To open 2025, OKIRU sits down with Corina Dutlow, CEO of Australian Filipino Community Services, for a conversation on culture, leadership, and the quiet power of service.

With roots in both Filipino and Romanian heritage, Corina’s journey is anything but linear. Her story is an intimate reflection on what it means to grow into leadership without losing sight of where you came from.

Across the episode, we travel through stories of migration, language, and legacy—from her father’s arrival in Australia, to the quiet but radical work of supporting elders, to the intergenerational power of dance. Corina shares how identity isn’t something you perform—it’s something you honour, pass down, and carry forward.

0:03 – From volunteer to CEO: Corina’s early years and rise in community services

7:47 – Multilingual worlds: Navigating identity through culture and communication

13:59 – Family legacy: A Romanian migrant story that shaped a daughter’s path

17:56 – Dual heritage: The beauty and complexity of living between cultures

21:07 – Caring through culture: Serving elders and community through dance

31:12 – What does it mean to be Australian, really?

38:49 – The migrant experience: Barriers, belonging, and building bridges

43:21 – Creating the Filipino Performing Arts Collective

50:38 – Intergenerational storytelling through movement

51:31 – Service-led leadership and holding space for others

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Hosted by Liem Nguyen and produced by Jasper Menor, co-founders of OKIRU, the OKIRU Rise Together Podcast celebrates creativity, cultural pride, and community stories.

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