UNBiased

I'm joined on this week's episode by Khin Kha. Khin is a cultural diversity champion and co-founder of Phoenix Sisters, a volunteer-based network which aims to help people and organisations to understand and cultivate their cultural intelligence through professional development conferences, career workshops and mentoring programs. Khin shares so warmly and openly about her upbringing in Myanmar as the daughter of Burmese film star Kyaw Hein, moving to Australia with limited English, and working her way up the corporate ladder at Ernst and Young, co-founding Phoenix Sisters and being recognised as a nominee for Asia 21 Young Leaders.  Despite her relatively unique upbringing there is so much of Khin's story and experiences that will be relatable to many.

Joining me today is Founder and CEO of Inner Ambitions, Lanre Sulola. Lanre found his calling to dedicate his career to the pursuit of diversity and inclusion in the midst of a corporate career which led him to set up Inner Ambitions in 2013 and he's never looked back. Lanre shares the story of his journey which began as a side hustle, chipping away and building his network whilst creating programmes for under-represented communities, to today, where, based in London, Inner Ambitions has an enviable list of blue chip clients seeking out his services to help them foster an inclusive environment in their workplaces.  Lanre shares some valuable practical tips for both leaders, and individuals who want to thrive whilst being able to be their authentic selves at work.

In this episode I'm joined by Psychologist specialising in childhood trauma, Dr Rana Tayara. Dr Rana was born and brought up in Lebanon, and has studied and worked in the UK and Australia. She has been a psychological consultant for a number of NGOs in Lebanon, Jordan and the UK, working with refugees, delinquent youth and individuals with special needs. Since moving to Australia in January 2016, Rana has continued to hone her focus on raising awareness against child abuse and more specifically child sexual abuse. Rana shares openly her story taking her from war-torn Lebanon to Australia, and we talk biases, commonalities and differences in the factors affecting childhood mental health from her experiences across the Globe.

For those of you who joined me earlier this year for the launch of UNBiased as a brand new podcast, I'm back after a Covid-19 Delta variant-induced hiatus. Here in Australia, we were forced to move swiftly from trying to keep Covid-19 off our shores, to vaccinating and living with it like the rest of the world. As a result we were thrown back into lockdown - my first one having to home school a 5 year old, whilst juggling full time work, setting up a new business, and generally riding out the ups and downs that came with closed international borders when all our family support is based in the UK. But I'm back! I'm double vaxxed. Kids are back in school and daycare. And international borders are starting to re-open. I'm excited to introduce you to some great guests, and take our conversations into new territories. Kicking off with Prerana Mehta: CEO, Board Director; Mum of 3. The sheer breadth of Prerana's career and the amount that she has given back to her community through her work with notable NGO's SisterWorks and BraveHER; and to Australia's cyber-security efforts both here and overseas through her work with AustCyber, is breathtaking.  In this episode Prerana shares her story behind her immense CV and gives us a glimpse into biases that she's overcome, and why we should be hopeful for all that can be achieved with the right mindset.

Shiralee Lawson is extremely passionate about Aboriginal education, Aboriginal youth, and community. On this episode Shiralee shares her lived experiences as an Aboriginal woman, and we discuss truth telling in schools, and empowerment for Aboriginal girls and women. You can follow Shiralee's work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shiralee-lawson-3a34bb16/

Today I'm joined by Natalie Silvester, personal trainer and co-founder of More Than Muscle. Natalie and I talk myth busting, and having a holistic view to health and fitness. The majority of Natalie's clients are women, and Natalie's unique approach gives her a real edge when it comes to connecting with women and getting results both inside and outside the gym. Learn more about More Than Muscle here: https://www.morethanmuscle.co.uk/ And follow Nat on Insta @ptnatsilvester

Today I'm joined by Ainslee Hooper. Ainslee is an Anthropologist & Disability Inclusion Consultant and founder of Ainslee Hooper Consulting.  Ainslee is passionate about disability inclusion because of her lived experience of disability and the benefits for all she sees when others embrace disability inclusion. Ainslee combines her unique knowledge of disability with Anthropology to foster an understanding of the diversity of humans and their experiences. During this episode, Ainslee shares how her own experiences have shaped her work in this space, and highlights how imperative the changes in working life brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic have been for those with disabilities.  You can follow Ainslee's work and awareness-raising on https://www.linkedin.com/in/ainsleehooper/.

My regular chats with one of my closest friends, Emma Clark, are part of what led me to start this podcast. As a career corporate lawyer whose role within the same firm has seen her practice across the globe, Emma is a passionate advocate for equality in the corporate workplace. Together we discuss Michelle P King's book, "The Fix, Overcome the Invisible Barriers that are Holding Women Back at Work", mental health, and micro-actions that can snowball into lasting change.

Joining me today is Brenda Denbesten. As a chemical engineer with over 15 years' experience in the manufacturing and mining industry, Brenda’s passion is to showcase the amazing work engineers do in shaping our world. Her vision involves inspiring more girls to get into engineering and empowering young women who are here to stay in this industry and excel. She provides speaking, mentoring and coaching services to driven female engineers so they can gain clarity on their unique strengths and skills and the confidence to leverage these for maximum impact in the workplace. Through sharing her story of overcoming adversity in a momentous way, by emerging from false imprisonment, we can learn so much from Brenda in how to develop resilience - a skill that is so important in today's unpredictable environment. 

Today's guest, Caroline Brunne, is the founder of Organise. Curate. Design., a life management agency with a focus on assisting people to streamline their life in order to refocus their time on what matters to them the most. We are being made increasingly aware these days, of the "mental load" carried by many women. Caroline and I discuss the almost inevitable burnout that can result, and how Caroline uses her business,  skills, and passion to address these issues and help provide women with the tools to alleviate unwanted burdens on their time, enabling them to thrive.

Shelin David, Founder and CEO of CFO Worx talks openly on today's episode about some of the mental health implications of racism from her own personal experience.

David Stranger-Jones joins me today to chat about privilege, the power of networks, and how he's trying to address diversity and inclusion in a different way through his new programme, Equals. 

Turning the mic briefly on myself in this episode to share a bit more about me and why I've started this podcast.

In today's episode I'm joined by American activist, academic, data scientist and entrepreneur Robyn Hillman-Harrigan. We chat about growing up as part of an activist family in New Jersey, her journey to Australia and her experiences in the tech start-up world, and how she hopes to use technology as a means to combat racial injustice. 

In today's episode I chat to Lawyer and Founder of Dec + Dash Legal Consulting about identity, connection, representation of women of colour in small business founders, and the discomfort yet necessity of confronting our own biases.

Welcome to my podcast! Through sharing stories, we aim to understand the biases that affect our daily lives and how to address them. In this, my pilot session, I'm joined by Rohan Wickremesinghe who shares his journey from rural New South Wales to boarding school in the big smoke and the factors that affected his choices between a corporate career and elite sport.

Humans or Technology? Humans AND Technology...What happens when a changing generation meets an unchanging mindset?In this episode of UNBiased, I'm joined by Holly Cope — ex-lawyer turned global legal innovator and founder of the Global AI Skills Summit for Lawyers.We’re at a fascinating crossroads in the legal profession. We’ve got a new generation of lawyers who won’t settle for the same pressures we once accepted, but who are still ambitious in their own way. We’ve got new technologies designed to free us from the late nights and heavy workloads. And yet… we seem stuck in a cycle of curiosity, cynicism, and resistance to change.Holly calls it one of the biggest transformations the industry has ever seen, not just in tools, but in mindset and culture. We explore: 🔹 The clash between generational expectations and traditional firm structures 🔹 Why the biggest barrier to AI adoption isn’t tech — it’s trust🔹 How law firms can evolve without losing their human core 🔹 The power of community and conversation in shaping what comes nextIf you’ve ever wondered how to balance innovation with identity or how to lead through uncertainty, this conversation is for you.

Meeting People Where They Are – While Not Losing Sight of Where You're Going.Continuing the theme of productivity and new approaches to it, I’m joined on UNBiased Podcast by Anne Rayner.Anne is a seasoned panel moderator, public speaker, and presenter, sharing her insights on the future of work & productivity.As the founder of Productivity Bargain, she spearheads innovative approaches to modern workplace productivity. Leveraging her extensive leadership expertise, Anne helps businesses structure work for sustainable high performanceWith over two decades of experience in the Insights industry, Anne served as the Chief Solutions Officer for Kantar APAC, as well as Managing Director of Malaysia, Cambodia, and Myanmar, leading business transformations in all three markets. She led Inclusion & Diversity across APAC, and launched Lean In Girls in Singapore.Anne challenges the old master–servant mindset of the workplace and asks us to see productivity and inclusion not as separate, but deeply connected. When we shift focus from hours to outcomes, we create equity, unlock innovation, and redesign work for both people and performance.We explore:🔹 Why the four-day work week is the ultimate vision and why resistance remains despite overwhelming evidence of its benefits 🔹 The tension between control and trust in debates like return-to-office mandates 🔹 How valuing time differently can close equity gaps, including the gender pay divide 🔹 Practical steps leaders can take to balance pressure for results with the needs of their people.If you’ve ever wondered how work could be both more effective and more human, this conversation is for you.

We’ve normalised “powering through.” But what if joy wasn’t just a nice-to-have—what if it was the strategy?In this episode of Unbiased, I speak with Simi Rayat, award-winning business psychologist, executive psychology coach, and author of Productivity Joy.Simi has spent over two decades helping leaders shift from survival mode to sustainable impact. In her new book, she shares a science-backed 5-minute daily ritual that reframes productivity not as output, but as energy, clarity and connection.We explore:🔹 The real reason so many professionals feel stuck or burnt out🔹 How Simi’s 5Qs Formula helps interrupt reactive patterns🔹 The cost of ignoring joy in leadership🔹 How motherhood, identity and lived experience shape her work🔹 What a joyful and inclusive workplace looks like—and how to start building oneIf you’re someone who’s done all the things but still feels depleted, this episode is for you.

On this latest episode of UNBiased, I’m welcoming Carolin Barr to talk bias and sustainability. Carolin is a passionate and driven entrepreneur and sustainability advocate. In 2020, Carolin founded susGain, a B-Corp certified, social enterprise on a mission to connect eco and socially conscious stakeholders in a way that creates mutual value. And they do so through a reward-based mobile app designed to help drive sustainable behavioural change within communities through plug-&-play engagement campaigns whilst measuring the impact created.Before setting up susGain Carolin worked in an HR consulting and change management firm, and it’s at the intersection of sustainability and change management that I came across Carolin late last year when she delivered a TedX talk in Singapore and the theme was overcoming cognitive bias in sustainability.And so much of what she shared joined dots between topics covered with previous guests on this podcast when it comes to how we address and overcome some of the biases that stop us from being the best version of ourselves.