Taking a chance on herself. How Savannha Roberts’ career journey took her from trainee to CEO
Published on the 01 August 2025 by ʹڲƱ Business School EDI Team
Proud Dunghutti, Bundjalung, Barkindji woman, Savannha Roberts is playing an important role in representing and uplifting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Juggling a leadership role at Reconciliation Australia (RA) while also building her own sunglasses brand, she's in the business of opening doors for herself and others. This approach to taking opportunities has defined her career journey so far, paving the way for an even brighter future.
Making reconciliation a reality
Fresh out of high school, with no professional experience, Savannha connected with mentors to help kick-start her career. Savannha’s mentor Melinda Lyons supported through the process, and when a traineeship program at Reconciliation Australia became available, she was ready to take a leap of faith.
And it was just the start she needed.
After one year as a trainee reviewing and endorsing Reconciliation Action Plans (RAP) and performing administration duties, Savannha moved into various positions within the Reconciliation Australia organization. 2025 marked Savannha’s eighth year with the organisation.
Over that time, she’s seen the team grow and the RAP Program expand to include over 3,400 organisations across Australia.
Today, she helps organisations develop and implement ways to connect with the RAP network and create positive social impact. This includes running RAP learning circles – in-person events where RAP partners come together to share learnings and challenges. She also runs bespoke online information webinars and office hours sessions for the development and implementation of RAPs.
“Our Elevate and Stretch RAP partners that attend the learning circles give newer program participants access to what we call our leadership cohort, people who have been in the program for a lot longer. They can showcase what they’re doing, give positive examples and share challenges and advice with other organisations who are just starting out.”
Finding the leader within
Encouraged by the success of the programs she was delivering, Savannha felt it was time to push herself further. So when she heard about the AGSM Emerging Indigenous Executive Leaders Program (EIELP) in 2023, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity. It pushed her career goals even further.
“I always thought I was a leader in some way. I just needed to affirm that I had it in me. The fire was burning, but I needed the right people around me to bring out the confidence I needed to take bigger steps.”
The comprehensive curriculum helped Savannha gain new skills in presenting herself in a professional setting and be comfortable with not having all the answers. She also learned the importance of looking after her own wellbeing and supporting other First Nations people in her teams.
"Working in the reconciliation space is harder for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The program helped me learn how to keep culture at the forefront while working to alleviate that cultural and colonial load we carry."
But perhaps the most powerful part of the program was meeting other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders who continue to support and inspire her today.
After completing the EIELP, Savannha was promoted to RAP Program Manager, Partner Success at Reconciliation Australia. It’s something she never thought she’d be capable of, but the right support gave her the confidence to aim higher.
“Being an Aboriginal manager, I get to create spaces for reconciliation and bring it to life within my own organisation. To create culturally safe spaces where people can have vulnerable and honest conversations and establish ways to move forward and work towards a just, equitable and reconciled Australia.”
A cultural bridge and thriving business
But it was a sporting experience that gave her the confidence to take her biggest leap yet.
When representing the Australian Indigenous Oztag team in Ireland and New Zealand in 2023, Savannha realised national teams around the world had very little knowledge of Aboriginal culture.
“When it came time to swapping gear, Aboriginal designs were the hot items. They thought it was really beautiful and wanted to wear it, but didn’t know anything about where we came from, our stories or who we were.”
It was an experience that stuck with her. So, when the opportunity arose, Savannha took the chance to promote First Nations culture to a wider audience through fashion.
“I was introduced to David Patterson, a non-indigenous man who supports Aboriginal women in entrepreneurship. We came up with the idea to design sunglasses because they’re a product everyone wears, and he was willing to back me. It was one of those opportunities that I just had to take or be left wondering.”
Yalgan Sunglasses also wouldn’t have established without the support of Savannha's business mentor, Mitchell Ross, a proud Bidjigal man from La Perouse.
"Mitchell has shared his wealth of business knowledge with me and has guided me through the entire process of setting up a start-up business from scratch. I couldn’t have done it without his support to include Yalgan Sunglasses as part of the Indigenous Business Sector."
The business of language
Delving into her own cultural history, Savannha launched in 2024 and she asked her Uncles, who are the strong knowledge holders and who speak her people’s language to help build the story of her brand.
She decided to take a lack of understanding about Aboriginal culture and transform it into a learning journey, for herself and others.
“I wanted to work with the elements; I thought it was a good way to connect with customers and build understanding. Yalgan, the brand name means sunlight and place of first light on Australia’s most easterly point. Glasses with a darker lens are called Kibbum, which means moon, and a lighter lens called Kyoomgun, which means stars.”
Rebranding her own identity as the Founder and CEO of Yalgan, a 100% Aboriginal owned and operated business, Savannha has the opportunity to embrace and share her Aboriginal culture and passion through the retail industry.
“We must continue to expand our culture to drive awareness of First Nations cultures, as well as show Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples they can achieve their goals in a westernised society.”
Yalgan, currently ships products nationally across Australia however, Savannha's next phase to expand the brand globally serves a deeper purpose of rebuilding and strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural awareness beyond our borders.
“Our language has been disrupted by colonisation, so I want to use this process to understand where I'm from too. Launching Yalgan has allowed me to do that, and I want to keep that going while promoting my business, my culture, and my languages to others.”
From inspired to inspiring
Working full-time as the RAP Program Manager, Partner Success while building a start-up business has been hard work, but after hitting her first-year milestone, Savannha has no plans to slow down. Her vision to take her growing business from a side hustle to a full-time job isn’t just for her own future, but for the next generation of women like her.
“For Aboriginal people, we're not about the ‘I’, we are the ‘we’. It’s not just about proving to myself that I can do this; I also want to build the business so I can pay it forward and support other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in their business goals.
To show them that if I can do it, they can too.”
Connecting with other Aboriginal business owners is a key part of Savannha’s success, and she is grateful for the constant support of the network she is continuing to build, partly thanks to completing the EIELP program. From business planning, financial advice, cultural guidance, or just having an ear to listen when confidence is shaky, she says having the right people in your corner is key.
Savannha wants to help inspire all women, especially the next generation of young entrepreneurs, to learn from her career journey and understand what it truly takes to own and run a start-up alongside other commitments that help to “keep the lights on”.
And she’s already started by addressing over 100 high school female-identifying students at ʹڲƱ Business School’s 2025 Girls in Business camp.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in business have a lot to contribute, not just to our own communities, but to society as a whole. If I can help more of them by finding success in my own business, and with my work with Reconciliation Australia, I’m contributing to success in cultural understanding and learning.
If I'm going along, I'm bringing a mob along with me – Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal alike.”
Savannha never expected to be where she is today. But she says she owes a lot of it to her nan and her mum the strong Aboriginal women who helped shape her. As well as some important Aboriginal business mentors.
Their support encouraged her to aim higher and refuse to be limited by other people’s expectations. And she wants other young women to find that for themselves, too.
“I want all women in business to realise they’ve gotten to where they are because they’re meant to be here. Don’t let other people’s insecurities put you in a box. Don’t let their thoughts become your own.
It’s a box that is meant to be broken!”
