BUSINESS WORKSHOPS & PROGRAMS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Workshops that actually work.
Practical, results-focused workshops, seminars, forums and courses — online and in person — for councils who want real outcomes for their local business
communities.
City of Melbourne — 8 years RMIT Digital Marketing Educator since 20211, 1,500+ business consultations
Melton Business Excellence Awards Judge — 4 years Small Business Victoria Bus Mentor
WHY IT WORKS
Built on real experience,
not just theory
Every workshop is grounded in 15+ years of working directly with local businesses,
assessing grants, judging business awards, and teaching at university level. Your
community gets content that's current, practical and genuinely relevant.
01
PRACTICAL AND ACTIONABLE
Participants leave with tools and strategies they can apply immediately — not just slides and inspiration.
04
FLEXIBLE DELIVERY
Online or in person, single sessions or multi-part programs — designed to suit your community and budget.
02
COUNCIL-CONTEXT AWARE
Having worked inside council programs for over a decade, I understand your objectives, your audience, and what success looks like for your reporting.
03
ACADEMICALLY CURRENT
As a current RMIT Digital Marketing
educator, every workshop reflects the
latest thinking and best-practice
frameworks.
CREDIBILITY BY THE NUMBERS
A track record councils
can rely on
15+
YEARS ADVISORY
Guiding SMBs through strategy, marketing & digital transformation since 2009
4+
YEARS AT RMIT
Digital Marketing Strategy educator keeping content sharp and current
1,500+
CONSULTATIONS
Across retail, hospitality, services, tech, manufacturing and more
8
YEARS - CITY OF MELBOURNE
Grant assessor for business, digital adaptation and events grants
4
YEARS - MELTON AWARDS JUDGE
Business Excellence Awards judge and award application workshop facilitator
COUNCIL TRACK RECORD
Trusted by councils
across Greater Melbourne
A proven track record of delivering programs that genuinely support local business
communities.
CITY OF MELBOURNE
-Business grant assessor (8 years)
-Digital adaptation grants assessor
-Events grants assessor
-Grant application workshops
-AI for retail workshops
-Business marketing workshops
-VicMarket business support programs
MELTON COUNCIL
-Business Excellence Awards Judge (4 years)
-Award application workshops
-Growing a business workshops
WYNDHAM, BRIMBANK & WHITTLESEA
-Business growth workshops (Wyndham)
-Business support workshops (Brimbank)
-Social Media Success workshop (Whittlesea)
SMALL BUSINESS VICTORIA
-Mentor on the Small Business Bus program
-Mentoring clinics via SBMS across multiple councils
WHAT I OFFER
Workshops & program options
All programs can be delivered online, in person, or as hybrid formats — as one-off
sessions, series, or ongoing programs tailored to your council's business support
objectives.
GRANT APPLICATION READINESS
Helping businesses understand what assessors look for — from someone who has assessed thousands of applications.
AWARDS APPLICATION WORKSHOPS
Supporting businesses to articulate their value and compete successfully in business excellence award programs.
ABOUT KATYA ELLIS
The facilitator behind
the programs
the programs
2009
IN BUSINESS ADVISORY
RMIT
DIGITAL MARKETING EDUCATOR
Harvard
BUSINESS SCHOOL POSTGRAD
I'm a business strategist, educator, and advisor with a genuine passion for helping local businesses grow. My background spans information systems, business management, marketing and strategy — and I've been putting it to work with councils for over a decade.
My work with councils isn't a side offering — it's been a core part of what I do since 2009. I understand what council-funded programs need to achieve, what business owners in your community actually struggle with, and how to design a workshop that delivers value participants remember.
Double Bachelor's in Information Systems & Business (International) — Swinburne University
Postgraduate studies at Harvard Business School — Business Strategy & Sustainable Business Strategy
Digital Marketing Strategy Educator at RMIT since 2021
SBMS accredited business mentor
Non-Profit Board Director
Founder, Novinka Consulting & Strategy to Impact
20+ years across strategy consulting, marketing, events, government and industry
Let's build something great
for your community
Get in touch to discuss your council's business support goals and how I can tailor a program that works for you.
