From a sixteen-year-old struggling with gambling addiction to leading one of the largest Indigenous-owned companies in the world — Shawn Andrews shared his powerful personal journey live on stage at the Melbourne Writers Festival as part of ABC Radio Melbourne’s Homespun. His story of identity, recovery, and leadership is both raw and inspiring.

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In this in-depth Yarn Marketplace interview, Shawn Andrews shares how his personal journey led to the creation of DHUWA Coffee, Indigicate, and Dreaming Futures — three Indigenous-led ventures transforming education, business, and social change. From launching Australia's first Indigenous-owned coffee brand in Woolworths to supporting young people in care through cultural connection, Shawn speaks on reconciliation, economic empowerment, and why storytelling is at the heart of his leadership.

Shawn Andrews is using his AGSM MBA (Executive) experience to grow as a cultural leader, systems reformer, and business strategist. As the founder of Indigicate and Chair of SupplyAus, he shares how the MBA is helping him drive long-term impact across Indigenous education, employment, and reconciliation.

When COVID-19 hit, Shawn Andrews and the SupplyAus team mobilised quickly — delivering over 100 tonnes of hand sanitiser to frontline workers and gifting stock to ACCHOs and Aboriginal Medical Services. Built from just $5,000 and a bold vision, SupplyAus has become a force for economic and social impact, showing that Indigenous businesses don’t just compete — they lead, give back, and build futures.

Shawn Andrews is a proud Mununjali and Palawa man, educator, strategist, and founder of multiple Indigenous-led businesses including Indigicate and Supply Aus. A graduate of Monash University, a Murra Masterclass alumnus, and an MBA candidate at AGSM, Shawn is known for his bold leadership, powerful speaking, and lifelong mission to tell the truth of Australian history and celebrate the strength of Indigenous culture.

The 2024 Indigenous Business Month Awards celebrate the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers across the country. With categories highlighting Indigenous-to-Indigenous trade, regional leadership, digital creativity, and community-driven problem solving, the awards showcase the growing strength, ingenuity, and impact of First Nations businesses in Australia. Shawn Andrews

In this powerful feature, Shawn Andrews shares the story behind DHUWA Coffee — a brand born from lived experience, cultural strength, and a vision to end Indigenous disadvantage. DHUWA is more than premium coffee: it’s a reconciliation ecosystem that honours language, heals trauma, and proves that Indigenous-led business belongs at the centre of Australia's future. From a $1,000 balance to 18 SKUs on Woolworths shelves in 14 weeks, Shawn and his team are building something far greater than a product — they’re building legacy.

In this MiNDFOOD interview, Shawn Andrews shares how DHUWA Coffee was born from culture, connection, and the vision to create “Reconciliation in a Cup.” As a proud Mununjali and Palawa man, Shawn discusses the cultural values behind DHUWA, its environmental commitment, and how each bag sold contributes directly to Dreaming Futures — supporting young Indigenous people in out-of-home care.

Shawn Andrews, co-founder of DHUWA Coffee and Director of SupplyAus, celebrates the launch of DHUWA Coffee in select Woolworths stores nationwide. Blending the world’s oldest living culture with Australia’s oldest coffee roaster, DHUWA represents “Reconciliation in a Cup” — with every sale supporting Indigenous youth through Dreaming Futures and every sip honouring connection, language, and cultural pride.

As part of a First Nations Trade Mission to Aotearoa, Shawn Andrews represented SupplyAus and DHUWA Coffee alongside eight other Indigenous-led businesses from Victoria. The mission, co-designed with Global Victoria and hosted by Making Everything Achievable, focused on building Indigenous-to-Indigenous trade relationships, cultural exchange, and long-term partnerships. Shawn joined Māori leaders and entrepreneurs to share business models that honour culture while driving innovation.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, SupplyAus — co-founded by Shawn Andrews — delivered over 100 tonnes of hand sanitiser to Woolworths stores across the country. Backed by a $5.9 million investment from Woolworths Group, the partnership helped keep frontline workers safe while showcasing the strength, speed, and capability of Indigenous businesses under pressure.

With just $5,000 in the bank and a whole lot of pressure, SupplyAus co-founder Shawn Andrews led the Indigenous-owned company through one of the biggest COVID-19 logistics challenges in the country — delivering 150 tonnes of hand sanitiser to Woolworths. This story of flexibility, cultural strength, and bold Indigenous entrepreneurship shows exactly what’s possible when mob lead with purpose and pride.

SupplyAus, co-founded by Shawn Andrews, joined the South Sydney Rabbitohs as the Official Indigenous Supplies Partner from 2022–2024. Built through the Rabbitohs Business Chamber, the partnership reflects a shared commitment to reconciliation, Indigenous economic empowerment, and leadership that goes beyond sport. “This is deadly. This is reconciliation,” said Andrews.

Shawn Andrews, co-founder of SupplyAUS, shares how he and Adam Williams are transforming the narrative of Indigenous business. From delivering 120 tonnes of sanitiser to Woolworths during the COVID-19 crisis to building a billion-dollar vision with purpose, SupplyAUS proves that Indigenous-led businesses are dynamic, scalable, and community-minded — with every success reinvested into closing the gap.

During Reconciliation Week, Shawn Andrews visited The King David School to speak with Years 3, 8 and 9 about Aboriginal culture, truth-telling, and identity. From Dreamtime stories and Yidiki playing to honest conversations about colonisation and leadership, Shawn created space for learning, reflection, and connection across all age groups.

Shawn Andrews writing about Indigenous strength.

At the 2019 Pedagogy & Practice in Outdoor Learning Conference, Shawn Andrews delivered a keynote on authentic leadership, truth-telling, and the power of outdoor education in reconciliation. Sharing his personal journey, Shawn challenged educators to be bold, long-term thinkers who embed cultural truth in their practice — and offered practical tools for building reconciliation-driven education programs.

In this heartfelt interview at the CATS Forum in Caux, Switzerland, Shawn Andrews shares his personal journey through addiction, leadership, and healing — and how it led him to create Indigicate. He speaks on the power of cultural connection, outdoor education, and the role of Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in shaping a future of equity, care, and truth.

Shawn Andrews joined Indigenous business leaders from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and India at the 2016 Indigenous Accounting and Business Conference in Geelong. As a panellist on Indigenous Business: National and International, Shawn contributed to a global conversation on cultural governance, economic power, and the future of First Peoples in business.

In this radio interview with The Wire, Shawn Andrews explains why corporate Australia must move beyond tokenism and commit to long-term partnerships with Indigenous businesses. He calls for structural change, not just supplier checklists — and shares how true impact begins with shared power and cultural accountability.