When you're not at work, what do you get up to?
I’m co-creating and building my own custom bicycle with Sean Killen, all with an aim to ride from Sydney to Adelaide one day. I’ve always wanted a bike that’s just for my unique body and riding style. It was a pre-pandemic project and it’s still ongoing.
With all the virtual activity in our lives, I love spending time away from screens trying to improve my penmanship skills and cook, specifically South Indian food (I make my own spice mixes to stay close to my other home).
I recently received Pushpesh Path’s India: The Cookbook as a present from Chris Vanstone and I’m making recipes from it by applying some of the scientific techniques by Kenji Lopez-Alt’s book The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science. For example, last weekend I was testing if home made chai’s consistency would be different if I stirred it 333 times. Ha!
I’m also an active thinking partner and advisor for groups like Creatives of Colour, and an early stage foundation focused on regenerating water bodies in South India — watch this space.
What change would you like to see in the world, and why?
The change I would like to see in the world would need to start from within me at every moment, event, day. To be present, patient and curious at any and every given moment (except maybe when I’m sleeping). Feels a little cliché, but it’s hard to honour it in practice.
What were you doing before working at TACSI?
Mmmm.. Here is my crazy list of what I did before TACSI, in no particular order:
Stuffed and laced chicken with secret Greek seasoning at Pinewood Chicken Shop in Clayton, Melbourne
Cooked Kentucky Fried Chicken for suburban residents of Melbourne
Played a lot of cricket as a wicketkeeper, and briefly trained and played alongside folks like Dirk Nannes, Andrew Powell, Peter Roach, Simon Dart, Peter and David Shepard, Craig Entwistle etc.. (hello there folks! if you are reading this);
Brick laying for a builder in Collingwood, Melbourne
Took care of the wellbeing of over 1500 university students living on campus at Monash University
Won $150 at an impromptu dance-off at the in-famous Frost Bites at Chapel Street in Melbourne
Co-developed a computer science undergraduate degree at an agricultural university in La Trinidad, Philippines
Expanded the e-books operations for a social enterprise in Cambodia and Laos PDR, way before you all started buy e-books
Designed toenail fungus monitoring apps for a pharmaceutical company who wanted a mobile application because it was cool to have one
Designed digital strategies and applications for educational, health, and environmental organisations like Mental Health Association NSW, Green Building Council of Australia, NSW Department of Education and so on.
And that’s the doing, but I’m more interested in the question being framed as ‘What were you being before now?’ – yeeeaaah!
Who inspires you, and why?
A constellation of human activity inspires me because it’s beautiful, fascinating and funny at the same time. Need more than five minutes to unpack this one!
Looking back at your career, what’s been the highlight?
Three highlights, if I may:
Knowing that designing mobile applications for toenail fungus mobile applications (to sell a new cream) isn’t my thing, as much as it might have been important for the world. The highlight here? To be given the opportunity to do it, learn and realise what else is possible.
Taking chances at different career paths (e.g. student wellbeing, education, international humanitarian aid and development, computer human interaction design, product development, frying chicken, etc.) at the shock and horror of my parents and family members.
Being jobless during the 2008/2009 financial crisis and appreciating the safety nets that are offered by the Australian society at large.
What are you reading, watching or listening to at the moment?
I’m listening to the Empire Podcast. William Dalrymple and Anita Anand riff on the questions about how empires rise? Why do they fall? How have they influenced or shaped the world around us? This podcast reminds me that we all must never cease to learn from diverse histories, no matter how flawed their interpretations.
I’m reading all of Carol Sanford’s books – Indirect Work, No More Feedback, The Regenerative Life, Regenerative Business, and The Responsible Business.
I’m currently re-watching Australia Unmasked through Miriam’s clear eyes and eloquence. While I watch her experience Australia, I imagine that Miriam was, in my previous life, maybe my grand aunty.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you 'grew up'?
Errrr… I wanted to be a fighter pilot first, and then a commercial pilot. I think the allure of adventure was the key motivating factor, I think it still is.
What's a book, film or resource that you would recommend to someone interested in social impact?
Film: The Corporation
Film: The work
Book: Being Mortal
Book: Epistemic Justice