About Us
Jessica Fidler’s professional journey is rooted in purpose, community and evidence-based impact. Jessica’s drive to create lasting impact for First Nations people is deeply grounded in a legacy of advocacy and activism passed down through her family. She draws profound inspiration from her grandmother, Iris Clayton, a respected Wiradjuri Elder who was an outspoken advocate for Aboriginal rights, cultural recognition and education. Iris dedicated much of her life to ensuring Aboriginal culture, history and perspectives were visible, respected and taught particularly within schools and public spaces at a time when Aboriginal voices were often marginalised or silenced. Growing up with this influence shaped Jessica’s understanding that real change requires courage, persistence and a willingness to challenge systems that exclude First Nations peoples. This legacy of activism continues to guide Jessica’s work through Madhawu Consulting, where advocacy, cultural integrity and structural change sit at the centre of her approach to policy, research and reform.
From early in her career, Jessica has drawn on both cultural grounding and technical rigor to guide her work. Her career began in research where she built a strong foundation in analytical thinking and evidence generation. While at the CSIRO, Jessica contributed to multidisciplinary projects involving biosecurity methods, big-data modelling and the evaluation of the Indigenous STEM Education Project experiences that sharpened her ability to work across sectors and translate complex data into actionable insights.
Driven by her passion for community-centred policy and practice, Jessica transitioned into a policy advisory role, where she further refined her skills in program and strategy development. In founding Madhawu Consulting, Jessica brought together her professional expertise and her lived commitment to First Nations voices.
The company philosophy reflects her belief that meaningful change is driven through genuine collaboration, respect, and culturally grounded methodologies. Under her leadership, Madhawu Consulting partners with communities, organisations and governments to co-design strategies and capacity building programs that are ethical, robust and tailored to the aspirations of the people they serve. Jessica’s approach is both strategic and relational, valuing rigorous research, clear frameworks and the lived knowledge of community partners. Her consultancy practice offers services from policy development and monitoring and evaluation through to qualitative research.
Alongside her professional work, Jessica is extremely passionate about the employment and professional development of young First Nations peoples. Jessica looks forward to continuing this work and contributing to ensuring First Nations voices are centred, respected and empowered.