What are you working on?

I am a Dietitian/Nutritionist in Canberra and run a private practice called GH Nutrition.

Specialising in eating disorders, my passion is to help women cut through dieting BS and make peace with their plate, no restriction or guilt involved.

This all stemmed from my own experience with an eating disorder when I was nineteen and feeling so alone. I decided I needed to get better so I could help other women not feel so alone and scared.

Aside from seeing clients, I also have my fingers in a few other pies, these being my food product line and school talks.

I love to show people how simple and delicious healthy eating can be and that is why I make and sell cereals and energy balls to local cafes and grocers around Canberra.

This side of the business has grown very organically and I have recently upgraded to a commercial kitchen, after making it from my parent’s kitchen whilst at university. I now employee my mum and best friend to help me make enough for the week. We have recently rebranded our packaging, which is very exciting!

Another strand of my business is that I go into girls schools around Canberra and talk about the importance of fostering a healthy relationship with food and your body.

I love meeting girls and talking to them about what food can do FOR them, rather than against them. We talk about the actual mental and physical side effects of being “skinny” that aren’t often glamourised in the media.

To think that I could possibly change the narrative of a girl’s life, or for them to know they aren’t alone, means everything to me.

Why is innovation important to you?

It’s my way to help people. Through my clients, I notice patterns and problems and I try to solve them.

Innovation also shows me how strong I can be.

What drives you to make a difference?

My past history with an eating disorder. I remember feeling so ashamed, alone and scared. I made a promise to myself that I would get better so that I could prevent other young women from feeling this way.

Do you have any advice for getting more women into the innovation ecosystem?

Sit at the table, not around the edge. I loved this advice from Sheryl Sandberg in her book Lean In.

As a perfectionist procrastinator, I also like to take advice from my biggest mentor (my Dad). He always tells me two quotes, which I try and work by:
1) Overanalysis causes paralysis.
2) Bite off more than you can chew and chew like hell.

As someone who can get stuck in their own head and doubt my decisions, these quotes always push me to ‘sit at the table’.