Towards Better is a boutique training and community development social enterprise based in Townsville, Queensland; founded by Ricky Esterquest in early 2020. We help people with disability access real, valued employment (Customised Employment), and support the businesses, schools, and organisations around them to make that inclusion work in practice.
Since 2020, we’ve helped 24 people into ongoing, award-wage jobs, delivered 50+ training sessions to organisations across Townsville, and worked alongside thousands of people driving inclusion in our community. Whether you’re a business, school, government entity, or community group, we bring practical, tailored training and mentoring; not just advice.
To discover, connect, and mobilize the assets, skills, and passions of individuals, communities, and businesses to create better communities through the inclusion of people with disabilities in valued social roles.
A world where all individuals are involved in ordinary community life and communities naturally step forward with authenticity to welcome their valued gifts, talents, and contributions.
Founder & Principal, Towards Better | Customised Employment & Community Development Trainer
Ricky is an American by birth and a Townsville resident since 2015; first and foremost a proud husband, father, and active school parent.
As a family member of someone with a disability, and after years working in segregated settings such as Disability Day Programs, Aged Care, and Special Needs Recreation, Ricky saw firsthand the “life-wasting” experience of people with disabilities stuck in the eternal client role, trapped in ‘serviceland’. After Inclusion Works Townsville closed in 2017, Ricky held several roles with large Townsville not-for-profits before founding Towards Better, a Certified Social Enterprise, in 2020; built to help people with disabilities gain the good things of life (Purpose, Belonging, Learning & Growth, Freely Given Relationships, and Meaningful Work) through valued, active roles in welcoming communities.
Since 2020, Ricky has personally helped 25 people into paid, award-wage, ongoing customised employment, facilitated over $250,000 in annual wages for employees with disability, and delivered 50+ workshops and training sessions reaching 175+ people in the last year alone. He has been invited to keynote at the Family Advocacy National Gathering (2025), the ASRVA National Gathering (2024), and Primary Connect’s R U OK Day (2025).
Ricky now works directly with organisations; schools, disability providers, employers, and community groups, who want their own teams equipped to do this work well. Drawing on Customised Employment, Social Role Valorisation, Asset Based Community Development, and Discovery-based practice, he designs and delivers practical training, mentoring, and hands-on coaching that builds real capability, not just theory. Whether it’s a school wanting to develop a Disability Liaison role, an employer building an inclusive hiring pathway, or a provider wanting their staff genuinely skilled in Customised Employment, Ricky brings frameworks that are tested, replicable, and grounded in what actually works.
Ricky is a Certified Trainer & Assessor (working toward Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, 2026), a Social Role Valorisation Co-Teacher of 10+ years, an experienced Community Development practitioner and Neighbourhood Organiser, and is beginning a Master of Teaching & Learning (Secondary) in 2027.
Outside of work, Ricky is a baseball player, jiu-jitsu practitioner, committee member, volunteer, CrossFit enthusiast, friend, brother, student, and sports dad — currently coaching youth soccer and baseball.
What Ricky loves most about this work is how a valued role ; created for someone others might never have considered , sparks change in everyone’s lives. It raises expectations, builds new relationships between people who were previously disconnected, and shifts perceptions to reveal: we aren’t so different, you and I.
Work with Ricky: Training, mentoring, and consulting for organisations building capability in Customised Employment, community development and connection, and inclusive workforce practice.
While Towards Better is a team of one, it’s backed by an extensive network built across years of working in Townsville. If you’re looking for a mentor, a connector, someone with a specific skill or shared interest, or simply someone local to you, we can help make that connection; chances are, we already know exactly who you need.
We are always looking for people who believe in this vision and live our values especially people with lived experience of disability, culturally and linguistically diverse individuals, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other diverse groups.
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