We do things differently.

Just Ripples is an Indigenous-led, Supply Nation registered, for-purpose company grounded in the belief that professional and research services can be both rigorous and deeply human.

With over 40 years of combined experience in public health and research, we design and deliver work that is thoughtful, evidence-based, and built for real-world change, from program design and implementation to impact evaluation and social responsibility.

But what matters most is how we do it.

Our work is driven by a social mission: a commitment to the self-determination and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Through profit and resource redistribution, community partnerships, mentoring, and pro-bono work, we ensure impact extends beyond individual projects.

We believe small, intentional actions create lasting change. We believe ripples matter.

Four children playing at the beach near the water, with blue sky and scattered white clouds in the background.

Designed for Impact, Built on Relationships.

Indigenous Leadership

Grounded in Indigenous leadership and both-ways knowledge, we combine lived experience, experiential learning, and strategic guidance to support change that is culturally informed, and sustainable. We are registered with Supply Nation as majority Indigenous-owned and run.

Impact Beyond the Project

We embed social impact into every project. In addition to delivering outcomes, we actively reinvest through profit and resource redistribution, community partnerships, mentoring, and pro-bono work. We are a member of the Queensland Social Enterprise Council and are working towards verification as a Social Enterprise.

Working Together

Our approach is grounded in relationships. We work alongside communities and organisations, not as external experts, but as collaborators, co-creating work that is meaningful, accountable, and built to last.

Clear blue swimming pool water with sunlight reflections creating ripples and patterns.

Our Team

A man with a beard wearing a salmon-colored button-up shirt, standing outdoors with green trees and blue sky in the background.

Director | Co-founder

Francis is a Torres Strait Islander man and Traditional Owner, experienced in building partnerships with people from all walks of life, cultures and backgrounds. He has significant experience working within government, hospital and health services and large organisational systems. Francis sits on several national and international boards. He is skilled in leading service evaluations, program design and implementation, and executing co-design in meaningful and mutually beneficial ways.

Qualifications: Masters in Public Health, Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Research and Leadership, Bachelor of Nursing (Registered)

Affiliations: Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy

Francis Nona

A woman smiling outdoors with green trees in the background, wearing a beige blouse and a large pendant necklace.

Britta Wigginton

A young woman with long dark hair, smiling and wearing a black button-up shirt, standing on a wooden balcony surrounded by green trees and foliage.

Co-founder | Lead Consultant

Britta has over a decade of experience as a public health academic and senior consultant. Her PhD in psychology and practice as a Gestalt therapist has nurtured her relational, trauma-informed and power-sensitive way of working. Britta works at the intersection of cultural, relational, and organisational change. She brings extensive experience in facilitation, co-design, qualitative research, and program design and evaluation.

Qualifications: PhD, Master of Gestalt Therapy, and Bachelor of Arts (Hons).

Mina Kinghorn

Co-founder | Lead Consultant

Mina is a public health professional specialising in research translation, systems coordination, and community-informed strategy. She brings a strong operational lens to complex work, helping ideas turn into sustainable practice where end-users are prioritised. Mina leads with a relational approach and a clear commitment to equity, supporting work that is both practical and impactful.

Qualifications: Master of Public Health, Bachelor of International Studies.

Torres Strait Islander artist carving of a black and white fish with intricate patterns.

Dhibuka Pawur (Diving for Mackerel)

Artist: Laurie Nona (2023)

Shared with Artist’s permission.

Two brown hands holding a aqua turtle with a spiral shell design.

The story of our logo

Our work is about justice.

Our work is about social change: the kind that ripples out.

We are inspired by the journey of the waru (turtle) who travels vast SeaCountry living in reciprocal relationship with all living beings, and always returns home to the beach where they were born. The colours are inspired by the seas, sands and lands of Zenadth Kes - Francis’ homelands.

The waru held in the hands of the ancestors is the core of our logo and our commitment to working in ‘right relationship’ with (and for) Traditional Custodians and Knowledge Holders of the continent now called Australia.

The spiral of the waru’s shell reflects the cyclical nature of life. Past, present and future are interconnected. We meet life in patterns and continue to circle through until we take our last breath.

Our logo was created by artist Caitie Ashby, who works intuitively and with deep reverence for Traditional Knowledges and Knowledge Holders. Caitie lives in Magandjin and is a non-Indigenous artist committed to honouring the stories entrusted to her and how she can be of service to the larger story of healing in Australia.

An aqua turtle with a spiral shell.
A spiral-shaped shell in aqua, the colour of the seas of Torres Strait.