what we do
We are a midwife to business owners, new ideas, and different ways of doing economic development that plant seeds for a better future.
We design and deliver bespoke programs and provide consulting services for social enterprises, not-for-profits, government, and philanthropy. Our work focuses on building the capability, confidence and self-belief in individuals and organisations wanting to create an economy worthy of the human spirit. See Our Services.
We also self-initiate projects that we believe have the potential to significantly shift the dial on structural inequality in Australia and the Pacific. Designed to accelerate positive change in our three impact areas, these multi-year, self-initiated programs are developed and delivered in partnership with local communities, entrepreneurs, philanthropy and government.
How we do it
Six ingredients drive our approach
How we do it
Six ingredients drive our approach
How we do it
Six ingredients drive our approach
Practitioner based
We are a group of entrepreneurs and practitioners, focused on real life results. We roll up our sleeves and dig our heels in, bringing real pragmatism to our work.
Bridge building
We build new relationships that bridge market and structural gaps. We shift the tone of these relationships, from extractive and hierarchical, to values-based partnerships, held by curiosity, vulnerability, mutuality, and a commitment to genuine change.
Design thinking
We walk into the unknown, with curiosity and a disposition towards experimentation and action. We learn quickly and iterate many versions, before they earn permanence.
Power aware
Business, finance and economics are not neutral fields. They are strongly informed by certain values, definitions of success, and assumptions that in most cases work to reinforce exclusion and protect existing power and privilege. In our work we actively analyse power, privilege and unconscious bias (ours and others) to understand the current forces and identify ways to break free from the status quo.
Strengths based & coaching focussed
We work from a place of assets and what’s possible, so that our work breaks free from deficit mindsets, and local talent and resources are no longer overlooked. Unlike traditional consulting services who do work for people, our work draws out the brilliance of others through skilled coaching and facilitation. We are a mid-wife to the work, reinforcing self-belief, confidence and capability that endures long after the collaboration.
Inner and outer focussed
We know that we can’t solve today’s problems with the thinking and behavioural patterns that got us here in the first place. We need new, ‘inner development skills’ to shift our inner world, in order to do different ‘outer work’.
This is both a collective task and an individual task, and it’s one of the reasons we partnered with Global Leadership Foundation, donkey wheel Foundation and Epoch Institute to establish the Melbourne Inner Development Goals Hub.
In our work we integrate mindset work alongside enterprise development, through our InsideOut model, so that deep positive change and healing can happen.
“You cannot change a system unless you transform conciousness.”
– Otto Sharmer
Our services
Business Strategy and Business Model Design
Not for Profit Leaders
Business and Mindset Coaching
for Micro and SME
Business Accelerator Programs
Local Capability Development
Social procurement innovation
Business strategy and business model design
We work with NFP leaders and social entrepreneurs to set you on your path to sustainability.
We work with you and your team to design, test and validate your business and impact model, make strategic decisions and land a clear action plan.
case study
YLab: Strategic Planning Empowers NFPs for Sustainable Impact
Micro & SME business and mindset coaching
We provide coaching to micro, small and medium sized business that blends business and mindset methodologies.
This coaching has proven to dramatically shift capability, self-belief and sales.
case study
A Scalable and Localised Model of Micro and Small Business Support for Women Entrepreneurs in PNG
Business accelerator programs
We design and deliver Accelerator programs from early stage to growth stage. We focus on creating a transformational journey for business owners to reflect deeply, find new insights and create belonging.
Our Accelerator content and form is always customised to the business stage and cohort-specific needs.
case study
Local business support capability development
We help train local leaders to be able to do what we do.
This includes business and mindset coaching, business accelerators and other business support services.
case study
A Scalable and Localised Model of Micro and Small Business Support for Women Entrepreneurs in PNG
We work in partnership
As collaborators we bring an innovative and practitioner-based approach to economic development initiatives in Australia and the Pacific.
We build long term partnerships built on trust, strong track record of results and effective contract management.
“After working with TDi I feel that we have so much clarity and confidence in our new strategic plan… The critical path is extremely clear, and I feel confident in our business model. ”
– Brigid Canny, Executive Director, YLab
Social procurement innovation
We partner with corporates to unleash the power of their procurement to achieve more community wealth creation and better ecological outcomes.
case study
YuMi Tourism Partners: A shared value project
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