Today on Better Student Leaders, RDC.AI CEO Ada Guan reflects on a decade at the front edge of artificial intelligence and what that journey reveals about the future students and leaders are stepping into right now. From building AI before it was mainstream to helping organisations unlock billions in value, Ada breaks down why the real advantage is not technical mastery, but curiosity, judgment, and the ability to understand human behaviour. This episode is a practical, grounded conversation about how AI is changing decisions, careers, and opportunity, and what universities are not teaching yet.

Three reasons to listen:

First, you will understand how AI shifts decisions from hindsight to foresight. Ada explains how AI changes the way organisations think about risk, opportunity, and people. “Traditional systems look at what someone did in the past. AI allows us to understand what they are likely to do next.”

Second, you will learn why curiosity matters more than coding skills. This episode challenges the idea that only technical experts benefit from AI. “You do not need to be an engineer to work with AI, but you do need intellectual curiosity.”

Third, you will hear what ten years in AI teaches about staying relevant. Ada speaks honestly about the speed of change and the cost of opting out. “The biggest risk is not getting AI wrong. The biggest risk is choosing not to engage at all.”

If you are a student, graduate, or leader trying to future proof your thinking, this episode will change how you see AI and your role in it. Listen now, and share it with someone who still thinks AI is just a tech problem.

Today, on Better Student Leaders, we’re joined by Leon Rebello MP, the youngest member of the coalition in the Australian Parliament and the Federal Member for McPherson. From starting his career in the parliamentary basement mailroom to delivering his maiden speech in the House of Representatives, Leon’s journey is a masterclass in civic engagement, values discovery, and leadership from the ground up.

In this episode, we explore how young Australians can move from being passive observers of politics to active contributors to democracy, and why the decisions made in the next 15 to 20 years will shape what Australia looks like in 2100.

Leon shares:

• a rare behind-the-scenes look at Australian democracy and what it really means to participate in shaping the country’s future;
• how he went from a university student with no interest in politics to working inside Parliament and eventually being elected;
• why values discovery matters more than party labels;
• what he hears from the community after more than 500 engagements in his first six months as an MP.

The discussion also explores cost-of-living pressures, housing affordability, infrastructure challenges, civic participation, and why national debt is a defining generational issue for young Australians.

As Leon explains, “What Australia looks like… will be the result of the political decisions that are made over the next 15 to 20 years.”

He also reflects on a challenge facing many young Australians today, saying, “Young people feel that whatever they do is not going to make a difference.” At the heart of his message is a hopeful long-term vision, centred on rebuilding opportunity and confidence: “We need to make Australia a place where young people feel they have a future… and they don’t have to go elsewhere in order to achieve their goals.”

This episode is a practical and thoughtful exploration of leadership, citizenship, and how young people can meaningfully engage with politics without needing to be political.

Leon’s maiden speech in Parliament can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwl7dfSxGrY

If this episode sparked a new way of thinking about leadership, citizenship, or your role in shaping the future, share it with someone who says politics isn’t for me.

For more conversations like this, follow Better Student Leaders and join us as we explore how young people can lead, influence, and build the Australia they want to live in, now and in 2100.

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P.S. To ensure Better Student Leaders remains nonpartisan, leading young politicians from a range of parties were contacted for similar interviews. Confirmations from some will be podcasts recorded in the new year, and others we are still awaiting a response from. If you know a local member who would be great on the show, please introduce them to josh via email at [email protected]

In this powerful episode of Better Student Leaders, Josh Farr is joined by Fabiola Campbell, founder of Professional Migrant Women and bestselling author of Own It, to unpack the hidden reality facing professional migrant women in Australia. Fabiola shares what happens when highly capable women arrive with qualifications, ambition, and experience, yet suddenly feel “like your identity has been erased” and “you become invisible.”

Together, they explore the social capital gap, the emotional cost of migration, and why rebuilding connection must come before careers. Fabiola also introduces her D.A.R.E. framework, a practical model for reclaiming confidence, voice, and power in a system that often asks women to shrink rather than be seen.

3 reasons to listen!

You will understand the real barrier holding migrant women back

“It’s not that we’re underqualified,” Fabiola explains. “It’s that our social capital disappears.” This episode breaks down why degrees and experience are not enough without connection, context, and confidence.

You will hear a human story behind the statistics

Fabiola describes the moment she calls “the death of Superwoman,” when confidence fades, language becomes a barrier, and self-belief is shaken. Her honesty gives language to an experience many feel but rarely articulate.

You will learn a simple framework to turn emotion into action

Through the D.A.R.E. framework, Fabiola shows how “feelings are messengers,” and how shame, fear, and self-doubt can become stepping stones rather than stopping points.

This episode is a must-listen for migrant women, international students, educators, employers, and anyone who cares about equity, belonging, and leadership. As Fabiola reminds us, “Networking is not asking for jobs. It’s about understanding, connection, and being seen.”

If you have ever felt invisible, underestimated, or disconnected, this conversation will leave you with clarity, courage, and a reminder that reclaiming power starts with owning who you already are.

Check out Fabiola's book 'Own It' here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Own-call-women-D-R/dp/B0FPBLW5TV

In this episode of Better Student Leaders, Josh Farr is joined by Professor Duncan Bentley, Vice-Chancellor and President of Federation University Australia, for a wide-ranging and deeply human conversation about leadership, community, and the future of higher education.

Duncan reflects on his earliest lessons in leadership growing up in Africa, including a formative Outward Bound experience at just 11 years old that shaped his belief that leadership is not about command and control, but about clarity, purpose, service, and bringing people together around a shared goal.

The episode dives into:

• why slowing down, listening, and making space for people’s stories matters more than ever,
• the realities of burnout and self-care in leadership roles, especially post-COVID,
• boundaries, family, friendship, and the importance of disconnecting to lead sustainably,
• the role of regional universities and the long-standing problem of brain drain,
• how Federation University’s co-operative education model and paid placements are reshaping pathways for students while strengthening regional communities.

In the final part of the conversation, the discussion turns to leadership in moments of tragedy, civility in a diverse society, and the role universities must play in fostering safe, inclusive environments where ideas can be debated without fear. It’s a powerful reflection on common humanity, responsibility, and what it truly means to lead when things are hard.

This episode is a thoughtful, grounded exploration of leadership that goes beyond titles and strategy, and asks bigger questions about care, community, and the kind of future we are collectively trying to build.

Today on Better Student Leaders, Josh Farr is joined by Nitzan Pelman, four-time social entrepreneur, Presidential Leadership Scholar, Aspen Fellow, former Entrepreneur-in-Residence at LinkedIn, and now CEO and Founder of Climb Together.

In this actionable and insightful episode, Nitzan breaks down the research behind why 70% of jobs come from who you know, why weak ties outperform strong ties, and why getting another certificate won’t cut through thousands of AI-generated applications.

Three reasons to listen:

• Learn the real science of hiring, including why LinkedIn’s data shows 50% of referrals go straight to interview.
• Understand the Goldilocks Ask, the exact method students should use to convert conversations into opportunities without overwhelming anyone.
• Hear practical, repeatable techniques for building social capital, from mastering “tell me about yourself” to asking open-ended questions that make great impressions.

“All the resumes and all the cover letters look like AI has written them for them… and that’s why who you know matters as much as what you know.”

Nitzan shares the unforgettable moment when the CEO of Netflix told her to “get out,” the experiment that failed completely, and the breakthroughs that led to Goldie, a tool helping students build real social capital and access the hidden job market. It’s one of the clearest, most actionable conversations ever recorded about how careers are truly built. 

Today on Better Student Leaders, Josh Farr is joined by researchers Tomasz Zają̨c and Professor Garth Stahl to unpack one of Australia’s most important equity studies: a national analysis of 440,000 young people revealing the profound access gap facing first-in-family students. Their work shows that while 59% of students with university-educated parents enter higher education by age 19, only 36% of first-in-family students do, a 23-percentage-point difference that dwarfs many other recognised equity categories.

In this conversation, Tomasz and Garth break down what the data really shows, why first-in-family remains an unrecognised equity group, how class, aspiration and social capital shape university journeys, and what low-cost, high-impact strategies can help close the gap.

WHY LISTEN TODAY?

• Understand the real numbers behind Australia’s biggest university access gap and what they mean for equity and student leadership.
• Learn how class, social capital, aspiration and time poverty uniquely shape the experiences of first-in-family students.
• Discover practical, evidence-backed strategies that student leaders, schools and universities can use to support this enormous population.

KEY QUOTES:

• “Students who are first in family have around a 36% chance of entering higher education, compared to 59% for those with university-educated parents.”
• “Feeling like an outsider is a core part of the global literature… but first-in-family students also bring tremendous strength, resilience and purpose.”
• “This category isn’t recognised in policy, yet it represents the majority of young Australians.”

This is a new style of 'voice note to self' for Better Student Leaders. In this recording, I share a *hands-free* recording I took drafting out ideas for my next book, tentatively titled, "Leadership Lockbox: Cultivating Four Styles for Transformative Leadership"

The audio is a bit shaky at the start, but then it evens out! Please let me know what you think about:

1. This style of podcast
2. This concept for a book!

Send me a message and let me know what you think on https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshdfarr

Today on Better Student Leaders, Josh sits down with Anita Brandt, STEM Outreach Manager at Griffith University and the powerhouse behind Science on the Go and the groundbreaking SuperGEMS program. For more than 20 years, Griffith’s outreach has supported teachers, excited young people from Prep to Year 12, and created authentic pathways into STEM. In this episode, Anita shares how the team blends curriculum enhancement, hands-on science engagement and university student leadership to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and creators.

Anita opens up about the origin story of SuperGEMS, a motorsport-inspired, year-long program where 50 girls completed 3,500-word research reports, conference posters and professional presentations on topics like aerodynamics, materials, tyres and engine performance. She explains how a childhood love of motorsport turned into a vision to help girls see themselves in technical careers that often feel invisible — and why more than half the participants now want to return as mentors. We also explore one of the most powerful parts of her work: watching university volunteers grow, including the shy international student who became a confident STEM leader through outreach.

If you’re interested in STEM activation, community engagement, student leadership development or programs that genuinely move the needle, this conversation is a lesson in how outreach transforms both young people and the university students who step up to deliver it. Anita’s passion, clarity and belief in what students can become shines throughout the episode, and her stories reveal what true impact looks like in action.

Tune in to learn what makes Science on the Go! unique, why SuperGEMS has captured national attention and how giving back can unlock confidence, capability and connection in every student leader who gets involved.

Today on Better Student Leaders, Josh Farr sits down with Emma Boyd, founder of StickyAid, an accessible one-handed bandage dispenser inspired by her grandfather, an amputee who struggled with basic first-aid tasks. At just 19, Emma has already become a Teen Business Awards 2025 Finalist, an ACS Women of STEM Scholar, a Vice Chancellor Scholar, and a youth leader across Queensland.

3 Reasons to Listen:

• Hear how a first-year engineering student turned a family challenge into an award-winning disability-access innovation.
• Learn the confidence-building strategies Emma used to go from introverted to influential across STEM, youth parliament and university leadership.
• Discover the power of student clubs, mentors and networks in accelerating ideas, opportunities and personal growth.

In this conversation, she shares how she went from a shy high school student to a confident young entrepreneur designing products that improve the lives of people with disabilities. Emma opens up about her startup journey, the mentors who backed her, the design and engineering process behind StickyAid, and how stepping into leadership roles transformed her confidence.

In this explosive conversation of Better Student Leaders, renowned neuroscientist Dr Jared Cooney Horvath breaks down the evidence most people never hear. From emergency data showing that phones make students less safe, to the neuroscience of distraction, to why well-intentioned EdTech often harms learning, Jared lays out a compelling case for rethinking our entire relationship with technology in schools.

Three reasons to listen:

• Understand what the neuroscience actually says about phones, learning and behaviour.
• Hear the evidence that challenges almost every assumption educators and parents hold about EdTech.
• Learn how real change happens at the classroom, union and policy level, and what Australia should do next.

Jared shares jaw-dropping real stories from classrooms, the hidden costs of outsourcing learning to devices, and why Australia’s recent phone bans are only the beginning. If you care about education, safety, mental health, or the future of young people, this episode is essential listening.

Jared's new book "The Digital Delusion" is a must-read and is OUT NOW everywhere you can get books!