Entrepreneur: Martha Raka

Building Prosperity from the Ground Up

For Martha Raka, entrepreneurship is about far more than business. It is about creating opportunities, strengthening communities and building systems that enable people to take control of their own futures.

Over the past seven years, Martha has established herself as a social entrepreneur and cooperative development practitioner dedicated to helping some of Papua New Guinea’s most vulnerable communities thrive. Working primarily across Morobe Province, she has championed cooperative enterprise models that bring farmers together, strengthen climate-resilient livelihoods and create sustainable pathways to economic growth.

A graduate of the University of the Sunshine Coast with a Certificate IV in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation, Martha has turned her passion for community development into practical action. She has supported the establishment of cooperatives in climate-smart cocoa and coffee production, fisheries and other income-generating activities, helping communities increase household incomes while reducing vulnerability to environmental and economic shocks.

What distinguishes Martha’s leadership is her ability to transform grassroots ideas into scalable solutions. She has successfully designed multi-stakeholder programs that bring together communities, government and the private sector, including a cooperative enterprise development initiative. Through these programs, she is helping shift mindsets from subsistence living to entrepreneurship and self-reliance.

Beyond economic outcomes, Martha’s work is empowering women, building local leadership and creating long-term systems of shared prosperity. Her vision, innovation and commitment make her a powerful example of the transformative impact entrepreneurship can have in Papua New Guinea.