Background:
Indigital was founded in 2014 by Mikaela Jade on Mirrar Country in Kakadu National Park. The venture originally operated as an Indigenous education-technology company that used augmented reality (AR), virtual reality, digital mapping, and mobile applications to help Indigenous communities share cultural knowledge, stories, language, and connection to country in ways controlled by traditional knowledge keepers. Its early products included AR storytelling experiences and the Digital Rangers platform, designed to create employment opportunities and support cultural education through technology.
Indigital evolved into a broader Indigenous-led social impact, consulting, and community-engagement enterprise that works with corporations, governments, and communities to build partnerships grounded in Indigenous knowledge, environmental stewardship, and social reciprocity. Its original value proposition was distinctive: combining emerging technologies with Indigenous cultural authority to preserve and communicate knowledge, create economic opportunities for Indigenous communities, and bridge gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous audiences.
Founder Bio
Mikaela Jade is a Cabrogal woman of the Dharug Nation and founder – CEO of Indigital. She trained in environmental science, worked as a park ranger in Kakadu National Park, completed further study in Indigenous land management, and later pursued graduate work in applied cybernetics. Environmental stewardship, Indigenous cultural knowledge, and technological literacy gave her an interdisciplinary perspective that became the foundation of Indigital’s business model. She has also served on international forums including the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council and as a delegate to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Team and Board
Indigital seems to have a capable leadership team. Senior executives include leaders responsible for operations and finance, relationships and stakeholder engagement, marketing and social impact, community success, storytelling, and environmental or ESG advisory functions. Several team members bring substantial experience from social enterprise, government, sustainability, communications, and Indigenous engagement. The team includes Indigenous leaders in several key roles, which strengthens cultural credibility and alignment with the organization’s mission. I couldn’t find any Information about a formal board of directors.
My Personal Reflection
Mikaela Jade’s entrepreneurial journey is particularly inspiring to me because it demonstrates that successful entrepreneurship doesn’t always begin with the pursuit of rapid growth or financial returns. It can emerge from a deep sense of purpose and a desire to solve meaningful social problems. Jade identified a unique opportunity to combine Indigenous knowledge systems with emerging technologies such as augmented reality and digital storytelling, creating a venture that delivers both cultural and commercial value. What I find most inspiring about Jade’s story is the way her diverse experiences shaped her entrepreneurial vision. Her background in environmental science, Indigenous land management, and park ranger work gave her firsthand insight into the importance of cultural knowledge and connection to country.
References:
Indigital. (n.d.). About us. Indigital. https://www.indigital.net.au/about-us
Indigital. (n.d.). Our team. Indigital. https://www.indigital.net.au/our-team
Jade, M. (2022, August 10). Indigenous peoples teach the world First Nations wisdom through technology. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2022/08/indigenous-people-augmented-reality/
National Indigenous Australians Agency. (2016, March 29). Indigital – Helping communities tell stories in new ways. Indigenous.gov.au. https://www.indigenous.gov.au/stories/indigital-helping-communities-tell-stories-new-ways
I really enjoyed reading your overview of Indigital. What stood out to me most was the way Mikaela Jade combines Indigenous knowledge with technology in a way that supports, rather than replaces, traditional ways of knowing. Too often, technology is viewed as separate from culture, but Indigital shows how it can be used to preserve stories, language, and connections to land while keeping control in the hands of Indigenous communities.
In my own educational journey, I am still working to redefine my understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing. What I understand today as a teacher is very different from what I learned as a child enrolled in Carrier Language and Culture classes. Since then, I have taught FNMI students in the Chilcotin, worked with Métis students in Manitoba, and now teach in Alberta, where Indigenous perspectives and outcomes are much more intentionally embedded within the curriculum. The more experiences I have had, the more I have realized how much there is to learn. Ventures such as Indigital are particularly interesting to me because they challenge me to think differently about how Indigenous knowledge can be preserved, shared, and experienced while remaining grounded in the communities from which it originates.
I also appreciate that Indigital challenges the idea that entrepreneurship is primarily about profit. The venture demonstrates that technology can be used to build relationships, preserve knowledge, and create opportunities for communities while still operating as a sustainable business. In many ways, that broader view of entrepreneurship is what I found most compelling about this venture.
Thank you for sharing your analysis. It introduced me to a company I was unfamiliar with and provided an excellent example of how innovation can be used to support both learning and community.
Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed reading your review. When looking at all of the experience and applications of knowledge and skills Jade has, it seems that their skills were put to great use. If I were looking to use such a tool in a classroom, say, a history or geography teacher, I can see the immense value in the involvement of something like this in an effort to better understand and bridge communities. As someone in the US, I know there is a desperate need to usher in more indigenous involvement, especially in education. I think that a company led by people with ideals for the betterment of the future would be an excellent resource to look to.
Mikaela Jade stands out as a role model because of how deliberately she built Indigital around Indigenous agency rather than just Indigenous subject matter. A lot of ventures that claim to support Indigenous communities end up extracting knowledge and packaging it for outside audiences, but what Jade built puts control with the knowledge keepers themselves. I think that’s what makes her genuinely compelling as a role model. She thought carefully about who holds power in the venture, not just who the venture is for.