Meet Our Team

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8

Traditional Owner Team Members

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70+

Years Combined Experience
& Knowledge

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9

Mobs
Represented

  • A man in a maroon sweater standing indoors near large green plants with a body of water visible through a window behind him.

    Andrew Dowding

    Ngarluma Traditional Owner, Co-Founder and Managing Director

    Visionary, Passionate, Purposeful

    Andrew co-founded Winyama in 2018 to create more opportunities for Indigenous Australians to enter the digital economy. With over two decades of experience working across the Indigenous land estate, he is an expert when it comes to leveraging technology to safeguard and celebrate culture.

    A natural mentor, Andrew sees potential in others and creates spaces for them to thrive. He holds a Bachelor's in Anthropology and History from the University of Sydney.

  • A middle-aged man with short brown hair and a beard, smiling while standing indoors in a modern office environment, with illustrated patterns of abstract circular designs overlaid in the background.

    Paul Farrell

    Co-Founder

    Strategic, Passionate, Adaptable

    Paul is a well-respected leader in the geospatial industry. Chief Executive Officer of NGIS, a leading geospatial organisation and co-founder of Winyama, he is Andrew’s long-standing business partner.

    A sought-after strategic thinker, Paul excels at harnessing geospatial to drive meaningful impact. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and an Executive MBA from the University of Western Australia as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from the Australian National University.

  • A young woman with long red hair, wearing a black floral dress, yellow daisy earrings, and a necklace, smiling in an indoor space with large plants and decorative artwork.

    Kass Boladeras

    Proud Ballardong Yorga, Marketing and Operations Manager / Digital Inclusion Program Manager

    Bright, Optimistic, Determined

    Passionate about achieving equity, Kass is dedicated to improving outcomes for Mob.

    With expertise in marketing, operations, program management and wellbeing, she plays a key role in turning strategy into results and is responsible for overseeing all marketing activities at Winyama. Kass is an advocate for Indigenous, youth and LGBTQIA+ initiatives and is enthusiastic about working with organisations that align with her values.

  • A woman with long brown hair smiling in an office environment, with white doodle-style designs overlaying the photo.

    Kat Stapley-Oh

    Stream and Project Lead - Business Development and Sales Optimisation

    Innovative, Reliable, Compassionate

    Kat brings experience from big tech companies, having spent seven years with Google in Singapore and in other roles managing partnerships with Amazon Web Services. Prior to that, she worked for over a decade in a geospatial role at the Maritime division of Transport WA.

    Joining the team in 2023, Kat now helps drive business development and strategic sales activities ensuring our services align to our clients' needs. Methodical and detail-orientated, Kat works closely with Andrew to define business proposals and scopes for large projects of work. She holds a Bachelor of Science, majoring in geographic information systems and an MBA from the University of Western Australia.

  • Smiling woman with short brown hair wearing a blue sweatshirt, sitting in front of large dark green plants, with decorative white doodle overlay.

    Kath Shier

    Lead GIS Consultant

    Attentive, Thoughtful, Approachable

    Known as a map geek by her friends, Kath’s career has taken her from London to the cultural landscapes of Western Australia. With over 25 years of experience across Environment, Heritage and Emergency Services she is responsible for leading GIS project delivery and oversees the team’s work and outcomes.

Winyama remains one of the only Indigenous digital consultancies in Australia that specialises in Indigenous mapping and geospatial, which makes their combination of experience, knowledge, and expertise unique.

  • Portrait of Joel in the Winyama office

    Joel D'Antoine

    Bardi Man, Senior GIS Consultant

    Unshakable, Attentive, Empowering

    Following in his father’s footsteps, Joel began his career in cartography before transitioning to GIS. Joel has extensive experience working across heritage, having worked for the Department of Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Mines, WA.

    Delivering high quality training and geospatial projects, Joel is excited about supporting Indigenous communities and creating a brighter future for others to follow.

  • Anna Ischenko

    Senior GIS Analyst

    Curious, Creative, Considerate

    Anna is interested in how spatial technologies can support a more sustainable and equitable future. 

    After completing her Bachelor’s degree in Zoology, Anna spent some time learning Traditional Ecological Knowledge from Mob in Victoria and the Northern Territory before moving to Perth to pursue her Master's in Environmental Science. As part of her thesis, she worked alongside the Menang/Merninger Noongar community to map sacred water trees and rediscover songlines along the south coast of Western Australia. 

    Now a key member of Winyama’s delivery team, Anna is excited to continue to apply her skills in the Indigenous land management sector.

  • Andi Laidlaw

    GIS Analyst

    Pragmatic, Tenacious, Passionate

    Raised in the mountains of Colorado, Andi has always had a passion for the natural environment and conservation. This passion inspired her move to Australia in 2016 to pursue a higher education and career in environmental science.

    Andi has a Bachelor's degree in marine science, with experience working on the Great Barrier Reef. She also has a Master's degree in spatial data science and has worked on a range of environmental projects, developing her skills in mapping, drone surveying, training artificial intelligence models, and using spatial data visualisation tools. She holds professional certifications and licenses in scuba diving (Divemaster) and piloting remote aircraft (RePL and AROC).

  • Portrait of Tim.

    Tim Cable

    Wilman Noongar Man, Senior IT Consultant

    Reliable, Selfless, Insightful

    Tim thrives on solving problems and finding the right solutions for clients. He is highly skilled, with expertise spanning in-house IT support, consulting and enterprise solution design on AWS.

    Tim holds qualifications as an AWS Cloud Solutions Architect and a Bachelor of Commerce, Business Information Systems and Technology from Curtin University.

  • Portrait of Grady.

    Grady Toomath

    Minang Noongar Man, IT Consultant

    Engaging, Knowledgeable, Considerate

    Grady is an IT Consultant and licensed drone pilot (RePL and ReOC) with a background in engineering and electrical design. Known for his analytical mindset, he is committed to understanding intricate software systems and government policies.

    At Winyama, Grady is responsible for drone training and is highly skilled at utilising 3D visualisation tools like Google Earth Pro and Skyline TerraExplorer. Grady enjoys sharing his knowledge and is dedicated to empowering others to pursue careers in technology.

  • Portrait of Shelley.

    Shelley Thorne

    Gagerong, Yamatji and Noongar Woman, GIS Intern

    Exuberant, Dedicated, Passionate

    With over 20 years experience in Resource and Mining industries, Shelley’s passion for mapping flourished while providing technical assistance with ArcGIS Pro and various Cloud platforms in her previous roles. Driven by a desire for change, she decided to pursue her dream career in geospatial and found Winyama’s internship program.

    Completing the Yorga Djenna Bidi program in 2020 was a transformative experience, deepening her connection to her Cultural Heritage and inspiring her to contribute more meaningfully to her community through her work.

  • Portrait of River.

    River Bali

    Gija Man, GIS Intern

    Inquisitive, Bright, Charismatic

    Passionate about aviation and technology, River is currently completing Winyama’s Digital Skills Internship Program.

    He holds his RePL and a Certificate III in Aviation. River is under the mentorship of our Senior leadership team and contributes to Winyama’s cultural mapping and drone projects while developing his skills across GIS software; ArcGIS, and QGIS.

  • Yuxian (Yux) Seow

    Program Manager

    Calm, Conscientious, Collaborative

    Working in the youth and social innovation sector across London and Europe, Yux began her career supporting social entrepreneurs, innovators, business leaders and changemakers at Ashoka. 

    Yux has a background in anthropology, Indigenous policy research and international development. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Western Australia and a Master of Arts in International Development from The Geneva Graduate Institute. 

    Yux holds a dynamic role at Winyama, supporting various Winyama business units; operations, delivery and social impact.

  • Portrait of Amelia.

    Amelia Speirs

    Marketing and Events Officer

    Dedicated, Reliable, Thoughtful

    Interested in working for a company committed to making a positive impact, Amelia works alongside Kass and Franzi to deliver Winyama’s events and communications.

    She holds a Bachelor’s in Creative Media, majoring in Graphic Design and Photography, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Design Thinking and Service Innovation. Amelia has a keen eye for detail and plays an important role in communicating Winyama’s brand through captivating visuals.  

  • Portrait of Franzi.

    Franzi Ohly-Smith

    Marketing and Events Officer

    Uplifting, Approachable, Resourceful 

    Passionate about telling stories that inspire, Franzi brings a creative and strategic approach to marketing and events at Winyama.

    She works with both internal and external stakeholders, fostering collaboration to amplify Winyama’s impact. Franzi holds a Bachelor’s in Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations from ECU.

‘Winyama’ means sea eagle in Ngarluma — Managing Director, Andrew Dowding’s traditional language group.

Iconography of a feather with decorative dots and lines.