Jessica Carmody (née Wishart) is a Bidjara woman, mother, and transformative leader whose impact resonates across Aboriginal business, education, and community development. Raised in Mparntwe (Alice Springs), Jessica's journey embodies the power of Aboriginal leadership and economic empowerment.

As co-founder of SpeakWrite Consulting, Jessica channels her expertise into building Aboriginal enterprise capacity, driving systemic change through economic empowerment. Her philosophy is clear and powerful: Blak businesses employ Blak, buy Blak, invest Blak, and develop Blak – creating profound grassroots impact that ripples through generations.

In 2023, Jessica was engaged by the Igniting Change foundation and Graca Machel Trust to host the Honourable Dame Graca Machel in Alice Springs, facilitating a powerful evening of cultural exchange between Aboriginal women leaders and the renowned international humanitarian. The event showcased Jessica's unique ability to create meaningful dialogue across cultures, weaving together traditional ceremony, storytelling through song, bush food and medicine sharing, and stories of strength from Aboriginal women leaders in business, arts, and advocacy against violence.

Jessica's track record of transformative leadership spans multiple sectors. In 2021, she spearheaded the establishment of Central Australia's first Foodbank, navigating the complexities of COVID-19 to ensure food security for remote communities. Her strategic acumen and dedication caught national attention, leading to her appearance alongside Foreign Minister Penny Wong at South Australia's Women of Influence luncheon.

As an accomplished facilitator and community builder, Jessica's legacy includes founding the Southern Region Nunga Tag carnival in Adelaide. Under her leadership, this initiative grew from 90 to over 200 Aboriginal students, raising more than $150,000 across five years. The carnival continues today, more than a decade later, testament to her ability to create sustainable community impact.

In her role as Hub Operations Manager for the Northern Territory Indigenous Business Network, Jessica has been instrumental in reshaping conversations around Aboriginal business. Her work with Kings Narrative exemplifies her business acumen – helping grow the enterprise from $20,000 to over $1 million in revenue within three years. This success was recognised with the 2022 NTIBN Aboriginal Business of the Year for Best Aboriginal Start-up and the 2024 Telstra Business Awards for both Aboriginal Business and Championing Health.

As a neurodivergent woman living with ADHD , Jessica brings vital perspectives to discussions about diversity in leadership. Her passion for empowering Aboriginal women is deeply personal, understanding firsthand that economic independence creates choices and pathways to safety and prosperity. She specializes in facilitating workshops that address crucial topics including politics, leadership, money, business, relationships, health, parenting, and race.

Jessica's formal qualifications include a Certificate IV in Community Development, a Diploma in Management and Leadership, and she is a graduate of South Australia's Governor's Leadership Foundation Program. Her extensive experience spans senior roles in education, health, and community services, including positions at SHINE SA, the Department of Children and Families, and Foodbank Central Australia.

A dedicated mother to five boys and wife to Tyson, Jessica's family grounds her daily work and fuels her mission to create generational change. Her vision is clear: to normalise Blak business and Blak wealth, ensuring future generations grow up seeing Aboriginal economic empowerment as the standard, not the exception.

As an Arrernte/Arabunna woman raised in Mparntwe (Alice Springs), she has deep blood connection to Kaytetye and Anmatyer Mob. As a mother and a dedicated midwife, she has directly supported Aboriginal communities in Central Australia. Her journey includes leadership roles in national projects and collaborations with Aboriginal-led organisations, fostering a profound appreciation for First Nations language and culture. Cherisse has immense gratitude for her cultural leaders and Elders. 

In her thirteen years as a midwife, she is a leading advocate for Aboriginal culturally safe maternity healthcare access and birthing on country, and regularly speaks on a range of social challenges for Mparntwe and NT communities. Cherisse has dedicated herself to shaping different solutions based on need and location and reviving old ways and old cultural teachings for approaching maternity care for First Nations women and birthing people. 

Cherisse now focuses on her joint work in SpeakWrite Consultancy and supporting Aboriginal development and advancement across the NT and nationally, where she hopes to empower her People to aspire for economic self-determination. 

Representation for Aboriginal people: As she raises her three sons on her traditional Mparntwe land, Cherisse is promoting positive narratives around challenges within the Alice Springs community and spread awareness of strengths and leadership from Aboriginal people within Central Australia.  

Her journey includes leadership roles in national projects and collaborations with Aboriginal-led organizations, fostering a profound appreciation for First Nations language and culture. Cherisse holds immense gratitude for her Arrernte cultural leaders and Elders. 

Her passion lies in supporting and empowering First Nations people, advocating for systemic change that addresses the challenges faced by Our Mob—challenges like limited access to basic care, instances of subpar treatment, racism, and disconnection from mainstream services. 

Health Advocacy: Through leading work on the Birthing on Country Project and her involvement with numerous reproductive and sexual health advocacy for Aboriginal people, Cherisse has been instrumental in the promotion of Birthing on Country, highlighting the need for culturally safe and culturally appropriate pregnancy care and birthing choices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers.  

With a decade of experience across diverse health sectors, Cherisse’s work spans clinical practice in remote, rural, and urban settings. She has been a tireless advocate, contributing to National Birthing on Country programs and committees and boards, and spearheading health promotion initiatives in midwifery, women’s sexual and reproductive health, and other health specific areas.  

Cherisse’s personal experience with maternity care was traumatic as she endured a discouraging experience with the birth of her daughter Senna, who was born before 21 weeks gestation. At that time, Cherisse did not feel supported in the interim of her hospital care, enduring discrimination, racism and sub-standard care, made worse by the fact that she was away from her family and traditional homeland. Cherisse has been public with her experiences, sharing shared her story nationally through an article in the Guardian and released documentary in 2017 “Birth Time”, exploring the experiences of women during childbirth and bringing attention to the need for better maternity care. 

Repaying it Forward: 

Cherisse is the Chair of the Board for the Rhodanthe Lipsett Indigenous Midwifery Charitable Trust; she supports the provision of First Nations midwifery scholarships and is actively involved in projects that support culturally safe sexual and reproductive healthcare for First Nations women and birthing people. 

Cherisse is also engaged in her local community and involved nationally and locally in NAIDOC as well as involvement in schooling events and other community events. Cherisse’s commitment to her community and her unwavering dedication to creating opportunities for Aboriginal people exemplify the resilience and strength of Arrernte women.