Iolanthie Gabrie, Ruby Slipper Consultants, has this to say about the recent Food For Thought Network (FFTN) Inspiring People Series: “As a Generation Y woman from a diverse multicultural background, I’ve been aware of networking entrepreneur Varvara Ioannou’s Food For Thought Network for some time.
This year celebrates a decade of the FFTN, which promotes diversity in our communities. FFTN has created a true gem with the new Inspiring People Series, which premiered on March 22 at Melbourne’s Multicultural Hub. A buzzing crowd congregated to hear from several leading women in our community, including: Jill McCabe (Director of the Office of Women’s Policy), Nigisti Mulholland (inspiring ex-guerrilla fighter-come-nurse hailing from Eritrea), Lynda Morakis (Qantas Pilot) and Michelle Errichello (world -class paralympian athlete aiming for London Paralymic gold).
The forum for the evening was a mixture of formal and casual, with each lady initially telling their life story before joining a panel discussion ably lead by Varvara Ioannou. Some of the interesting topics brought to the table included 100 years of International Women’s Day, cultural expectations and how life changes ‘while you’re making plans’ and great challenges in life and business.
Overall, the event was well-organised by the FFTN community, and exceeded expectations. It was terrific to see a variety of generations and cultures present, as their very presence realises the FFTN goal of celebrating diversity. I can’t wait for the next FFTN event, which should be a unique event full of inspiration from our multicultural community.
For a complete review and discussion of the FFTN’s Inspiring People Series, visit the Ruby Slipper blog: www.iolanthegabrie.wordpress.com. For more info about the FFTN: info@fftn.org.au