A central aim is reciprocity and paying it forward, building an industry-led, culturally safe environment that supports training, employment, and culture for Indigenous Australians.

Mitchell’s personal experiences, including the loss of friends to drugs and suicide and his responsibilities as a single father, propelled him to pursue education and entrepreneurship to uplift others.

Mitchell, a Whadjuk-Yued Noongar man, has built a portfolio of four businesses—Wilco Electrical, Kardan Construction, Baldja RSGx, and Bilyaa Arch&Design—and now employs over 200 full-time staff, creating hundreds of Indigenous jobs.

His Indigenous empowerment work includes more than 70 Aboriginal upskilling roles and 30 electrical apprenticeships, with over $11 million in contracts awarded to Aboriginal subcontractors.

National Australia Day Council commends Mitchell for applying lived experience to drive real social change and collaboration to improve Indigenous outcomes.

Frank Mitchell, a 43-year-old Whadjuk-Yued Noongar man, won the Local Hero category of the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards for creating hundreds of Indigenous jobs in electrical and construction.

His motivation stems from early experiences with suicide and loss, and his journey as a single father when offered an electrical apprenticeship, inspiring him to provide similar opportunities.

As co-director and founder across multiple ventures, he is a significant employer and skills developer within the Indigenous community.

Since starting his businesses in 2015 with eight staff, he has overseen over $11 million in contracts to Aboriginal subcontractors, aligning work with cultural safety in the workplace.

He acknowledges that achieving cultural safety in workplaces is complex and not universal, but when it works, the impact is powerful.