Five days. Practical skills. Real business impact.

Malak Foundation is pleased to share an outstanding executive education opportunity for African diaspora leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals in Australia.

From 13–17 April 2026, Curtin Executive Education, in partnership with Curtin’s Centre for Australia–Africa Relations, will deliver the Baobab African–Australian Business Masterclass in Western Australia.

This five-day customised program is purpose-built to strengthen business capability, accelerate entrepreneurial growth, and support African-Australian professionals to confidently lead, manage and scale ventures.

Why This Program Matters

Across Australia, African diaspora leaders are building enterprises, not-for-profits, advisory firms, social ventures and cross-border trade initiatives. However, many face structural barriers:

Limited access to high-level commercial training
Gaps in governance and compliance knowledge
Underdeveloped financial systems
Restricted access to strategic networks

The Baobab Masterclass directly addresses these challenges with practical, applied executive education grounded in lived experience and global best practice.

What Participants Will Gain

The program equips participants with core competencies across:

Business planning and strategic positioning
Bookkeeping and financial management
Branding and marketing strategy
Legal compliance and regulatory awareness
Entrepreneurship and risk management.

Participants will walk away with:

Immediately applicable tools to start or scale a business
Stronger commercial literacy and governance awareness
Strategic clarity and operational structure
Access to the Curtin ecosystem and peer networks.

This is not theoretical learning. It is capability-building designed for execution.

Delivered by Distinguished Experts

The masterclass is led by respected academics and practitioners including:

Associate Professor Richard Oloruntoba – Supply Chain Management specialist with over 25 years of teaching and international business experience.
Associate Professor Bella Butler – Expert in business strategy and leadership education with more than 30 years in the tertiary sector.
Haileluel Gebre-selassie OAM – CEO of the Northwestern Migrant Resource Centre and a nationally recognised leader in community engagement and business leadership.
Associate Professor David Mickler – Dean Global (Africa) and Director of the Centre for Australia–Africa Relations at Curtin University.

The calibre of facilitators ensures participants gain both academic rigour and real-world relevance.

A Strategic Opportunity for Australian Leaders

This opportunity is highly relevant for:

African-Australian entrepreneurs
Community leaders building structured organisations
Professionals seeking to commercialise expertise
Directors of diaspora-led enterprises
Emerging business founders

For leaders working across Australia–Africa corridors — particularly those engaged in trade, social enterprise, education, health, technology, or cross-border investment — this program offers a foundation for sustainable scale.

Malak Foundation’s Encouragement

At Malak Foundation, we are deeply committed to strengthening African-Australian leadership capacity and building commercially resilient enterprises that contribute both locally and globally.

We strongly encourage qualified leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals within our networks — and across Australia — to apply.

Programs of this calibre, delivered through a major Australian university and designed specifically in consultation with African diasporan communities, are rare.

Key Details

Program: Baobab African–Australian Business Masterclass
Dates: 13–17 April 2026
Location: Western Australia
Provider: Curtin Executive Education in partnership with Curtin’s Centre for Australia–Africa Relations.

Interested applicants are encouraged to register their interest directly through Curtin Executive Education.

Final Word

Leadership requires structure.
Entrepreneurship requires systems.
Impact requires commercial literacy.

If you are serious about building sustainable ventures that create real economic and social impact, this masterclass is worth your consideration.

Malak Foundation looks forward to seeing strong representation from our community.

Baobab African–Australian Business Masterclass