Noongar Whadjuk and Koori Gunditjmara man Jessi Gidgup-Lovett will be among the rising Indigenous leaders speaking at the Western Australia First Nations Leadership Summit this month.

Organised by the Hatchery, the event will be held on 21–22 May at the Novotel Perth Langley, Boorloo, and streamed online.

Mr Gidgup-Lovett is the First Nations Assistant Director, Evaluation Insights, at the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department. He holds a Bachelor of Biomedical Science from the University of Western Australia and has built a career grounded in both cultural and clinical knowledge, developed through work in Aboriginal health services, community-controlled organisations, and within the WA Department of Health.

He has played a vital role in delivering culturally appropriate healthcare to Aboriginal communities in the South West, ensuring services reflect community needs and values through ethical consultation.

"My people, especially my mum, have always been my inspiration. From art and fishing to listening deeply to Country's rhythms, my aunties and uncles empowered me to lead. Though some have since passed, their teachings continue to guide me," he told National Indigenous Times.

Mr Gidgup-Lovett reflected on once heading down the wrong path in his youth before making a conscious decision to pursue a future in health. While studying biomedical science full time, he worked in Aboriginal health across the Great Southern region, driven by a desire to become a medical practitioner.

Although originally set on medicine, his time within the health system revealed a gap in leadership and cultural safety at the decision-making level. This prompted a shift into the Federal Government, where he saw an opportunity to make change from within.

"I wanted to challenge the systemic disadvantages, especially the racism I was experiencing, and bring cultural frameworks into spaces where they were missing, that were incubated and designed by First Peoples. That's what led me to the Attorney-General's Department," he said.

There, he discovered a new passion for evaluation—bringing together data, First Nations insight and community knowledge to shape policy and create meaningful impact.

"Working across state and federal levels, I've realised our people have always been evaluators—understanding patterns, rhythms, and the deeper how and why behind them," he said.

For Mr Gidgup-Lovett, change must be driven from both the grassroots and the top.

"Change is an outcome of influence, and from my experience, it must be multi-pronged. It takes both community-led decision-making and leadership at the top, grounded in a commitment to unlearn, relearn and engage with respect—where reciprocity is practiced, not performed."

He said the Leadership Summit offers a powerful space to honour the strength, resilience and wisdom of First Nations peoples.

"It's a chance to connect with stories of survival, leadership and cultural strength—and to recognise that we've always been here. We're still here. Our culture isn't going anywhere."

He emphasised the importance of self-narration in evaluation—centering lived experiences alongside the data to ensure Indigenous voices remain at the heart of decision-making.

"When we listen deeply to the stories coming from Country, told by communities themselves, we can reflect those priorities back in meaningful, culturally respectful outcomes."

He also urged for Indigenous storytelling to remain in the hands of mob, not filtered through colonial narratives.

"It's vital that we tell our own stories—because if we don't, we risk being spoken for, again. Our stories hold layers of truth and strength, and they belong to us."

More information about The Hatchery's upcoming Western Australia First Nations Leadership Summit is available online.