Dr Fariba Behnia-Willison is an endo-gynaecologist, pelvic floor and reconstructive specialist. Fariba and her practice, FBW Gynaecology Plus was named the 2023 Telstra Best of Business Awards National; Accelerating Women and Championing Health Winner. Fariba also founded Desert Flower South Australia, which supports survivors of female genital mutilation [FGM] and gender-transitioning women. Dessert Flower offers free FGM reversal surgery. Fariba is an exceptional doctor and human being and thi...
Aug 09, 2023•48 min•Season 4Ep. 96
Mani Thiru blends her love for space and satellites with poetry, writing, bharathanatym and more. She is a fierce advocate for women and indigenous peoples to participate in STEM. She is the winner of the Women’s Agenda, Emerging Leader Award and Stevie Awards, Female Entrepreneur of the year. In this episode, Mani takes us on a journey through her life from the UK to Sri Lanka to Zimbabwe to NZ and Australia. Mani shares beautifully how for many people of colour, books are an escape and educati...
Aug 02, 2023•52 min•Season 4Ep. 95
Captain Mona Shindy was born in Egypt in 1968 and migrated to Australia with her family at the age of three. Her 32 year Royal Australian Navy career saw her serve on a number of the nation’s most technologically advanced warships which took her to all corners of the world. She saw active service at the commencement of the IRAQ conflict in 2003. Utilising her extensive array of leadership, technical, change management and business competencies she has led many organisations through significant b...
Jul 26, 2023•48 min•Season 4Ep. 94
Natassia Nicolao is the CEO and Founder of Conserving Beauty. Div first met Natassia as the Victorian State Winner, Telstra Best of Business Awards in the Accelerating Women Category. Div judged her at the Nationals and she wowed as judges. Here is an under 30, biochemist who leveraged the technology from water soluble bandages for burn victims to bring us water soluble make-up wipes – yes you that's right, she brought this to the beauty industry and in a big way. Did you know that two thirds of...
Jul 19, 2023•48 min•Season 4Ep. 93
Emily Unity is a well-known mental health advocate, a software engineer and a creative designer. Emily has won a range of awards and we are so proud to be in conversation with them: to name a few of those Awards: 25 Under 25 Winner, named by the Future Minds Network; Multicultural Honour Roll, 2022; Mental Health Advocate of the Year, 2021. Check out their website: emilyunity.com to see their outstanding portfolio career and range of roles including board roles and committees. Emily leverages th...
Jul 12, 2023•51 min•Season 4Ep. 92
Tigist is an Ethiopian who was born in Sudan and came to Australia as a child under the humanitarian program. Her parents named her Tigist which means patience, after a family friend shared that Tigist is the patience her parent’s needed to have hope for the future. You will hear Tigist’s heartfelt recount of her Mum’s strength and determination from Ethiopia to Sudan, to Adelaide to Melbourne. Professionally, Tigist is a trained counsellor and has experience working in the public and private se...
Jul 05, 2023•44 min•Season 4Ep. 91
Nasalifya Namwinga was born in Zambia, she left at the age of 11 with her family and lived in the UK and then New Zealand. She completed her schooling and tertiary education in New Zealand and is a senior clinical psychologist. She worked across a number of clinical and non-clinical settings before founding Pola Practice in 2018. In this episode, Nasalifya shares her parent’s and her story of leaving and finding communities, and the shifts ethnic people navigate as parent and child relationships...
Jun 28, 2023•53 min•Season 4Ep. 90
Michael Ray is an advocate for Equality and Change, an Author and Speaker, well known for his contribution to the gender equity conversation from a Solo Dad’s perspective. In this episode, Michael shares his journey into fatherhood later in life, becoming a solo dad while his daughter was still young and being her sole parent ever since. Michael shares some startling statistics like 1 one in 5 single parent families are single dad households, the fastest growing single family households in Austr...
May 31, 2023•47 min•Season 4Ep. 89
Graeme Beardsell, CEO of Fujitsu, Asia Pacific, a global technology, digital transformation business. Graeme takes us through his growing up years, the influence of his parents, leaving school in 6th form, turning down a job in IT, his start in IBM and move to Asia, where he spent 20 years living and working. Graeme has some keen insights that you will want to tune into about Australia 20 years ago and now. What we love about Graeme is his bravery to listen to the truth and see the opportunity, ...
May 24, 2023•44 min•Season 4Ep. 88
Vincent Nair is the Executive Chair & CEO of Smartech Business Systems. Born in Fiji his parents migrated to Canada. He shares with us his journey to Australia and the commitment Smartech has to people around diversity and inclusion See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 17, 2023•42 min•Season 4Ep. 87
Our guest in this episode is Helen Brown who is the founder of Bisnis Asia and the Communications Lead for the Australia-Indonesia Centre. Helen is the former Indonesia foreign correspondent for the ABC and has a stellar 25 career in journalism, covering heart wrenching stories like the Bali 9. In this episode, Helen shares being the first in her family to obtain a University education, how a 3 month stint to prove herself as a foreign correspondent in Indonesia became a pivotal moment in her ca...
May 10, 2023•42 min•Season 4Ep. 86
Our guest today on Business in Colour is Sharmini Wainwright who is an experienced Managing Director with over 20 years in the talent space, leading the Michael Page and Page Group brands across Australia and Hong Kong. A former Chartered Accountant, Sharmini is currently the, Co-Head of the Page Group business in Australia. In this episode Sharmini recounts her upbringing, early influences from her parents and sister, especially her mother’s courageous move at 19 to come to Australia and her mo...
May 03, 2023•56 min•Season 4Ep. 85
Jason is the founder of Supawear and 2Eros. He is a designer, diversity champion and entrepreneur. 11 years after he founded the business Jason started to produce sustainable swimwear made from plastic bottles. Yes you heard it right, it takes about 10 plastic bottles to make 1 budgie smuggler and they have repurposed over two hundred and forty thousand bottles. We learnt much more about men’s underwear in this conversation, things like stretchable, roomier pouches and curve technology. I have t...
Apr 25, 2023•45 min•Season 4Ep. 84
Our guest in this episode is Zii Nzira, who is currently the Co-CEO of Multicultural Arts Victoria. Having migrated to Australia from Zimbabwe in pursuit of an education in I.T, Zii has been able to evolve and establish a creative practice, under the name ZIIMUSIC. Through this he has not only managed to launch a multidisciplinary practice, but has also been able to create platforms and opportunities for individuals within his community. Hear Zii’s story from, lessons from his parents to, IT asp...
Mar 29, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 83
Our guest in this episode, is Sarah Ibrahim, who is a mother of two, Principal Solicitor of Central Lawyers assisting small to medium businesses, with commercial law, Founder and Executive Director of The Racial Justice Centre, and Workplace Facilitator and Speaker. In this episode we learn about Sarah Ibrahim’s background, born in Cairo, migrating to Australia when she was 3, growing up in Western Sydney, becoming a commercial lawyer and having a social impact with racial justice. What we did n...
Mar 22, 2023•45 min•Season 4Ep. 82
Our guest today on Business in Colour is Nassim Khadem, who is an award-winning journalist, reporting on business news across online, radio and TV for the ABC. Nassim began working as a journalist with The Age in 2003, including being the newspaper's economics correspondent. Before joining the ABC, she worked in various business reporting and editing roles for Fairfax Media's BRW magazine, The Australian Financial Review and as deputy business editor for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. In...
Mar 15, 2023•51 min•Season 4Ep. 81
As we celebrate International Women's Day and head off to our various events, consider the theme for this year. #Embraceequity. I see equity not as something we need to embrace as a nice to have, but as a fundamental human right. We shouldn’t have to fight for equity, or justify it, it should be a given. Equity is about the financial, emotional, and physical safety of women. When we consider the safety of women in Australia Simone O'Brien's story is one we all need to hear. She is one of the mos...
Mar 07, 2023•48 min•Season 4Ep. 80
This episode features Aseel Tayah who is a leading practitioner, creative producer and the founder and CEO of Bukjeh. Her work is deeply committed to making social change through the arts, culture and education. This Melbourne Based-Palestinian artist is, the eldest of 5 children and was taught by her father – a Professor in science to ask why and to say no before yes. In this podcast we talk about Aseel’s journey transitioning from Pharmacy to the Arts, how she made political art in her home co...
Mar 01, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 79
Anyier Yuol is a human rights and diversity, equity & inclusion activist. She is the Founder and CEO of Anyier Model Management and the Founder and Chair of Lead Beyond Education & Miss Sahara. Her numerous awards include; a Young woman of the West 2020 (highly commended); PhD scholarship at Western Sydney University 2019; Zonta International District 24 Women of Achievement Award 2019; Professional and Academic Excellence Award, a celebration of African Australian Inc. 2019; Blacktown C...
Feb 22, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 78
Our guest in this episode is Ilanit Bard who is an outstanding leader and innovator in the food service and fine dining industry. Born in France to a North African Mother and a Middle Eastern Father, she says, fitting in, has always been her priority growing up. In this episode we talk to Ilanit about her career transitions from developing corporate travel software; to polishing plates and cutleries at the lower ground of the Crown casino, surrounded by immigrants, and learning English from them...
Feb 15, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 77
Wanitha Tanasingam has a unique ability to help people expand perception beyond preconceived notions using 'FoodPrints'. Cross-cultural connections between peoples, cultures and history. Through food and cooking, she builds mindfulness around nourishing oneself, one’s community and world - drawing out analogies to broader social, environmental, and business issues. Please enjoy the magnetic Wanitha Tanasingam. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Feb 08, 2023•55 min•Season 4Ep. 76
Sadhana and I are reflecting on 2022 and have chosen 5 top picks from the year to re-air across December. This episode is with the magnetic Jahin Tanvir, CEO of the Australian School of Entrepreneurship, 3-time TEDx Speaker, a Keynote Speaker & MC, UNICEF Young Ambassador, Young Australian of the Year, Finalist 40 under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians 2022. He reminds us that our identity is our superpower and demonstrates through his story, how we should value it. As we move into 2023...
Dec 09, 2022•48 min•Season 3Ep. 78
Sadhana and I are reflecting on 2022 and have chosen 5 top picks from the year to re-air across December. This episode is a standout and feels a little, like our contribution to recording history. We interviewed Zoe Daniel a Teal Independent candidate in March 2022 this year ahead of the May 2022 election and it is so wonderful to see her use your voice in our Parliament in her seat. In this episode she reminds us how to find our voice and use it to make change from where we stand. She said, poi...
Nov 30, 2022•53 min•Season 3Ep. 77
Sadhana and I have picked 5 episodes as our topic picks for 2022 that will re-air through December. They capture our core messages to the business community and people everywhere about valuing and including difference. This episode with Kemi Nekvapil talks about Power - how we give it up, how we lose it, how it is taken from us, how we reclaim it. Kemi is a highly respected executive and personal coach, she has created a five-step process to guide other women to build their power and transform t...
Nov 24, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 76
Soak up the amazing Paula Kruger, she is warm, funny, smart and vivacious. She is currently the Talent Manager at the ABC. We learn about her Fijian, German, Australian background and how she has embraced all parts of her being and belonging. Throughout this conversation, we hear Paula’s self-leadership, how she feels the fear and runs towards it anyway, creating new pathways for herself and others. We talk about code-switching, earning your opportunity when there is an absence of opportunity, c...
Nov 17, 2022•45 min•Season 3Ep. 75
Dianne McGrath is one of Australia’s leading sustainability experts, holds three degrees in sustainability including a PhD, and is a member of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals. She has lived her life challenging what others thought impossible, whether that was to live a year with no single-use plastics, prepare for a fully-sustainable one-way mission to Mars, choosing to circumnavigate our planet to help protect our oceans – our future, cycle extreme distances, sail gale...
Nov 09, 2022•57 min•Season 3Ep. 74
Ashara Wills is a multicultural professional who has worked through the ups and downs, curves and corners of being queer from a young age. She has established a strong foundation of support through her family, friends and networks whilst also surrounding herself in the community services sector. Ashara has always been an advocate of the LGBTIQA+ community by engaging in meaningful conversations passing on knowledge, consulting with the community and continually embracing differences. Ashara Will...
Nov 03, 2022•39 min•Season 3Ep. 73
In this episode we interview Michelle Loader, Managing Director of Fisher Leadership who cares as much as about the individual's diversity as she cares about the organisation as a whole, including the Board. We ask her the tough questions about why leaders are so slow in making progress on gender, culture and other diversities; and what she is doing about it. We talk about her views on capability, merit, and more. She introduces us to her thinking on why partnership is the new leadership and wha...
Oct 26, 2022•51 min•Season 3Ep. 72
Imagine starting an AFL team with no funding, no coach and no experience. It takes a strong woman who’s not afraid to break all the rules to tackle a task this insurmountable. It takes Amna Karra-Hassan. The Founder and President of the Auburn Giants Australian Football Club , Amna Karra-Hassan has pioneered programs for women of minority communities in Western Sydney. As a woman and a Muslim, her road to greatness wasn’t an easy one. But Amna derives her strength from adversity and uses her inf...
Oct 19, 2022•59 min•Season 3Ep. 71
Professor Manjula O’Connor is a psychiatrist with special interest in migrant women’s mental health, complex trauma and family violence. She is Hon Clinical Associate Professor at the Department of Psychiatry University of Melbourne. She was conferred Adjunct Professor University of New South Wales Department of Social Sciences in 2021. Manjula Chairs Royal Australian New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Family Violence Psychiatry Network. In the early 2010s a spate of domestic violence-related ...
Sep 28, 2022•56 min•Season 3Ep. 70
