Karla Kuliny was established by CEO Aunty Glenda Kickett, a Whadjuk and Ballardong woman from the Bibbulman Noongar Nation, and Social Worker with over thirty years of experience working in the child protection and out-of-home-care (OOHC) sectors.

Glenda had a vision to establish an organisation that is culturally strong and guided by principles of therapeutic care, to support the cultural and trauma-related needs of First Nations children and young people. This vision was driven by her experience as a child in care who left the system with a sense of disconnection from culture and family. Later in life, Glenda managed an out-of-home care organisation working with First Nations children and young people and observing challenging behaviours and understanding needs through a trauma-informed lens.