### Sustainability Leadership & Governance >I bring **10 years of governance and advisory experience** across public and non-profit organisations, with a focus on risk management, strategy, and public funding oversight. > >I currently serve as a **Non-Executive Director** at the **Student Awards Agency Scotland** and **Historic Environment Scotland**, where I contribute to strategic oversight, organisational resilience, and governance. At HES, I also sit on the **Audit, Risk, and Assurance Committee**, supporting effective risk management and regulatory compliance. > >Previously, I served **four years** on the **Advisory Council of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation**, helping steer the organisation through major transitions, including the move from analogue to digital broadcasting and the sudden departure of both the CEO and Chair. I also spent **three years** on the **Queensland Government’s Multicultural Advisory Council**, advising on social cohesion policy and presenting at a parliamentary inquiry on serious vilification and hate crimes. > >In the non-profit sector, I was **Chairperson and Non-Executive Director** of the **Global Shapers Community Australia**, a World Economic Forum initiative. During my three-year tenure, I established governance committees with clear mandates, implemented director term limits, and developed a national banking infrastructure to strengthen transparency and operational consistency across regional hubs. ### Organisation-Building >I have **6 years of entrepreneurial experience** across social impact and technology, building ventures in edtech, leadership development, and blockchain. > >**Machine Learning Startup (2014-2015):** Co-founded and served as CEO of a company (originally _Funetics_, now _Language Confidence_) developing AI-driven English pronunciation tools for non-native speakers. Raised **$40K AUD in seed funding** from Telstra, Australia’s largest telecommunications company, and led a cross-functional team through early product development, partnerships, and go-to-market strategy. The venture has since grown significantly, raising **$1.5M USD** in follow-on investment. > >**Leadership Development Social Enterprise (2015-2018):** Founded and led an organisation supporting **800+ African youth** across Australia. Designed and delivered 30+ leadership and professional development programs, recruited and managed a team of 30+ volunteers, and built national partnerships. Established robust governance systems and a theory of change linking identity, community contribution, and long-term leadership. > >**Blockchain & NFTs (2021-2022):** Co-developed decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs) within the NFT ecosystem. Designed governance frameworks, token-based voting systems, and community charters for **2,000+ members**, while contributing to **$1M USD** in NFT sales. ### Systems Change >**With 5 years of formal training and 2 years of applied experience, I have an advanced understanding of how structures, incentives, and lived experience shape conditions for long-term transformation.** > >**Associate Consultant, YLab (2018-2020):** Served with YLab, a systems innovation lab of the Foundation for Young Australians, bringing systems thinking into practice. Supported organisations to engage young people through co-design processes and address root causes rather than symptoms. > >- **International:** Co-designed a national youth engagement survey and advised on a youth leadership forum tailored to local political and civic dynamics. >- **Australia:** Facilitated participatory workshops on social change with _CQUniversity_, helping staff and students reimagine the university’s role in community-led transformation. > > **PhD in Organisation Theory, Sociology, and Cross-Cultural Psychology (Monash University, (2018-2022):** Researched how structural barriers such as social exclusion shape early trajectories of social entrepreneurs, focusing on intersections of gender, social class, and parental socialisation. Awarded the **Mollie Holman Medal**, one of Monash University’s highest honours (10 recipients annually). > > **Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation Training:** Completed immersive programs with **Impact Academy**, **Young Social Pioneers**, and the **Foundation for Young Australians**, focused on designing interventions that address root causes. Participated in **Telstra’s muru-D accelerator**, strengthening my ability to apply systems thinking in high-growth, tech-driven ventures. ### Cross-Sector Translation & Communication >**With over 10 years of experience bridging research, policy, and practice, I specialise in translating ideas across institutional boundaries to drive strategic clarity, informed decision-making, and systems-level change.** > >Since 2014, I have combined academic study with professional leadership. I first worked as a startup founder of a machine learning edtech company while completing my undergraduate degree, and later as a social enterprise leader, doctoral researcher, and advisory board member. This trajectory has continued in my current role as a Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, where I lead strategy-focused teaching, conduct applied research, and serve on public sector boards. > >This cross-sector fluency enables me to navigate competing institutional logics, align diverse stakeholder priorities, and design interventions that are both intellectually rigorous and practically implementable. ### **Research** >**8 years of mixed-methods research investigating how strategic leaders can elevate decision-making in a world where human limitations intersect with rising social complexity and technological change.** > >Drawing on a PhD in organisation theory, sociology, and cross-cultural psychology, my research examines how social systems and emerging technologies influence strategic behaviour. One stream focuses on how inequalities rooted in class, culture, and identity shape ESG decision-making. For example, I study how immigrant entrepreneurs’ social class experiences affect their strategic approach and how overlooked cultural artefacts are re-legitimised in fast-moving digital markets. A second stream investigates how technologies can either support or distort decision-making. > >Theoretically, I work on organisational paradox, social evaluations (e.g. class, status, authenticity, legitimacy), and cross-cultural psychology. Methodologically, I specialise in qualitative and mixed approaches, including narrative interviews, netnography, comparative case studies, questionnaires, vignettes, and digital archival analysis. > >My research has been published in the _Journal of Business Venturing_ (the leading academic journal in entrepreneurship research) and has received **three Best Paper Awards** from the European and American Academies of Management. It spans diverse organisational contexts, including hybrid ventures, diaspora and digital communities, social enterprises, and socio-technical systems, with a focus on actors navigating complexity, disruption, and inequality. ### Learning & Development > **With over 7 years of experience designing and delivering impactful learning experiences across Australia and the UK, I specialise in rigorous, responsive, and future-focused approaches to development.** > > Since 2022, I have led strategic improvements across two large final-year undergraduate courses at the University of Edinburgh Business School, reaching over 200 students annually. My work focuses on enhancing learning outcomes, engagement, and assessment integrity. Key innovations include: > >- Introducing **structured public speaking training** to strengthen communication skills >- Redesigning presentation assessments from live to recorded formats to improve accessibility and consistency >- Overhauling **grading rubrics** to prioritise critical thinking and clarity >- Implementing **flipped classroom models** to maximise in-class engagement >- Integrating **just-in-time teaching**, drawing on real-time media and _Financial Times_ articles to connect learning to global issues >- Developing learning interventions aligned with institutional priorities such as sustainability, global strategy, and cross-cultural effectiveness >- Embedding continuous feedback loops into course design and delivery to support agile improvements based on learner performance and engagement > >These changes have significantly improved student experience and institutional performance: > >- **Global Business and the SDGs**: Feedback satisfaction rose from **31% to 94%**, overall satisfaction from **62% to 97%** >- **Managing Across Borders and Cultures**: Feedback satisfaction increased from **8% to 84%**, overall satisfaction from **33% to 91%** > > Combined, these courses saw a **48% increase in enrolment between 2022 and 2024**, and I received **three Excellence in Teaching Awards**.