Celebrating the entrepreneurial achievements of Australia’s veteran and family business community, the Prince’s Trust Australia is delighted to announce the 2023 Beyond Service Awards winners.
Congratulations to Ian Rawson, the Founder of Australian Warfighter Coffee who has won our peak award for defence members and their families!
Ian has been named the Prince’s Trust Australia Commonwealth Bank of Australia Business of the Year, and Community impact sector winner.
He joins sector winners:
- Nadia Teong, Clinical Psychologist and Founder of Veterans Psychology, winner of The Power of One Award
- Karyn Hinder, Founder of Working Spirit, winner of The New Mission Award
- Hayley Boswell, Founder of Defence Kidz, winner of The Defence Family Business Award.
The Beyond Service Awards recognise the depth and breadth of skills and experience veterans and Defence Force families bring to Australia’s small business landscape.
Michelle Endacott, Chief Executive of Prince’s Trust Australia said:
“We are impressed by the calibre of our winners and the diversity of their business interests and industries.
These awards are an insight into the thousands of veteran and Defence family entrepreneurs operating in communities across Australia and overseas.
We wish to recognise all of our inaugural Award nominees for their exemplary efforts in business and as champions for the skills and experiences the Defence community bring to small business.”
The 2023 Beyond Service Award winners are outlined below –
Ian Rawson, Founder and CEO of Australian Warfighter Coffee, received the Commonwealth Bank of Australia Business of the Year Award and The Community Impact Award, which recognises veterans and ADF family members who make a positive impact in the community.
“I’m medically discharged … it’s just me doing what I want to do, providing the coffee, meeting a lot of people and keeping to my word.”
“I’ve had my coffee deployed on nearly every deployment so far and I can boast that we’re the only coffee that’s had a blend of coffee fly into an operational war zone on a mission with an aircrew, signed by the crew.”
Veteran-owned Australian Warfighter Coffee, Ian is committed to providing exceptional coffee while raising awareness of mental health issues.
The business sources coffee beans ethically and supports sustainable practices, including compostable packaging, and fair trade.
Proceeds are donated to veteran and first responder charity groups working in mental health.
With first-hand experience navigating his own challenges with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Ian aims to provide a space for people to connect and share experiences. He seeks support for their mental health through his “Coffee for Mental Health Conversations” platform.
Ian actively seeks partnerships to help create positive change, including Variety, Young Veterans, and the Australian War Memorial. He also supports veterans to re-engage in employment through barista training.
Ian served 19-years with the Royal Australian Airforce and is based in Bellemere, Queensland.
Ian’s Business: https://australianwarfighters.com/
Nadia Teong, Clinical Psychologist and Founder of Veterans Psychology is the winner of The Power of One Award, recognising the outstanding efforts of an individual that works on their own.
“It’s really humbling and reassuring that what I’m doing is worthy of publicity.”
Acknowledging the crisis of veteran mental health, Nadia supports veterans by engaging clinicians with an understanding of the military experience. Her aim is to improve engagement with mental health services and improve mental health outcomes for the military community.
Nadia is a veteran of the Australian Army and current serving Army Reservist in Sydney. She served operational tours to Afghanistan and the Solomon Islands and is a mother to two small children based in Sydney, New South Wales.
Nadia’s Business: https://www.veteranspsychology.com.au/
Karyn Hinder, Founder of Working Spirit, is the winner of The New Mission Award which recognises the skills and experience veterans bring to a civilian business(es).
This award is sponsored by Saab Australia.
“I come from a recruitment background in defence, I’ve got an admin background and I’ve worked with some fantastic men and women throughout my career,” she said.
“I thought, well, wouldn’t it be good if there was a business where I could help veterans into employment?”
Working Spirit is a registered charity that supports veterans into meaningful employment pathways after service to the Australian Defence Force. Established in November 2016, Karyn and her team have placed over 250 veterans.
Karyn has invested in a Transition Employment Portal and supports female veterans through the Women Veteran Employment Network (WOVEN). She also offers a Corporate Fellowship Work Experience Programme, and has hosted nine Military to Civilian Career Summits to connect veterans with employers. Karyn works closely with RSL Western Australia.
With 25-years’ experience across both the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force, Karyn applies her background in Public Affairs and Defence Force Recruiting to her charity.
Karyn is a current serving Reservist in Perth, Western Australia.
Karyn’s Business: https://www.workingspirit.org.au/
Hayley Boswell, Founder of Defence Kidz, is the winner of The Defence Family Business Award, recognising ADF partners and spouses in business(es).
“Our community and our policymakers really do want to help veterans and their families, they just don’t know how to do it until we speak up and educate them about what we need,”
Defence Kidz specialises in bespoke resources for Defence children that promote positive mental health, connection, and education. With first-hand experience of the challenges facing Defence children, Hayley passionately advocates for positive change through Defence Kidz. This includes appointments to the South Australian Government Veterans Advisory Council and participating in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Veterans and Families Policy Forum (2023).
Hayley has distributed over 13,000 books in Australian and overseas and is currently creating a cartoon animation for children of Defence families. She works collaboratively with other organisations, including RSL Care, Oasis Townsville, Defence Bank, Coles, and the Australian War Memorial.
Hayley was a finalist for the 2022 Beyond Service Awards, the 2023 Australian Small Business Awards, and the 2023 Prime Minister’s National Veteran Employment Awards.
Hayley is a Defence spouse, mother of two young children, and a Principal Solicitor based in Adelaide, South Australia.
Hayley’s Business: https://defencekidz.com.au/
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia Business of the Year Award goes to Ian Rawson, Founder of Australian Warfighter Coffee.
Michelle Endacott, Chief Executive of Prince’s Trust Australia said:
“You can’t be what you can’t see. Ian’s commitment to supporting local communities through his business is not only an inspiration to other Defence entrepreneurs, but to small business owners across Australia. Australian Warfighter Coffee is a force for good – championing sustainability through ethical supply chains and eco-friendly products, as well as critical social issues like mental health and employment.”
Julie Hall, Senior Manager, Veterans Banking and Specialised Industries at Commonwealth Bank said:
“This year’s recipient of the CommBank Business of the Year Award, Australian Warfighter Coffee, is a wonderful example of the impact veteran businesses can have on the broader community with all profits from their business going back to veteran and first responder charity groups. We’re delighted to be able to recognise Australian Warfighter Coffee with this award.”
For a full list of the Beyond Service Awards Finalists, visit here.
The 2023 Beyond Service Awards are proudly sponsored by Gold Sponsor Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and Silver Sponsor Saab Australia. The Prince’s Trust Australia Enterprise program received grant funding from the Australian Government to support veteran owned businesses.
