Our Advisors

Our EmpowerGirl™ Advisors are passionate individuals who share our worldview
and believe that every Australian girl should have the chance to fulfil her potential.

They bring broad experiences across a range of professional backgrounds including
Business, Technology, Government, Education and the Media.

Elisa Choy

Data Strategist

Elisa is an economist and data strategist with a magic eye for data. She is a powerhouse speaker who elegantly translates big data and AI into engaging and thought-provoking stories on human behaviour, society, culture and business.

Known as the Data Maven, Elisa simplifies business problems with a unique blend of strategy, finance, economics and data.

After 16 years in the corporate world, Elisa founded Strategic Data Central, a boutique data analytics consultancy based in Sydney, to coach business leaders on data-driven digital transformation. She also runs her own business Maven Data, Australia’s first strategic market insights agency powered by AI, which helps leading brands use big data to measure human emotion and predict behaviour.

She is also a working mother of twin girls, with a passion for empowering women and girls to achieve the best vision of themselves and their world.

Kerry Irwin

Deputy Chair SARMB. Public sector leader. Sport, recreation and gender equality specialist

Kerry is highly strategic, collaborative, energetic and well networked and is known for her tenacity to drive organisational excellence, positive and enduring outcomes and ‘make things happen’.

Her systemic change management and business transformation experience together with driving the development of high-performance teams and culture have been instrumental in achieving results.

A dynamic public sector leader and health promotion professional Kerry has spent the past 15 years in senior management roles in local government and the last four as a freelance consultant and board director.  She has led large scale, longer term, multi-dimensional policy and planning across portfolios such as sport and recreation, gender equity and prevention of violence against women, environmental sustainability, engagement, health and wellbeing and active transport. Kerry is passionate about women’s empowerment and gender equality.

Dr Michelle Sharpe

Barrister and author

Dr Michelle Sharpe practices primarily in the area of general commercial and regulatory law specialising in contract and consumer protection law and disciplinary hearings. She regularly appears in all jurisdictions either led or on her own.

Michelle is the author of Unconscionable Conduct in Australian Commercial and Consumer Contracts published by LexisNexis in August 2018.

Michelle has also published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters in the areas of consumer protection and legal ethics. Recent articles include: “ASIC v Kobelt: a consumer protection blackout?” (2019) 27 Australian Journal of Competition and Consumer Law 283 and “More Than a Feeling: Finding Statutory Unconscionable Conduct” (2019) 27 Australian Journal of Competition and Consumer Law 108.

In November 2018 Michelle was named ‘Barrister of the Year’ in the Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards.

Nancy Chen

Infrastructure Advisory Consultant

Nancy is a passionate infrastructure advisory consultant at global engineering firm, Arup.

Having previously worked at Macquarie Group, PwC and Hastings Funds Management, she brings a blend of experience to deliver commercial, economic and financial advice on the development of infrastructure projects for Government and private sector clients.

In a short space of time, Nancy has managed the financial and economic analyses on a number of major infrastructure projects across sustainability, airports, roads, ports, waste and utilities sectors across Australia and South East Asia.

Dispelling the myth that girls are not intrigued by infrastructure, Nancy is passionate about how infrastructure is the foundation of modern society and vital for cities to grow sustainably. As the rate of infrastructure investments grows, Nancy recognises that it is vital for the future that decisions and knowledge are gender diverse and representative of our entire population.

Ivana Katz

Website Designer

Ivana is a website designer and the owner of Websites 4 Small Business with over 18 years of website design and internet marketing experience.

She builds websites that build businesses.  You can think of her as your business co-pilot.

Ivana is a Google verified author – her articles have been published in national newspapers, magazines and international online publications.

She is regularly invited to speak at business conferences, networking events and on podcasts about website design and website marketing.

Her recently published book “Savvy Woman’s Practical Guide to Online Business” takes the mystery out of doing business on the internet and answers questions you didn’t even know you needed to ask.

Olly Nicholson

Student

My name is Olly Nicholson, I’m 10 years old and in the 5TH Grade.  I am Palyku and live with my younger sister, mum and dad.

I believe in equality, kindness and showing respect to everyone.  I hope to be an inspiring leader one day.

Right now I want to continue to better myself in dancing, singing, and sharing people’s stories.

Fiona Hudson

Journalist

Fiona is an award-winning journalist at Australia’s top-selling newspaper, the Herald Sun.

During a two-decade career she has held diverse roles including Europe Bureau Chief, Assistant Editor at the Sunday Herald Sun, iPad app and mobile Website Editor and City Editor.

Thank You …

They say that knowledge is power and EmpowerGirl is the result of many hours of research and collaboration. We are deeply grateful to all the many girls who have helped EmpowerGirl take shape by candidly sharing their hopes, fears and dreams for the future. The same is true for all the mums, educational experts, psychologists and female leaders we have met with. They have provided valuable advice, connections, shared stories and most of all – inspiration. A special thank you to Tess Nobile, Lina Hanne and Diana Coverdale who generously provided an incredible amount of advice, support and encouragement over the last two years