HLC Registered Charity
If you've followed MATAI for a while, you'll know that I've always said we were never just building a watch brand. The watches are what people see, but they've never been the reason I started. From day one, MATAI has been about people. It's about our culture, our identity, our communities and creating something that has a positive impact beyond the products we sell.
Over the past two years, something began to shift in me.
As MATAI continued to grow, I found myself spending more and more time back in the community. I was speaking in schools, mentoring young people, working with community groups and having conversations with families across Western Sydney. Every time I walked away from one of those sessions, I felt the same thing.
This is where I'm supposed to be.
The more time I spent with young people, the more I realised they weren't lacking talent. They weren't lacking ambition. Many of them were simply lacking opportunity, encouragement and someone who genuinely believed in them.
I saw incredible young people with amazing ideas who just needed someone to tell them they were capable. I met students who had never been asked what their dreams were. I watched confidence grow simply because someone took the time to listen.
Those moments stayed with me.
At the same time, MATAI was growing into something much bigger than I had ever imagined. We were reaching customers all over Australia and around the world, and while I was incredibly grateful for that, I kept asking myself one question.
What is all of this for?
I didn't want MATAI to simply become another successful brand. I wanted it to become a vehicle for something greater. I wanted our success to create opportunities for other people.
That's where Higher Learning Collective (HLC) began.
It wasn't created because I wanted to start a charity.
It wasn't created because I wanted another organisation.
It was created because the work was already happening.
We were already mentoring young people. We were already delivering programs in schools. We were already building relationships within our communities. Registering HLC as a charity was simply the next step in making sure that work could continue for years to come with the right structure, governance and accountability.
Today, HLC exists to help young people discover confidence, purpose and leadership through creativity, education and mentorship.
We believe education goes far beyond the classroom.
Sometimes all it takes is one conversation.
One mentor.
One opportunity.
One person who believes in you before you believe in yourself.
That's what we're trying to create.
People often ask why MATAI is connected to a charity, but to me they've always been part of the same vision.
MATAI is about legacy.
HLC is about investing in the people who will create that legacy.
Every watch we design tells a story of identity, purpose and where we come from. Through HLC, we're helping young people discover their own story and giving them the confidence to write the next chapter.
As a registered Australian charity, our vision is simple.
To create opportunities where they don't exist.
To invest in young people before the world tells them what they can't become.
To work alongside schools, families and communities to inspire the next generation of leaders, creators and changemakers.
I don't measure success by how many watches we sell anymore.
I measure it by the conversations we have.
The confidence we help build.
The lives we impact.
Because at the end of the day, products don't change the world.
People do.
If you've ever supported MATAI, whether you've purchased a watch, shared our story or simply believed in what we're building, you've helped make this possible.
HLC exists because of that support.
This is more than a charity.
It's a commitment to our communities.
It's a commitment to our young people.
And it's a commitment to ensuring that as MATAI continues to grow, so does our ability to give back.
This is only the beginning.
For more info about HLC please head to the website - hlc.org.au
Nick
