Keynote Speaker - Mindy Woods

Women in Seafood Australasia is honoured to welcome Mindy Woods as the keynote speaker for the 2026 Seafood Directions Power Up Breakfast.

Mindy Woods, a proud Bundjalung woman, acclaimed chef and founder of Karkalla On Country, is one of Australia’s leading ambassadors for native ingredients and First Nations food culture. Through her work, she connects people to Country, culture and community, reminding us that food is far more than sustenance; it is story, identity and connection.

A former MasterChef Australia finalist, cookbook author and 2025 Champion of Change recognised by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Mindy has become a powerful voice celebrating Indigenous knowledge and creating spaces where people can come together through food, culture and storytelling.

At the Power Up Breakfast, Mindy will share her journey and her vision for a future where native ingredients, sustainable food systems and cultural knowledge are recognised and celebrated.

First Nations women were skilled gatherers and fishers, providing food for their families and communities. In coastal Sydney, Eora fisherwomen paddled bark canoes across the garrigarrang (sea), fishing with finely crafted lines and shell hooks, often with babies at their breast and fires burning in the belly of their canoes to cook the day’s catch.

These women were not only fishers, they were knowledge holders, providers and leaders, sustaining their communities through deep understanding of land, sea and seasons.

From the Eora fisherwomen of Warrane to the seafood leaders of today, women have always shaped the story of seafood in Australia.

In 2026, we will gather not only to power up for the conference ahead, but also to honour the long tradition of women whose knowledge of the sea has sustained communities for generations.

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Biography

Mindy Woods is a proud Bundjalung woman, celebrated Indigenous chef, native food expert, educator and owner of Karkalla Byron Bay. She is a passionate educator on the significance of native foods and the role it plays in Australia’s cultural identity. Through her work preserving and sharing Indigenous food culture, Mindy combines native ingredients with sustainable, community-focused cooking to tell powerful stories of culture, place, and connection.

In 2020, Mindy founded Karkalla in Byron Bay, named after a native succulent, as a space to connect diners with Aboriginal culture through food. Here she became the first female indigenous chef to be awarded a Chef’s Hat by the Australian Good Food Guide in 2023 & 2024. After its closure, she launched Karkalla On Country, offering immersive outdoor dining experiences that honour Country and celebrate native ingredients in their natural environment.

Mindy is also the author of Karkalla At Home, a cookbook encouraging Australians to use native ingredients in everyday meals.

In 2021, she proudly represented Australia at the World Expo in Dubai, returning to the global stage again in Osaka, Japan, in 2025 to continue championing Indigenous Australian cuisine.

Mindy’s contributions were recognised internationally when she won the World’s 50 Best Restaurants “Champion of Change” award in Turin early this year, June 2025.

Mindy will once again represent Australia as a guest speaker at international food symposium Para bere forum in Barcelona.