Equality Talks

Heidi Roizen was the subject of the famous Harvard University Howard vs Heidi research into gender bias. As a is a venture capitalist, corporate director, ‘recovering’ entrepreneur and now partner at leading technology venture firm Threshold Ventures, she has her share of lived experience ralting to bias. In a candid discussion with WORK180 co-Founder and CEO Gemma Lloyd, Heidi discusses the traits that successful entrepreneurs share, living a relationship-led life and career, and giving yourself permission to pay for help with the domestic load.

Fiona Vines is the Head of Inclusion & Diversity and Workforce Transition at BHP. With 25 years’ experience she is a wealth of knowledge about all things Diversity & Inclusion. A passionate feminist with practical ideas for achieving gender balance and workforce equity, Fiona is inspirational. We talk about what businesses need to reach 50-50, men’s role in inclusion and why women leave the workforce at greater rates than men. Truly inspiring and informative, this is an episode to listen to.

Naomi Simson founded Red Balloon in 2001 and it’s not the third largest experience marketplace of its type in the world. She was on four seasons of Channel 10’s Shark Tank and is a passionate supporter of female founders. We talk about supporting local business to fuel Australia’s recovery, using this period to reflect on what is important to you, Rushing Women’s Syndrome, and finding your passion. An inspiring, personal I hope you enjoy it.

That's a wrap on Season One of Equality Talks, and we hope you loved it as much as we did! Listen to hear a brief recap of what we've talked about and the inspirational women we've spoken to, plus get the inside scoop on who's kicking off Season Two - she's pretty famous!

Vivienne Partridge has amazing flexibility, and talks about advocating for what you want, true flexibility, the support companies can provide in evening out the domestic load and wage theft as it applies to both parents and non-parents. She is the Associate Director of Strategy and Planning at Optus, is mother to two toddlers only 14 months apart and encourages people to use physical movement to support mental health.

Kirsten Clacey is a specialist in connecting and working with remote teams, and earlier this year organised a two day fully remote conference for 200 delegates from Eyeo. In this episode she talks about the benefits and challenges of working remotely, supporting your team in the rapid transition to remote working due to Covid-19, and supporting diversity through meeting design.

Kate Harrison found her priorities changed after having children, and she became an Acceptance and Commitment Therapist. In this episode she takes us through how to identify your core values, the five steps to catch and change though and behaviour patterns that don’t serve you, and the importance of self-compassion and gratitude.

Renee Noble is the executive director of the Girls’ Programming Network and was recently named in the Australia Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence. After a late introduction to tech, Renee is passionate about making coding education exciting and accessible to everyone. She strives to create scalable content and methods for including girls, women and people from other under-represented gender groups. She talks about non-technical skills that you need working in tech, the big-picture strategic thinking that is the foundation for working in technology, and that it’s about helping people solve problems. Renee talks about unconscious bias, how it shows up in real-life applications and increasing empathy through understanding. She also talks about growing your skills and confidence through volunteering and recognising your worth.

Michelle Ayyuce discusses Zipwire’s mission to get talented women back into their careers and into purposeful roles, the barriers we face following extended career breaks, and a number of tips and tricks to re-enter the workforce. Michelle recommends focusing on both opportunities and confidence, and also discusses the rebalance of domestic duties when someone takes up employment after a period as the primary carer. She is passionate about building confidence through action, and has a wealth of ideas for getting your career moving again after a break.