Supply Nation and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-owned businesses it supports have benefited from Michael’s expertise, guidance and cultural wisdom provided to the organisation since its inception.

“Our youth are falling through the cracks at alarming rates, and we need to give them something I and many others were not afforded, a safe space, support to heal, mentoring and help with life skills,” Michael said.

“We want our youth to have pride in their identity, off the streets, back to school, employment ready and out of the justice system. As one young woman said to me recently ‘we need what we have on the inside (Juvenile Detention), more on the outside’ and that is exactly what Message Stick Foundation will provide.”

Michael and co-founder Dug Russell has a vision to establish a model based on the United States National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) to empower the growth of Indigenous business in Australia was a pioneering achievement.

Supply Nation, then named the Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council (AIMSC), was established in 2009 and supported by 13 Indigenous-owned businesses.

Supply Nation’s Indigenous Business Direct, the largest national database of verified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, now lists over 5000 suppliers from every state, territory and sector of the Australian economy.

These Indigenous businesses back the concepts and principles championed by Michael.

Over 800 corporate, government and non-profit members have also joined the organisation and are committed to the vision Michael and Dug helped to found.

Michael’s early efforts have resulted in tangible and significant benefits to diverse communities. By driving economic and business growth, supporting self-determination, and advancing reconciliation goals, meaningful progress has been made toward closing the gap.

A successful entrepreneur in his own right, Michael’s business journey coincided with the explosion of the internet, technology and communications in the early 1990’s. The digital economy is recognised as a critical contributor to empowering remote communities and creating equitable participation in the prosperity of our nation.

In partnership with his friend Dug Russell, Message Stick Communications was founded in 2003.

Message Stick Communications is now Australia’s pre-eminent Indigenous owned ICT managed service provider, with over 20 years delivering bespoke technology solutions to public and private sector organisations.

Message Stick Communications advises clients across all areas of ICT architecture, including cybersecurity governance, risk and compliance.

The establishment of Message Stick Communications and awareness of the challenges faced by Indigenous businesses prompted a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Inquiry into Developing Indigenous Enterprises.

The submission recommended the establishment of a supplier diversity model to empower procurement with Indigenous-owned businesses.

Michael has now formed the Message Stick Foundation, a national not-for-profit dedicated to empowering First Nations youth to build their lives and claim their hopes for their future. The Foundation has been created with one singular purpose: to give First Nations youth, a voice, a purpose and a future.

The organisation will create culturally safe, purpose-built youth centres for First Nation’s young people in urban and regional areas, starting in the ACT.

The Foundation will provide emergency accommodation, resources and culturally informed healing programs guiding them towards positive pathways.