PARTICIPANT PROFILE : LISA-MAY ROSSINGTON
Lisa-May Rossington was a participant of the Women’s Indigenous Food and Fibre Entrepreneurs Program, Toowoomba Workshop.
WORDS & IMAGES BY ALICE ARMITAGE
Lisa-May Rossington has a particular blend of softness that you can tell gives her the ability to nurture community while holding firm on her own objectives. As co-founder of Red Sand Sisters, she has built far more than a shop in the centre of Toowoomba. She has built a cultural ecosystem.
A space where Indigenous makers are honoured, where cultural integrity is non-negotiable, and where customers are invited to learn.
Lisa-May moves carefully through her purpose. She is not interested in tokenism, shallow representation or the easy performance of culture. For her, empowerment happens through creativity, visibility and connection.
Lisa-May shared this about her participation in the Women’s Indigenous Food and Fibre Entrepreneurs Program. “I think it’s the networking,” she said. “When you come to things like this, it’s that time to be able to connect. That’s what culture is about, making connections.”
When she talks about Red Sand Sisters, the language she uses is deeply relational. She speaks about her makers with gratitude. Her community with pride. Her customers with affection. She knows exactly how fragile visibility can be, and she protects it fiercely.
Every product stocked and created by Red Sand Sisters has a maker’s story attached to it. Every decision is filtered through the same question: does this honour us?
Lisa-May doesn’t talk about growth in terms of scaling or expansion. She talks about the widening of circles and in creating more opportunities for people to learn what true cultural exchange feels like. What she is building is a centre of gravity for Indigenous creativity.
You can find more information about Lisa and her work here.