What are you working on?
I’m lucky enough to be involved in quite a few different projects through my role at the ANU Technology Transfer Office, broadly related to fostering and facilitating innovation at the university (and beyond!). This includes teaching researchers about innovation and commercialisation and helping them to take their innovative ideas to market, but also supporting students, encouraging them to find their inner entrepreneur, through initiatives such as InnovationACT.

Why is innovation important to you?
Innovation allows for positive change, whether we’re talking about change within an organisation, to keep them competitive and relevant to their market, or a greater societal “yay, let’s go save the world” kind of change. It’s important for us to be adaptable to the ever-evolving technologies, challenges and opportunities that are thrown at us.

What drives you to make a difference?
I am constantly surrounded by all kinds of creative, entrepreneurial students and researchers around ANU, so it’s hard not to be inspired. It blows my mind to hear about some of the innovative solutions that they come up with, often using technologies and concepts I can’t even pronounce, let alone understand. If I can help make their journey any easier, then that’s a day well spent.

Do you have any advice for getting more women into the innovation ecosystem?
Just know that you don’t have to fumble your way through it alone – there is so much support out there as long as you’re open to it. Attend as many networking events as you can, learn about the successes AND failures of other women in innovation, ask colleagues or friends to link you up with people they know, bribe people to chat to you over a coffee, find a female mentor, etc. But, importantly, be sure to then share your own lessons with other female entrepreneurs trying to get into the game. Keep that network of support going.