EBA Celebrating Diversity

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SUPPORTING DIVERSITY

W W W . E T H N I C B U S I N E S S A W A R D S . C O M

The Ethnic Business Awards History The Ethnic Business Awards (EBA) were created in 1988 by Mr Joseph Assaf AO to recognise the contribution of migrants to Australian business and the economy at large. In 2019 we proudly became a recognised not for profit charity foundation

The EBA’s are the longest running national business awards in the country. They have been attended by most of Australia's leaders. They have also been attended by Ambassadors, Premiers, Ministers, heads of business, Industry and media organisations.

The event itself is by invitation only with approximately 300-400 guests attending.

THIS IS THE COUNTRY WHERE I LIKE TO SAY IF YOU HAVE A GO, YOU GET A GO. AND THOSE WHO HAVE COME HERE TONIGHT AS FINALISTS I CONGRATULATE YOU FOR HAVING A GO, AND ENSURING THAT YOU’VE BEEN ABLE TO TRANSLATE THAT PASSION INTO SOMETHING VERY REAL.” "

With a rich 32 year history, the awards have had over 21,000 nominations from 102 countries of origin which have resulted in 247 Finalists and 94 Winners.

THE HON. SCOTT MORRISON PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA 2018 - PRESENT

The Indigenous in Business Award was created in 2010, making it the first of its kind for Australia.

The Awards attract high quality business entries from an incredibly diverse group of nominees. All migrant nominees must be born in any country outside of Australia. The Indigenous nominees are all born in Australia.

Click to watch a link to a short four minute highlight video of the awards which captures much of the spirit and importance of the awards.

Judges Currently our judges are:-

General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK AC (Mil) CVO MC

Adam Goodes

Allan Gyngell AO

Eve Crestani

(Retd)

Sadly we recently lost our longest serving judge, Carla Zampatti AC AM who had been a judge since the awards began in 1988.

Past judges have included:- The late Major General the Honourable Michael Jeffery, AC, AO(Mil), CVO, MC (Retd) (2016-2020), Don Argus AC AO (2008 - 2014), Ziggy Switkowski (2008 - 2011), King Fong OAM (1988- 2006), Joseph Elu AO (2010 - 2012) the late John Saunders

“I THINK THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE AWARDS IS THAT THEY’RE NOT SIMPLY TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME TO AUSTRALIA AND THE DIFFICULTIES THEY HAVE OVERCOME AND THE SUCCESSES THAT THEY HAVE HAD, BUT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH IN THE BROADEST SENSE OF THAT TERM. SO I SEE THESE AS AUSTRALIAN STORIES AS MUCH AS I SEE THEM AS ETHNIC OR INDIGENOUS STORIES.”

(1988 - 1997), and the late Sir Nicholas Shehadie (1988 – 1998).

EBA Board Joseph Assaf AO (Chairman and Founder) The Hon Tony Abbott AC Tony Geagea Dr Van Nguyen Sunny Ngai Marko Franovic

ALLAN GYNGELL AO

The Migrant Business Awards Celebrating diversity for more than three decades.

The Ethnic Business Awards contestants are judged on the basis of:-

Hardship endured Financial and social obstacles overcome and achieving success against the odds The viability and sustainability of the businesses they have created The ingenuity and originality of their business Their contribution to Australia and their

"DIVERSITY HAS BEEN AUSTRALIA'S SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT CATALYST FOR INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY IN ITS SOCIAL, ARTISTIC AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT"

communities

JOSEPH ASSAF AO The Ethnic Business Awards has shared the incredible stories of migrants to this country.

CLICK TO LISTEN TO SPEECH BY JOSEPH ASSAF AO AT EBA GALA DINNER 2010 - PERTH

Their struggles and their triumphs.

There are no shortages of inspiring, successful and resilient people who enter the awards each year.

The Ethnic Business Awards bore witness to an extraordinary act of giving in 2019 captured here in the following video. This highlights the generosity of migrants who arrive, strive and succeed.

CLICK TO SEE THIS OUTSTANDING ACT OF GIVING - SYDNEY

The Prime Minister spoke at the 2019 Ethnic Business Awards specifically about the growing success of Indigenous business in Australia.

CLICK TO LISTEN TO THE 2010 WINNER OF THE MEDIUM-LARGE BUSINESS CATEGORY GIVE HIS SPEECH IN PERTH. MR ABRAHAM HATOUM WAS A REFUGEE FROM A PALESTINIAN CAMP IN LEBANON.

CLICK TO LISTEN TO SPEECH

BY THE HON. SCOTT MORRISON AT EBA 2019 - SYDNEY

1988-2019 EBA Migrant Business finalists (pictured above) entreprenuers from all over the country, representing many industries "THE SPIRIT, ENERGY AND INGENUITY OF OUR ETHNIC BUSINESS MEN AND WOMEN ARE THINGS THAT CANNOT BE TAUGHT OR BOUGHT, THEY COME FROM WITHIN".

The Hon. Julia Gillard's speech at the EBA's in 2013 Parliament House Canberra CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE SPEECH

The Indigenous in Business Award Highly acclaimed and greatly supported by business

The creation of the Indigenous Business Award was believed to be an incentive to those Indigenous entrepreneurs who were forging successful careers on their own. The EBA created the platform to share Indigenous Success Stories with a wider audience, just as it had done for the migrant stories for the decades before.

The strong ties between SBS and NITV were particularly useful in this regard. Watching the Indigenous finalists speaking of their own journeys, their difficulties and their ultimate successes has been a key motivator to grow the award and establish its permanence. The EBA always believed Aboriginal entrepreneurs would accept and participate in the awards and stand with business owners from different backgrounds and cultures. All EBA finalists be they Indigenous or migrants are united by the desire to achieve and succeed.

"I THINK THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INDIGENOUS BUSINESS AWARD IN 2010 WAS A MASTERSTROKE OF JOSEPH'S".

THE LATE MAJOR GENERAL MICHAEL JEFFERY AC, CVO, MC CLICK TO WATCH SPEECH IN FULL FROM 2017 EBA'S IN SYDNEY

2010-2019 EBA Indigenous in Business finalists men and women from all over the country, representing many industries PICTURED ABOVE ARE SOME OF OUR EBA FINALISTS

The three Awards Categories

01

Indigenous in Business Open category for Indigenous Business owners

02

Small Business

03

Medium-Large Business

(with a turnover less than $10 million per annum)

(with a turnover greater than $10 million per annum)

Introducing a Special New Award As

the

EBA's

alumni

grow

in

number,

we

see

so

many

examples

of

a

new

peacemaker emerge. These migrant business men and women are working to improve the relationships between Australia, their new country of choice and their countries of birth.

The EBA seeks to reward these people who are forming bridges between two countries. These bridges link Australia to the rest of the world.

They promote

solid relationships. They strengthen ties and highlight what unites us rather than that which divides us. These people are our ambassadors of peace and promote the best of Australia to the rest of the world. It is important work and it happens without fanfare.

It's just what these people do.

They create a better world and

promote harmony around the globe.

Our ambition is to applaud these people and to make role models of them.

By

encouraging them the EBA Foundation will promote peace and prosperity in our world.

"YOU FORM SUCH NATURALLY DIVERSE, FLUENT, CULTURALLY SENSITIVE HUMAN BRIDGES TO THE REST OF THE WORLD, THAT YOU ARE FOR US, AN ENORMOUS, NATURAL, NATIONAL STRENGTH AND ONE TO BE CELEBRATED."

THE HON. KEVIN RUDD'S 2008 SPEECH AS PRIME MINISTER AT THE EBA'S IN SYDNEY. Click to hear speech

THE SPEECH BY JOSEPH ASSAF AO AT THE EBA'S IN 2019 IN SYDNEY Click to hear speech

The Vision WHAT THESE AWARDS BRING TO THE NATION The vision for the Ethnic Business Awards:-

To celebrate and highlight the myriad of benefits that cultural diversity brings to the nation, including the rich cultural heritage of our First Australians, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

To recognise and reward the contribution of migrants to the business landscape of Australia.

To provide role models for migrant and Indigenous communities to emulate.

Quotes...

Over a rich 32 year history the Ethnic Business Awards have been attended by almost every sitting Prime Minister. All are deeply moved and humbled by the contributions made by the finalists.