Open Wired with Natalie Phillips-Mason

About this episode

Bianca Stern is the Head of Impact and a founding member of All Things Equal, a Melbourne-based social enterprise empowering people with disability through award-wage employment, purposeful training, and pathways to rewarding careers in hospitality. Named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list for 2025, Bianca is a recognised leader in the social impact sector, with deep experience across inclusive employment, disability advocacy, and social enterprise. Her work focuses on transforming community attitudes and building scalable models that empower people with disability to contribute and lead.

Key Takeaways

- Why award wage employment is a necessary part of disability employment

- Why hospitality is the sector of choice

- How the All Things Equal Blueprint for Disability Employment is shaping equity

- How All Things Equal uses technology and visual aids in it's programs.

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About this episode

Parul is a first-generation immigrant who lives in the UK. She is a later in life diagnosed AuDHD (Autistic and ADHD) woman of colour who experiences chronic illness. Parul works in talent acquisition, and platforms intersectionality, power and privilege to create awareness of systemic barriers.

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About this episode

Kay Sargent is a global leader in shaping purposeful, human-centered environments. As Director of Thought Leadership, Interiors at HOK, she pioneers workplace strategy and real estate innovation. Kay is a renowned advocate for neuroinclusive design and creating built environments that work for everyone. Kay authored Designing Neuroinclusive Workplaces and has testified before the U.S. Congress on the built environment.

Her influence spans advisory roles with Delos, IFMA, and ASID. Recently honored with the 2025 ASID Luminary of Distinction and recognized as a Top 50 Global FM Influencer, Kay remains at the forefront of creating inclusive, impactful spaces that navigate the future of work.

In this episode we discuss how Kay became interested in design, her career experiences as a female in a male dominated industry and how neuroinclusion shapes her work.

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About this episode

Paul Zahra has spent much of his career in retail. From pushing trolleys to leading retail giant David Jones through a tumultuous period. Paul is also one of the few corporate executives who is openly gay and spoke out for Marriage Equality when few others were vocal.

In this episode, Paul speaks with raw honestly about his professional and personal journey.

Key Takeaways

• Leading through times of transformation
• Inclusive Boards
• How leaders can create inclusive organisations
• Social impact and purpose.

Resources

Tristan Lavender is an international speaker and consultant on neuroinclusion at work. Drawing on 15 years of global business experience and a lifetime of lived experience as an autistic person, he helps organisations create workplaces where everyone can do their best work. A recipient of the Bridgemaker Award at the Davos Neurodiversity Summit, Tristan is a sought-after speaker on how to build successful employee resource groups (ERGs).

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About this episode

Rochelle Courtenay is the Founder and force behind Sharethe Dignity, a national charity dedicated to ending period poverty in Australia.

Rochelle has spent years working to change policies and outdated ideas that don’t serve women andgirls, providing homeless and at risk women nationally withsanitary products to allow them a sense of dignity at a time when they need it most.

Rochelle has been instrumental in removing Goods and Services Tax from period products in Australia, providing feminine hygiene products to disadvantaged women and providing access to products through free vending machines in schools.

This episode mentions homelessness, domestic violence and indigenous health.

Concepts mentioned:

• The Bloody Big Survey: Australia’s largest body of research on Menstrual Health.
• #AxeTheTax: public campaign to remove Goods and Services Tax (GST) and re-categorise period products as non-luxury items.
• Period poverty

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Johanna Barker is an experienced Board Member specialising in finance, governance and technology. She has held senior corporate positions and leadership roles with responsibility for strategy, operations, governance and the bottom line.

Joh was diagnosed autistic in her 50s, well into her corporate career. In this episode, Joh talks candidly and honestly about her approach to leading and fostering talent.

Joh doesn't mince her words. She is a straight shooter, pragmatic and reflective. This conversation offers unique insight into the mind of a neurodivergent parent, academic and corporate leader.References that Joh has asked us to include in the episode description:

About this episode:

Karen McCarthy believes in the inherent dignity of people and is committed to reducing the impact of factors that limit how freely they’re able to enjoy full and flourishing lives. 

Karen lost her sight as a result of complications to remove a tumour on her pituitary gland in her mid 30s. 

She survived and is now a keynote speaker on resilience and adaptability.

Karen is a Board member in the not-for-profit sphere, working to strengthen and steer organisations that break down barriers for, and advance the rights of, people who are vulnerable to discrimination and disadvantage. She loves books, ballet and stretching the boundaries of what she’s capable of.

Key Takeaways:

• One person’s lived experience of acquired disability

• Just because you can’t do something doesn’t mean you can’t do something differently.

• Adversity and resilience.

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About this episode:

We explore the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, first initiated at Gatwick airport in 2016. Today, the Sunflower is a visible symbol of accessibility in 300 airports and in venues and workplaces across the globe. 

Key Takeaways:

- The Sunflower is a symbol for non-apparent differences and disabilities.

- The lanyard empowers its wearers to communicate discreetly that that they may need support

- The Sunflower symbol is in over 300 airports around the world as well as in Retail, Transport, Railway, Healthcare, Education, Entertainment venues, Sporting clubs and Financial sectors.  

- The Sunflower has been launched locally in Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Latin America, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the UK, the UAE and the USA.

- Organisations can utilise the Program for their employees.

References: 

About this episode:

We talk to Ryan Kelly, Director and Founder of Creative Natives, a talent partner for the Australian digital and creative sectors. Ryan works with brands to transform their team cultures and helps top-tier talent land their dream gigs. At the same time, Creative Natives was built on an ethos of human connection and compassion, with a strong lens on the commercial benefits of hiring for and with flexibility.

Key Takeaways:

• Starting a recruitment agency with purpose, and why human connection in the hiring space is critical

• Recruiting and leading with empathy

• The benefits of flexible, freelance and part-time roles for organisations and candidates

• AI and its impact on the recruitment industry. 

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About this episode:

Sara Harrup is a Brisbane-based governance professional, executive coach, and the founder of Unique Mind Co. She is regarded as a pioneer in neuroinclusive governance design: the intentional design of board environments, systems, processes, and relational styles to anticipate a wide range of neurocognitive profiles, so that people do not need to mask, disclose their neurodivergence, or request adjustments in order to participate fully.

Sara is Deputy Chair of the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission, Chair of Jabiru, and Non-Executive Director at HCI. She coaches neurodivergent executives and board directors, and provides training and consulting on neuroaffirming leadership to organisations seeking to move beyond awareness into genuine structural change.

Sara is Autistic and ADHD, and a person with disability, and speaks openly about what it means to govern well when your body and mind work differently, and what boards lose when they are designed with narrow assumptions about how Director’s bodies and minds are built.

Key Takeaways:

• The role that Boards play in governance

Description:

Madeleine Jaine Lobsey spent decades in the arts and global leadership development before being diagnosed as autistic and ADHD at 48 and realising she’d been building neuroinclusive spaces long before she had the language for it. 

Named as a Top 50 Australians Over 50 in 2025, she founded Wondiverse, a neuroinclusion social enterprise. She also runs WonderPlay Studio, a neuroinclusive co-working and event space in the heart of Sydney.

In this episode we explore neuroinclusive design and building spaces that suit all neurotypes.

Key Takeaways

• Why neuroinclusive co-working spaces are needed

• Workspace zoning for different work styles

• The importance of predictability, choice and community 

• Neurodivergent thinking, systems and problem solving

• Why we should play when we work

• Using a later in life diagnosis of Autism and ADHD to channel creativity. 

About this episode:

Gary Mortimer is a Professor of Retail Marketing and Consumer Behaviour at Queensland University of Technology. He has over 25 years of retail industry experience, and is currently the Chair and Independent Director of Services and Creative Skills Australia.

In this episode we tackle an alarming trend in retail - customer aggression - and its impact on psychosocial safety for retail workers. 

Gary shares the latest data on what is and isn’t working, and how we can create safer workplaces in a sector that employs around 10% of Australians.

Key Takeaways:

• The definition of Customer aggression

• Highlights from SacSA’s Customer Aggression Report

• What’s working and what’s not

• The impact on Retail employee inclusion and psychosocial hazards in retail environments.

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About this episode

On this episode of Open Wired, host Natalie Phillips-Mason talks with award winning disability advocates Lisa Cox OAM and Paul Nunnari PSM PLY about disability representation in the media. They explore why representation matters, how organisations can get it right, and what businesses lose when disability inclusion is ignored. From Breaking Bad to Autistic Barbie, this episode is full of insights and candid commentary.

Takeaways

• Why representation matters

• The brands doing it well

• How to avoid tokenism

• The disability dollar and commercial impacts of exclusion   

• How to make shopping more inclusive and accessible. 

Sources

Open Wired is a series hosted by Natalie Phillips-Mason, Founder of Inclusive Change. Natalie has candid conversations with people solving inclusion challenges. Sometimes unpolished but always authentic, the series explores inclusion within workplaces, boardrooms, retail and physical spaces. Guests include award-winning leaders from private sector and Not for Profit, entrepreneurs, executives and retailers. Whether you lead, practise, or are simply navigating this work yourself, you'll come away with practical insights and ideas worth borrowing.

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