Indigenous chocolate manufacturer, Fiona Harrison discovered the love of her craft through personal trauma.

The Millthorpe local is now looking to expand her boutique business through an innovative crowdfunding partnership designed to empower women in the small business sector.

Her “Chocolate on Purpose” enterprise is looking to purchase a new high-tech chocolate blender through the Lift Women crowdfunding platform

However the Wiradjuri woman’s passage to the now, actually started more than a decade ago as part of a personal journey of renewal.

“It came from my experience in post-traumatic stress — an armed hold-up,” Fiona revealed.

“Through my healing journey, I found the power of botanicals when I was looking for a new direction.”

It was then, almost by chance, she hit upon the idea of combining traditional chocolate with Australian native botanicals.

“I bought my friend Jo, a birthday present of a chocolate-making course… the lady who was taking it, mentioned a black pepper and raspberry chocolate, and I remembered that most people like chocolates.

“I looked at Jo and thought ‘my people have been using these (native) foods for centuries,’ and that was the day that ‘Bushfood Chocolate’ was born,” she said.

Native fare that she now incorporates into her range includes the Illawarra and Davidson Plum, Quandong, finger lime, the Rosella flower, and the Mountain Pepper berry.

These native Australian foods, she says, not only taste good, but are infused with health-giving benefits, as much spiritual as physical.

“All these edibles have a traditional healing use and were used in bush medicine,” Fiona said.

“It’s about deepening the respect for ancient Indigenous wisdom and culture. We infuse our chocolates with ancient wisdom and also a mission,” she added.

Her aim now is to expand her decade-old business, now operating out of Dolce Sweets in Treats on Pym Street after previously being in Millthorpe’s Mae Rachelle Gallery. This is where the Global Sisters’ online marketplace comes in.

“I’m crowdfunding for a larger business, but women are very poorly represented in crowdfunding initiatives and the Global Sisters are mentoring women entrepreneurs to increase this number,” Fiona said.

Fiona has been selected among just 12 women-led businesses across the country to take part in the pilot of the two women-focused online business platforms.

This new partnership between Global Sisters’ online marketplace and Lift Women’s crowdfunding platform seeks to break down the age-old barriers to economic participation which sees women receive just a fifth of all startup capital for new businesses in Australia.

The women who utilise Global Sisters’ marketplace for their businesses and social enterprises are hopefully set to benefit from access to a previously untapped revenue stream via Lift Women’s crowdfunding platform, starting with Fiona and the 11 other budding businesswomen. 

Global Sisters’ CEO, Mandy Richards explained that: “The partnership with Lift Women is vital, because it means that the women that have their businesses and social enterprises on our marketplace now have access to a supported, gender-lensed mechanism for generating startup and growth capital for their business.”

Lift Women Founder and CEO Irene Tsang added: “women are severely underrepresented in the entrepreneurial world.”

According to Irene, the creation of an online community environment that is specifically geared towards reaching women users is integral to the platform’s success. 

“We are particularly focused on women, because we want to create a place where they can relate and with a narrative that they will understand. It is a safe go-to place where there is no judgment, only women supporting women,” she said. 

“The Global Sisters helped me pivot to working at my business full-time… they are always looking for ways to help women on their platform to grow,” Fiona added.

She is now seeking crowd-sourcing funding of about $19,000 for a specialist piece of chocolate-making equipment called a “Wheelie tempering machine”.

“It’s a semi-automated piece of machinery for making the chocolate. You can melt the chocolate and change the temperature continuously throughout the process,” Fiona explained.

“Rewards” for her investors (if she meets her target), she says, include a unique Indigenous Chocolate-Tasting Experience at Millthorpe’s eclectic Golden Memories Museum.

“Myself and the Museum, would also like to be able to plant a native garden as a quiet, contemplative space as part of the Experience.

“The chocolate-tasting and the information shared, will be enhanced by the sensory experience of the garden,” Fiona said.

“There’s also a reward with a behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum, so there is something for everyone,” Fiona concluded.