A guest post from Joan Dellavalle, owner of Ebony and Ivory. – “You know that it is possible for anyone, everyone, including a small business such as mine, to make a difference when you have the same young people return to your programs – confident and comfortable in themselves – to teach others about acceptance.”
Natasha Price saw an immediate need for services that helped empower people with disabilities and also equipped businesses with the tools and knowledge needed to build inclusive workplaces. In this interview, she outlines why she launched InvincAble and what makes their approach to diversity and inclusion effective.
Children’s author and science writer, Cristy Burne, discusses her involvement with Aussie STEM Stars, a series of narrative biographies that share the childhood and lives of high-achieving Australian scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians.
In Australia, people from a CALD background have a significantly lower level of access to mental health care and support in the wider community, with many not seeking help or support. Following his recent appointment as Multicultural Mental Health Ambassador for the Northern Territory, Mathews David shares his views on the value and role of mental health programs and policies for CALD communities.
Aarti Bajaj is the creative director of groundbreaking production company, Wild Dreamer Productions. Bajaj recently rejected the words “white” and “brown” on the set of her major stage production, believing the terms to inhibit inclusiveness and diversity. She said her aim is to offer actors, dancers, singers and composers a platform to showcase their talent, without being hindered by their ethnicity. In this interview, Bajaj shares experiences from her career in production, and her views on the representation of ethnicity on screen.
As well as being an engineer, gym owner and author, Yemi Penn is a business coach and is passionate about helping others become their authentic self. In this interview, she shares why she is passionate about empowering and supporting others who are focusing on what they ‘should’ do, and how she is setting out to change the stat that one in three people are unhappy with where they are in life. She also shares her views on diversity and inclusion, and how her experiences as a woman of colour have impacted her approach to business today.
Trang Pham, Civil Engineer at Aurecon and Chair of Women in Engineering Queensland at Engineers Australia, has had a varied career across retail, business, public service, and engineering in the private sector. She is passionate about representing and driving further diversity across STEM industries, particularly engineering, and recognises the challenges vary from organisation to organisation.
Unlike many women working in STEM in Australia, Madhu Bhaskaran, Professor and Co-Leader, Functional Materials and Microsystems Research Group at RMIT University, has not found entering or staying in the STEM industry challenging. She attributes this to her upbringing in India, and the environment and colleagues today at her workplace, RMIT University.
Hayden McEvoy was diagnosed with ADHD in Year 1 and has since thrived at school and gone on to start his own successful tutoring company. He believes in the importance of a student’s environment, rather than their ADHD diagnosis, when determining their potential. In this interview, Hayden shares his own journey through the education system, and why he developed a bespoke teaching model to bring out the best in every student.
Shain Neumeier is an attorney and activist, a proud member of the disability and LGBTQ+ communities, and a passionate advocate for disability justice. In this interview, they share why disability justice is worth fighting for, the challenges society needs to overcome to achieve disability justice, and the importance of not mistaking disability justice for disability rights and ensuring it leads to fundamental changes across society.
Peace Mitchell is an entrepreneur and business leader who recognised the opportunities presented by empowering more women, and also recognised the importance of continuing to invest in developing more accessible business school programs for women in order to truly reach gender equality and equity in corporate leadership.
Muneera Bano is a passionate advocate for women in STEM and is an active role model for the next generation via the various accolades and positions she holds, including a ‘Superstar of STEM’ for Science and Technology Australia, and the Go Girl, Go For IT 2020 Ambassador. In this interview, Muneera shares her views on driving diversity and inclusion in STEM fields.
Renee Thomson, a proud Wiradjuri woman and Co-Founder of Western Sydney Aboriginal Youth Leadership Network, believes strongly in the powerful impact effective community engagement can make, particularly in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. In this interview, she outlines what constructive change looks like and how she believes we can get there.
Along with the joys of cooking and wanting to share this with the world, Dan is a new business owner whose business was severely impacted by COVID-19, and a LGBTQI+ community member who believes strongly in the need for change in how the TV and media industries represent LGBTQI+ experiences and stories.
Growing up with a strong support network and Maori community, Kera believes strongly in the power of role models and community engagement. In this interview, Kera shares why and how she started Fibromyalgia Aotearoa NZ, and her views and experiences with ableism.
