What are you working on?
I work with a small and dedicated team at Health Horizon to make sense of health innovations that are in the making around the world. We built an online database that keeps track of their development journeys and have translated this information into a nifty format and digestible language. You can follow and share innovations that interest you and get updates when they make progress or become available. My role in the company is to manage the innovation data on the website, to make sure what you read online is accurate, updated and understandable, so even your grandma understands it 🙂

We’ve won a federal government grant late last year to discover exciting innovations under development by hospitals, universities and companies across Australia. In the next 10 months or so you will learn much more about the Australian contribution to humanity’s health – Stay tuned!

Why is innovation important to you?
Innovation makes life interesting, meaningful and fun! To me, innovation is more than creating businesses and earning big money – it is a way of thinking and a way of life. It embodies open-mindedness, risk-taking, leadership, effective problem-solving, confidence, perseverance and grit – all qualities I’m striving to improve in my personal and professional life.

I’ve been involved in the Canberra innovation ecosystem for three years and it’s really empowering to learn that with the healthy mindset, the right support and sound advice (and perhaps a small dose of luck!), we all have the ability to create change that improves our lives and that of others in areas we care about most.

What drives you to make a difference?
I like helping people and have a strong desire to create lasting changes to the world. Today I’m grateful to be involved in moving us closer to a healthier future. One day I would like to be involved in reversing the devastating impact we put on our environment and to work on promoting sustainable living.

Do you have any advice for getting more women into the innovation ecosystem?
It’s really cliché to say this, but my advice is not to overthink it, and take the first step to ‘just do it’.  Every major milestone starts with the smallest of steps you take. It can be as simple as making a phone call, talking to people you don’t normally talk to, or sharing with others your idea (however silly and under-baked it may seem!) You will never be clear about what you are doing until you actually do it. Lastly, do not underestimate yourself.