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The latest news, media coverage and announcements from The Koji Collective.

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📰 Bendigo business named national finalist in AusMumpreneur Awards 2026

28 August 2026

The Koji Collective, a Bendigo-based business helping families navigate hard conversations with children, has been named a finalist in the 2026 AusMumpreneur Awards.

Founded by Sharni, a social worker with 15 years of experience working with children and families, The Koji Collective creates conversation cards designed using trauma-informed principles to help kids aged 6 to 12 talk about the things that are hardest to raise, online safety, feelings, friendships and identity.

Built from a regional Victorian kitchen table, the business has grown from a single idea into two published card sets, a growing suite of digital resources, and a community of parents, educators and allied health professionals across Australia, all without paid advertising.

"A year ago this was an idea I wasn't sure would work," said founder Sharni. "Being named a finalist means so much, not for the recognition itself, but because it tells me the message is landing. Parents are hungry for an easier way to start these conversations, and that's exactly what I set out to build."

The Koji Collective was piloted with real families, schools and practitioners in Bendigo before reaching a wider audience, with direct feedback shaping every card in the final product.

The AusMumpreneur Awards celebrate the achievements of mothers in business across Australia, recognising the resilience, creativity and impact of women building businesses alongside raising a family. Finalists will be celebrated at the national awards gala in Sydney in September 2026.

The Koji Collective is available at thekojicollective.com.au, and is also stocked locally at Curators Club, Bendigo.