Mandy and Kym met at age 12 – at boarding school no less, where friends are more like family. And in the 40-odd years since, they’ve stayed close, witnessing each other achieve success in their careers, start families and tick off many other milestones.
The pair agree that a key reason their friendship has spanned decades is due to their shared set of values – which now also forms the foundations of their business, Jalbi Australia. “We both have a strong work ethic, we're committed, and we have great family support. All the right ingredients were there in the pot between us,” says Mandy.
The decision to start a business together was less of a light-bulb moment and more like a destination they always knew they’d get to at the right time. Mandy describes it as “the obvious choice”. She’d always loved soaps, both the artisanal kind and those from the bush. And in looking for a passion project that could also be a business, the concept of Jalbi afforded Mandy another way to nurture her connection to her maternal, Aboriginal lineage of the Yawuru people in the Broome area of Western Australia.
The decision to start a business together was less of a light-bulb moment and more like a destination they always knew they’d get to at the right time. Mandy describes it as “the obvious choice”.
In Yawuru language, “Jalbi” translates to “mother’s, mother’s, mother”, or great grandmother. This origin story, which began as an artwork created by Mandy’s youngest daughter Ayesha, is more than just a name for the business, it’s the fabric of its entire ethos. “Women in the community can make significant changes and that’s who we want to connect with and who we want to benefit. It's about women working with women, to facilitate change in the community and for families,” explains Kym.
Jalbi’s collection is inspired by the bush and includes using native Australian botanicals designed for modern living. They work with a local chemist and manufacturer – both women-led. At this stage, they use commercially available essential oils, but their vision is to help create and enable a supply chain, so they can source ingredients directly from the local Aboriginal community. “Eventually we want to work with community to develop social enterprise or enterprise more generally, so that we can purchase product directly from community... I think what could be better? What better way to do it, in terms of supporting women and local enterprise in our community,” says Mandy.
“Eventually we want to work with community to develop social enterprise or enterprise more generally, so that we can purchase product directly from community... I think what could be better? What better way to do it, in terms of supporting women and local enterprise in our community.”
Before starting the business, Mandy and Kym considered how they could build a give-back component into their business model. “Starting Jalbi was the opportunity to realise something that I've always wanted to do and in a really meaningful way, to contribute to significant change,” says Kym.
Kym is a building designer and in 2001 she established an architecture and design firm Scribe Group, before launching The Natural Food Emporium in 2017. Mandy volunteers across a number of community groups and has worked on several boards, including her current position as Chair of the Polly Farmer Foundation. In 2018 she founded a management consultancy business Think Culture, and prior to that she worked as a senior executive in the public service, leading systemic change to drive improved outcomes for Aboriginal people and communities. Between them, they bring an array of skills to the table, including their wonderful way of managing stakeholders and creating meaningful connections.
They see a responsibility in being business owners, mothers and members of the community. “We take seriously our job as role models, especially as an Aboriginal woman and a non-Aboriginal woman in a partnership that is genuine and authentic. We want to be positive role models and set an example that our daughters and other women can aspire to,” explains Mandy.
“We take seriously our job as role models, especially as an Aboriginal woman and a non-Aboriginal woman in a partnership that is genuine and authentic. We want to be positive role models and set an example that our daughters and other women can aspire to."
In speaking with Mandy and Kym, what really shone through was their utmost respect for each other, the land on which they work and live, and the communities and networks they are part of. For the future of Jalbi Australia, the trajectory looks bright. The duo have their sights firmly set on enabling Aboriginal producers of native bush ingredients to help redefine the supply chain as it currently exists, and expand their range of products.
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