At just 33 years old, Dominic Porter, Founder and CEO of All Care Australia (ACA), has lived a life many would struggle to fit into twice the time. A British military veteran, entrepreneur, philanthropist and a father of four, he’s built a business empire spanning multiple industries. Yet, his heart remains firmly rooted in one mission: transforming the lives of vulnerable young people.

“When my mom describes my life to her friends, they think I’m a 60-year-old man,” Porter tells The CEO Magazine, with a laugh. “I mean, I’ve been in the military in Afghanistan, and then I immigrated to Australia where I now run 12 businesses. And I also have four kids.

“But when I started ACA, I didn’t jump into the industry thinking I was going to change the world. But I knew I was going to do a good job.”

Setting a new standard

Porter’s confidence wasn’t unfounded. Since launching ACA in 2017, he has reshaped the landscape of residential youth care in Australia, focusing on trauma-informed, high-quality support for young people who have experienced severe adversity. And it all started when he identified a gap in the market.

“I recognized the need for quality residential care for complex youth,” he explains. “And the light bulb moment was realizing we needed to keep these young people in our care because they would transition from house to house to house. So it became about implementing a framework of relationship-based care.”

For Porter, relationships start at the top.

“If you don’t have a good relationship with your CEO, you’re not going to have a good relationship with your staff. If your staff don’t have good relationships with each other, they’re not going to have good relationships with the young people,” he points out.

This philosophy has transformed ACA into one of the most effective organizations in the sector. By prioritizing stability, connection and long-term support, Porter and his team have created an environment where healing can begin.

“Our mission is to provide high-quality, trauma-informed care that promotes the safety, healing and development of children in our residential care programs,” he says, sharing one of ACA’s proudest success stories to date, involving a young girl.

“She was significantly traumatized, very aggressive toward staff, introverted at times and extroverted at others,” he begins. “She engaged in a lot of self-harm and had multiple placement breakdowns.”

But ACA didn’t give up on her. Instead, the organization provided the stability and support she needed until she transitioned into disability care at 18.

“No-one else wanted to look after her. But we created a safe environment and met her needs,” he says. “That’s what success looks like for us.”

Scaling with purpose

In the early days of ACA, Porter says he wore every hat in the business.

“I’ve done lots of sleepovers, where you provide overnight care in a home. If I hadn’t, how could I have encouraged my staff to do them?” he says. “I believe you have to put yourself in their shoes before you can manage the role.”

He goes on to say that as the company grew, so did its structure. Today, ACA has a management team of about 30 people and employs over 1,000 staff members.

“It’s great,” Porter says. “Our success comes from the fact that we have an unwavering commitment to young people.”

That commitment includes ensuring access to education, proper medical care and reconnection with family where possible. He’s particularly passionate about ACA’s efforts to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, ensuring they remain connected to their communities.

“Our family reconnection program works to identify if a young person in our care might have relatives that could look after them. Just because their mom and dad might not be OK doesn’t mean they don’t have a caring cousin or an auntie,” he says.

“Our goal is to get these young people out of care. Doing this day in and day out isn’t about the money. It’s about remembering why we do what we do – it’s because children are our future.”

Changing the system

Despite ACA’s success, Porter sees significant challenges in the sector. One of the biggest, he says, is the stigma surrounding children in care.

“They get labeled in school and by many in society, and the stigma persists into adulthood that they are less capable and burdened by their past,” he reveals.

“That’s a challenge for us. These young people struggle with relationships and in the community. They hang out with people they shouldn’t hang out with because they believe that’s where they belong. They’ve been told all their lives that’s who they are.”

Another challenge is the lack of outreach services, he adds.

“When young people abscond or run away, they might go back to their troubled home. They might be gone for days on end, but we don’t know where they are. It’s not like we can track them,” he says.

For Porter, there is a solution and it lies in being proactive.

“We need to focus more on early intervention – but it must be done properly,” he says. “While we can’t be the ones to stop young people coming into care, we can be the ones to pioneer and support young people in going back to their families if it’s safe to do so.

“Let’s have some really robust early indicators so we can ensure these young people aren’t coming into care in the first place.”

Building an empire

Despite the deep emotional investment required to run ACA, Porter isn’t one to stand still. “When I got the business to a stage where it was stable and sustainable, I became bored,” he admits. “So I had to do something else.”

That ‘something else’ turned into 12 businesses across a range of industries, including music festivals, nightclubs, bars, restaurants, cafes, restoration garages and even a construction company.

While his business ventures are diverse, his drive remains the same: providing security for his family.

“When you have kids, your whole drive changes,” Porter says. “It wasn’t about me anymore.

“It was about making sure they’re safe. And when you have a business, you never feel completely safe because there’s always the chance it won’t be there tomorrow.”

Always putting others’ needs before his own, Porter has ensured his success benefits those around him, including his extended family.

“My goal has been to help my broader family – my brothers, sisters, nan, mom and dad and my wife’s mom. I wanted to create that security for everyone.”

The right thing to do

His efforts don’t stop within the borders of family life either. ACA is for-profit, which gives it unique advantages to make a big impact. Not only does it mean they can support children and keep staff employed, but it also gives them the ability to help others – across the world.

Porter’s passion for philanthropy sees ACA doing everything from funding orphanages in Fiji and Bali to establishing a poultry program in Africa to give schools access to quality protein.

“We’ve also helped with flood relief, and every year, we’ll pay off Christmas layaways at various stores anonymously,” he says. “I don’t want people to thank me for being kind. I just like helping.”

His experiences overseas have reinforced his belief that happiness isn’t tied to material wealth. “Some of the happiest people I’ve seen live in areas of lower socioeconomic status like Afghanistan, Africa and Bali. They don’t have much, yet they’re still so happy,” Porter says.

“Meanwhile, here I am with all of these material successes, but I’m not always happy. So I pondered how I could fulfill my soul more – and it’s through giving.”

Leadership by example

As a leader, Porter describes himself as collaborative, empathetic and direct.

“I don’t beat around the bush if I have something to discuss,” he says. “But I also have an open-door policy. If someone wants to raise an issue with me, I’ll listen.”

However, he admits it hasn’t always been that way.

“My old leadership style was defensive,” Porter admits. “But over time, I’ve found that I can actually learn a lot from my staff and people around me.

“I’ve learned to be empathetic and strategic. Importantly, I’ve learned the importance of focusing on creating strong relationships and partnerships, which have become a big part of ACA’s success.”

As he continues to grow the businesses and give back to the community, he’s also dedicated himself to yet another endeavor – becoming an author.

“I’m working on a book geared toward entrepreneurs,” he reveals. “It’s nowhere near ready, but it aims to inspire and guide readers toward a life of fulfillment beyond their years, inspiring them to live life to the fullest.”

From the front line

The book also provides insight into Porter’s time in the military, specifically his journey of adaptation and growth. After all, his journey into the world of care began in one of the most unlikely of places – Afghanistan.

At just 19, he was deployed as part of the British military, patrolling villages and interacting with local children.

“I was often engaging with the kids, giving them small gifts, some water and supporting them,” he recalls. “And it hit me, I really enjoyed working with children.”

After his first child was born, he knew his priorities had shifted.

“I had nothing else to prove. I’d already been to Afghanistan, so I thought, ‘Let’s try to be a dad’,” he says.

That decision brought him to Australia, where he found himself working as a youth worker – one of the few roles he qualified for at the time. It wasn’t long, though, before he began rising through the ranks, transitioning into residential care, disability support and community services.

His natural ability to connect with children and young adults, particularly those who had experienced significant trauma, quickly became evident.

“I really enjoyed seeing results after building relationships with these kids and young adults,” Porter says. “It lit a fire in my heart. It became my passion.”

Despite all the life experience he’s packed into his three decades on Earth, Porter admits that understanding himself has been one of the biggest challenges.

“The only thing the military doesn’t teach you is how to leave,” he points out.

“For me, I’m good at understanding what’s going on for others, but I don’t necessarily know what’s going on for me. It’s hard to identify things in yourself – the only thing you can manage is your own behavior.

“But I’ve always focused more on others than myself. Has helping these kids vicariously helped me? Maybe.”

Breaking stereotypes

With a muscular build, covered in tattoos, Porter admits he doesn’t fit the mold of a traditional CEO. But if anyone understands the value of not judging a book by its cover, it’s him.

“People look at me and assume I’m a biker. It’s so cliche,” he says.

“But let me be proof that you can do so many different things and pursue what you’re passionate about. It doesn’t matter what it is. Don’t stay in a box just because society puts you there. Follow your dreams.”

And if his journey is anything to go by, the sky’s the limit.