2023 Winners

Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year: Suzie Betts

Suzie Betts, the founder of Boob Armour, is on a mission to redefine safety and empowerment for girls and women, not just in sports but also in occupations where breast injuries are a concern. Her innovative breast protection solutions are reshaping the landscape, empowering females to pursue their passions with confidence, whether on the field or in their workplaces. Suzie’s values-driven leadership and her commitment to addressing this critical challenge make Boob Armour a transformative force for girls and women, ensuring their well-being and confidence in all aspects of life.

Emerging Leader in the Not for Profit Sector: Katherine Berney

Katherine is the Executive Director of National Women’s Safety Alliance, with a membership of over 400 individuals and organisations she is determined we will end violence against all identifying women, non binary people and children. NWSA under Katherine’s leadership is a trusted government advisor, and has influenced major federal policy reforms in Domestic, Family and Sexual violence; There is nothing more important than making Australia a safer place for all who make their home here.

Emerging Leader in Climate Action: Anjali Sharma

Anjali Sharma is 19 years old and was the lead litigant of Sharma vs Environment Minister, a legal case which, in 2021, successfully established that the environment minister owes all young people a duty of care to protect them from the impacts of climate change. After this ruling was appealed, Anjali launched a campaign to legislate this duty of care through Federal Parliament, and has successfully seen a bill tabled in the Senate to do so.

Emerging Leader in the Private Sector: Cecilia Chiu

Cecilia is the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of New Aim. A trailblazer in Australian ecommerce, Cecilia introduced the dropship model to Australia with Dropshipzone. It’s her mission to empower more Australian SMEs to start and scale through ecommerce, by creating a more inclusive ecosystem that levels the playing field. In 2022, Cecilia transitioned Dropshipzone to a B2B2C marketplace helping thousands of retailers, which stands unique in the Australian market.

Emerging Leader in Health: Sonita Giudice

Sonita Giudice is a proud Gunggari and Wakka Wakka woman. Sonita is extremely passionate about providing holistic & culturally appropriate care to Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander women & their families. Sonita continues her strong passion & commitment as a Clinical Midwifery Consultant within the Office of Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer. She provides her expertise with clinical & cultural knowledge to support the codesign of these models of care. Sonita acknowledges it has been an honour & privilege to be closely involved in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander woman’s care, their families, and the community.

Emerging Leader in Tech: Luli Adeyemo

Luli Adeyemo, the Executive Director of the TechDiversity Foundation, is a fervent advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in technology workforces across different sectors. She is on a mission to illuminate the transformative power of DEI in boardrooms across Australia. Luli’s compelling discussions with numerous executives have sparked a DEI revolution, showcasing its potential as a catalyst for innovation, competitiveness, cultural enrichment, and as a solution to bridging the skills gap. Luli’s unwavering commitment to DEI continues to shape the tech landscape.

Small Business Leader of the Year: Lacey Webb

Lacey Webb is the Founder & CEO of Resource Hub, defining efficiency and best practice for the Waste & Resource Recovery (WARR) sector. With over 15 years experience in industry, Lacey is the foremost authority on waste levy regulation and gatehouse operations in Australia, she is a winner of the 2022 Women in Industry Awards, and a is a leader committed to supporting the growth of women across traditionally male industries, including WARR.

Emerging Leader in Science: Dr Hayley Teasdale

Dr Hayley Teasdale is the Manager of Science Policy Projects at the Australian Academy of Science. Hayley works at the interface science and policy, making science accessible to policymakers and helping shape policy to support science in Australia. Hayley also develops innovative methods for producing science policy advice, including new methods for the inclusion of Traditional Knowledges in science policy processes.

Agenda Setters of the Year: Angelique Wan and Sam Payne

Angelique Wan is the co-founder and CEO of Consent Labs, a youth-led not-for-profit that is working to reduce the prevalence of sexual violence in Australia through education programs delivered to high school students, their educators and parents. To-date, Consent Labs has delivered programs to more than 50,000 people nationally. Previously, Angelique has been recognised as the 2022 NSW Young Woman of the Year and a 2022 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australian.

Sam is on a mission to ensure that no one faces the journey of pregnancy loss alone and that they receive the support they need and deserve. Sam is an empathetic, engaging, knowledgeable, and impactful advocate for those experiencing early pregnancy loss. She challenged and changed federal legislation to include miscarriage in 2021 and she’s not stopping there. She is challenging cultural norms, breaking the silence, and initiating much-needed change.

Employer Initiative of the Year: Fujifilm business innovation australia

Elevate is FUJIFILM Business Innovation Australia’s Employee Resource Group supporting female employees through programs and tools to offer a space for personal and professional development, empowering and encouraging success and influencing positive change. This initiative is proudly making strides to enable unprecedented growth in female leadership and new female hires – serving as an inspiration to all those within FUJIFILM BI Australia and across the ICT industry.