Fiona’s sweet taste of success at Women’s business awards
Australia’s first 100 per cent Indigenous-owned chocolate company has been named a Champion in the Social Enterprise Business category at the 2025 Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards.
Chocolate On Purpose, founded by Wiradjuri woman Fiona Harrison, was recognised for transforming the artisan chocolate industry through ethical supply chains, Cultural leadership, and systemic change.
The award validates Chocolate On Purpose’s pioneering approach to blending premium, fair trade certified, palm oil-free artisan chocolate with Australian native botanicals sourced from Indigenous Growers, honouring 65,000 years of Indigenous botanical wisdom whilst advancing economic sovereignty across global supply chains.
“This recognition validates that Indigenous women’s leadership matters in industries built on our knowledge,” Fiona Harrison, Founder and CEO of Chocolate On Purpose, said.
“We’re not just making chocolate, we’re reclaiming economic sovereignty, empowering cacao farmers, and creating pathways for Aboriginal women aged 45+, the fastest-growing demographic of all Australian women experiencing homelessness.”
Transforming Supply Chains
The company’s impact extends across three continents. Through fair trade, traceable sourcing practices, it protects Indigenous communities from displacement whilst preserving endangered habitats and supporting farmer prosperity.
The Ngunggilanha Project
Central to Chocolate On Purpose’s vision is the Ngunggilanha Project, funded by a NSW Government Aboriginal Economic Development Grant. This initiative creates meaningful employment pathways for Aboriginal women aged 45+, combining chocolate production with a native botanical sensory garden—a living classroom for Cultural knowledge transfer, horticulture skills, and economic empowerment.
“The Ngunggilanha Project represents our commitment to addressing intergenerational trauma, economic marginalisation, and Cultural preservation simultaneously,” Ms Harrison explained.
“Every employment opportunity we create is an act of self-determination and healing.” “We are Chocolate For Good™ ”
Looking Forward
Ms Harrison’s vision extends beyond chocolate. By 2030, Chocolate On Purpose aims to generate $10M in economic activity through networked Indigenous enterprises, mentor 50+ Aboriginal women entrepreneurs, and establish Australia’s first Indigenous-led chocolate manufacturing facility, a beacon of self-determination and Cultural preservation.
Chocolate On Purpose is Australia’s first 100% Indigenous-owned chocolate company, founded in 2012 by Wiradjuri woman Fiona Harrison.
Based on Gundungurra Country in Moss Vale, NSW, the certified social enterprise transforms artisan chocolate into a Cultural storytelling experience, empowering Indigenous communities through ethically sourced, native botanical chocolates that educate, inspire, and create systemic change.
For more information, visit www.chocolateonpurpose.com.au
