We Did It: Ombra & Sole Is a Double Finalist in the 2026 AusMumpreneur Awards
I have started and deleted this blog about five times now, because some news is hard to write about without getting a little teary.
So I will just say it plainly. Ombra & Sole is a double finalist in the 2026 AusMumpreneur Awards. Two categories. Chosen from more than 2,000 businesses across the country.
If you had told me a few years ago, back when I was sitting in a specialist's office hearing the word melanoma again, that this little brand would one day be recognised on a national stage, I am not sure I would have believed you. And yet here we are.
The two categories we are finalists in
Both of these mean the world to me, but for very different reasons.
Overcoming the Odds
This is the one that made me cry. Overcoming the Odds is exactly what it sounds like, an award for the road that got us here. For me that road runs straight through my own melanoma journey, facing it more than once (give times to be exact!) and choosing to build something good and protective out of something so frightening. Ombra & Sole exists because of that story, so to be named a finalist here feels deeply personal.
People's Choice, Making a Difference: Business
This one belongs to you as much as to us. Making a Difference is about the impact a business has beyond its products, and everything we do sits on that foundation. Every hat, every pair of sunnies, every sun safe reminder is about helping families enjoy the Aussie outdoors with a little more protection and a lot more peace of mind. Being a People's Choice finalist means the mission is landing, and that is the whole point.
Why this matters so much to us
Ombra & Sole was never meant to be just another accessories brand.
It started as a promise. A promise to my kids, and to myself, that our family could keep loving the beach, the bush, the backyard and every sunny adventure in between, just a little more protected. UPF50+ hats and UV400 polarised sunnies were how I turned that promise into something real, something other families could hold in their hands.
And because the whole reason we exist is skin cancer awareness, a dollar from every hat we sell goes to the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation. That part is not marketing. It is the heartbeat of the brand.
To have all of that recognised nationally, alongside so many incredible women in business, is something I will struggle to find the right words for.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart
I run this brand largely on my own, around teaching and family life, with my husband Guy pitching in whenever he can around his full time job. There is no big team behind the scenes and no agency pulling strings. There is just us, and there is you.
Every family who has ever popped one of our hats on a little head, every message telling me your kids will not take their sunnies off, every share and every kind word, that is what carried us to this moment. You made this happen. Thank you does not feel big enough, but thank you all the same.
What happens next
The finalists head to the awards celebration in Sydney in September 2026, and I honestly cannot wait to soak up every second of it.
There is also a People's Choice element to one of our categories, which means at some point soon there will be a chance to vote. Voting is not open just yet, but the moment it is, you will be the first to know. Keep an eye on your inbox and I will pop the link straight in.
For now, I just wanted to share the news with the people who made it possible.
We are a double finalist. And this Aussie mum with a mission could not be prouder.
With so much gratitude, Kara x
Ombra & Sole is a family sun protection brand born from a mum's melanoma journey, creating stylish UPF50+ hats and UV400 polarised sunglasses for the whole family, so you can adventure safely and enjoy the outdoors with confidence.