Isaiah Dawe
Founder and CEO of ID. Know Yourself, Youth Mentor, 2022 Australian of the Year Nominee
A Butchulla and Gawara saltwater man, Isaiah Dawe has overcome plenty of barriers in life to inspire young Aboriginal people in and out of home care across New South Wales.
After growing up in the foster system, Isaiah reconnected to his culture and discovered a sense of belonging. He then went on to study where he received several awards including winner of the TAFE Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander of the Year Award. In 2018, he became the first Indigenous person to chair the NSW Youth Advisory Committee. After years of hard work and youth mentoring, Isaiah founded IDKY, an Aboriginal mentoring organisation to support Aboriginal young people in and out of foster care and in contact with the Juvenile Justice System.
Through his leadership and determination, Isaiah has helped countless Aboriginal children in and out of foster care to reconnect with culture and family in country. He gives them a sense of their origins, belonging, identity and a deeper connection to community to inspire positive change.
Related Speakers
