Broome’s Make it Happen HQ wins Economic Development award at 2025 7NEWS WA Community Achievement Awards

A Broome organisation helping local Aboriginal people reach their dreams through grants and development programs has won the Economic Development award at the 2025 7NEWS WA Community Achievement Awards. It was presented at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Perth on October 25. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Economic Development award is given to an organisation working to maximise job creation and improve career opportunities in reginal communities. Make It Happen HQ’s head of business strategy Adele Peek said the win was “incredibly meaningful”. “As a First Nations and female-led innovation and gaming hub, our mission has always been about empowering Indigenous entrepreneurs across regional and remote Australia and this award is a huge acknowledgment of that vision,” she said. “At Make It Happen HQ, we’re not just creating businesses, we’re creating spaces where First Nations people can lead with culture, confidence and community at the centre. “Our flagship programs — EQUALIZER and Peek Performance — are opening doors and building culturally intelligent, sustainable pathways for Indigenous-led businesses in areas like fashion, digital design, food services, and cultural tourism. “We’re proud of what we’re building, and even prouder of the community we’re building it with.” Make It Happen is an innovation and gaming hub led by Broome’s Peek sisters, Adele and Cara Peek, which supports First Nations entrepreneurs through tailored coaching, digital upskilling and long-term growth pathways. Since its conception, the organisation has helped more than 50 First Nations participants launch more than 20 businesses, generating more than 60 new income streams and securing more than $250,000 in funding. Ms Peek said Make It Happen HQ was “not slowing down” as they prepare to launch a new initiative. “Our next major flagship event, Reclaim the Narrative, is designed to bring capital to country, challenging perceptions and spotlighting the economic power of First Nations business,” she said. “The numbers tell the story. First Nations Australians make up just 3.8 per cent of the population, yet generate over $16 billion in GDP, employ 116,000 people, and pay $4 billion in wages. “This is not an emerging market, it’s an undervalued one. And we’re here to change that.” The 2025 7NEWS WA Community Achievement Awards winners receive 20 online live group coaching sessions, valued at $990, plus a trophy and will be featured on a TV ad aired across regional WA on the Seven Network.