2022 Winners
Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year: Fiona Harrison
Fiona Harrison is the CEO and founder of Australia’s first Indigenous chocolate company, Chocolate On Purpose™. A disruptor in the artisan specialty chocolate market, Fiona is delivering real industry impact by empowering Indigenous Australian native botanical producers, and World Cacao Farmers, to greater participation in supply chains, disrupting the harm to our climate & endangered species by not using palm-oil in her chocolate, and contributing to Reconciliation in Australia through storytelling with her chocolate.
Emerging Leader in the Not for Profit Sector: Isabelle Reinecke
Isabelle Reinecke is the Founder and Executive Director of Grata Fund, Australia’s first NFP strategic litigation funder and incubator, which supports social movements and communities to use the law to fight injustice. She has facilitated distribution of more than $1.5M in innovative funding and had a transformative impact on the use of law for social change in Australia. Her influence spans human rights, democratic accountability and climate action. She is a Churchill Fellow and a Women’s Leadership Institute of Australia Fellow.
Emerging Leader in Climate Action: Hollie Kerwin
Hollie Kerwin is the Principal Lawyer and Climate lead at Environmental Justice Australia where she leads a team of climate action litigators and legal advocates. Her team is focused on curbing the drivers of dangerous climate change while embedding climate justice and inclusion throughout their work. She previously worked at the Human Rights Law Centre and Victoria Legal Aid on strategic litigation and campaigns for legal change, including in response to Robodebt.
Emerging Leader in the Private Sector: Gloria Yuen
Gloria Yuen is a risk management evangelist, inclusion leader and culture maker. She is passionate about amplifying the voice of people of all ethnic backgrounds and removing systemic barriers for underrepresented communities. In the past year, she has spearheaded strategic initiatives in creating deliberate platform, accessibility and opportunity for diverse groups through her advisory and committee roles including as Chair of Cultural Inclusion Employee Resource Group at NAB.
Emerging Leader in Health: Dr Manasi Murthy Mittinty
Dr Manasi Murthy Mittinty is a physician scientist at the University of Sydney, currently undergoing an advanced clinical research fellowship with Harvard Medical School. Manasi is passionate about empowering patients and families to thrive and live a meaningful life despite experiencing pain. Her novel translational work has started powerful conversations around sex, gender, religion and racial inclusivity for enhancing patient care. Her vision is to achieve mental health equity for all Australians by developing individualised patient care programs.
Emerging Leader in Arts & Entertainment: Tasnim Hossain
Tasnim Hossain is the current Resident Director of Melbourne Theatre Company, and works independently as a director, playwright, dramaturg and screenwriter. She has directed work for the Victorian College of the Arts and NIDA, and has a focus on supporting young and emerging artists. She won the 2022 Sydney Theatre Award for Best Direction of an Independent Production for Yellow Face (Dinosaurs Productions/KXT) and was shortlisted for the 2022 Griffin Award for her script Bombay Takeaway.
Small Business Leader of the Year: Sarah Agboola
Sarah Agboola is the Founder and CEO of mtime, a business dedicated to giving busy families their time back by matching them with family assistants. As a for purpose business, mtime also helps women new or returning to the workforce gain meaningful employment through their assistant roles. In the past year, Sarah raised a seed round of $1m to scale mtime’s impact, and expanded the service to Sydney and Geelong – with more cities to come.
Emerging Leader in STEM: Dr Morley Muse
Dr Morley Muse is an Engineer, a Scientist, an established speaker, entrepreneur and a passionate advocate for women in STEMM. She is a director on the board for Women in STEMM Australia, one of the leading global STEMM organisations. Dr Muse is also the co-founder of iSTEM Co., a research, consulting and talent sourcing business aimed to enable employment of women, particularly women of colour and women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, into Australia’s STEM organisations.
Agenda Setter of the Year: Kristal Kinsela
Kristal Kinsela is a proud Jawoyn and Wiradjuri woman, a leading supplier diversity expert and recognised Indigenous business leader. In her own consultancy, Kristal is the trusted adviser to corporate and government clients, working closely with leaders to articulate their supplier diversity vision, change organisational culture, develop procurement policies, and connect them with talented Indigenous businesses. Driven to break through unconscious bias and stereotypes, she created her ‘Meet the Mob’ YouTube series to showcase ‘Blak Excellence in Indigenous business.
The Women’s Agenda Five Frontline Heroes
Hollie Bakerbolijkovac
Hollie is a Counsellor and Coach in a small rural town. During the Black Summer Bushfires, Hollie joined the Mongarlowe Mozzies, a citizen-led tactical fire team about which an internationally renowned film has been made.
Elly Bird
Elly Bird, Lismore Flood rescue/community-led relief; Elly stepped into the breach early on the night of the flood organising rescue where the police and SES were absent.
Ritu Gupta Clementi
Ritu Gupta Clementi, led emergency service teams in port mac and northern rivers- has been Deputy Chair of the ACT Red Cross.
Marcia Breen
co-founder of 3D PPE Tas, a not for profit that made much needed face shields for health care workers during the pandemic. – nominated by Jennifer Rayner (also co-founder of 3D PPE Tas)
Jenny Kidd
Coordinated flood relief in Tumbulgum as President of the Tumbulgum Community Association- nominated by Jo Merley