A Better World Blueprint

When Jackie Carpenter was in her mid-40s she spent a week at Space Camp in the US and it changed her life. Inspired by the inclusivity and inspiration she found there Jackie came home to the school where she taught as a primary teacher dressed in her astronaut suit and armed with a passion to help change children’s lives. Nearly two decades later she has transformed countless lives through her wor...

While at the peak of his career Geoff did something unexpected, he packed it all in to start a charity that involved riding 1400 km to raise money for cancer research. It was all part of Geoff’s drive to work in a purpose-led industry, to give back and make a difference in the world. Fast forward 15 years and he’s founded a new charity Stryde4, connecting different charities across the sector for...

Elisa Goodkind & Lily Mandelbaum are a mother-daughter creative duo who ask their guests to disrobe whilst they interview them. It's an incredibly clever way to literally peel off the layers we all create over our true selves. In the process they manage to show their audience the beauty of being our authentic selves. Watch their interviews at Style Like U . If you know someone who is making the wo...

When Laurie Cowled was working out what to do with her will she made a life-changing choice. She decided that instead of leaving her money to charity she would actively invest it in people. At a time when philanthropy wasn’t well established in Australia Laurie carved her own path, and by doing so changed many lives, including her own. If you know someone who is making the world a better place - t...

Amee Donohoe is a former professional surfer, once ranked in the top five on the World Surf League's Championship Tour. She had already started her own surf school on the Central Coast of NSW when she realised how few First Nations girls were in the water. Amee is changing that with her program Salt Water Surfing Sistas. Girls from six to 20 learn about surfing while also discovering about connect...

When Rebecca Allen realised she was unfulfilled in her advertising career she sat down to work out what she really wanted to do. Taking a leap of faith she decided to build her own business in careers coaching, specifically working to get women into more leadership roles. You can find Rebecca at Illuminate Growth , or listen to her on her podcast Her Ambitious Career . If you know someone who is m...

The first time I saw Sophie McNeill she was a baby-faced journalist in a flak jacket reporting from a conflict in the Middle East. Inspired from the age of 14 by a documentary on human rights in East Timor, Sophie has been trying to find the right way to change the world. She has worked for SBS and the ABC as a journalist, a researcher and activist for Human Rights Watch and Greenpeace and is now...

Throughout her 15 years of volunteering for NSW RSPCA Reba Cawthorne has fostered over 200 cats. In 2024 she was recognised as volunteer of the year and is well known throughout the organisation for her kindness to humans and animals alike. If you know someone who is making the world a better place - tell me about them! My email is: shevonnehunt@substack.com Follow A Better World Blueprint on Spot...

Penny Kaleta was a high flying media executive when she realised she wanted something more from her work. At the same time as she became a single mum, she decided to move into the for-purpose space, and she’s never looked back. Penny is now the NSW Manager of the Property Industry Foundation , helping create housing for homeless youth. If you know someone who is making the world a better place - t...

The autism spectrum is wide and has many forms. Finding the right support for your child can be challenging. Porscia Lam found her answers in a particular kind of behaviour not recognised in Australia - Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). To start the conversation about PDA Porscia wrote a book - hoping it will change the way medical professionals view this condition. Porscia’s book is called The...

In 2021 Sue Martin was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her service to the Pittwater Community, but all her life she’s been involved in activism - whether it’s saving nature reserves for the public, agitating for better public hospital facilities or in her current volunteer role for Computer Pals in Avalon - helping older Australians learn to use technology. If you know someone who is makin...

Living without essential services would be hard. Imagine life without hot water, working lights or air conditioning? Ryan Wilson created Free Trade Day to help those living without the basics. For more on what inspires Ryan check out my article. You can read more about Free Trade Day at their website of via their Facebook or Instagram accounts. If you know someone who is making the world a better...

A moment of personal unravelling led author and researcher Dr Michelle McQuaid to re-create a book that had helped to shape her life. She took the Little Golden Book that had told her how to be a “good little girl” and rewrote the script - recreating it as The Perfectly Imperfect Little Girl: A Badass Tale For Women Who Are Done Being Good . For more about what inspires Michelle check out my artic...

Dementia is a scary word. When someone you love is diagnosed with dementia it can be the start of a long and lonely journey. Sharon Stoddart believes that we can find pockets of joy both for the person diagnosed with dementia and their loved ones. She founded the dementia-friendly choir Sing for Joy and has seen the difference it can make. If you know someone who is making the world a better place...

Australians adore the sun. We love it when the sky is clear and we can get outside - to the beach, park or pool. Anne Gately was a typical carefree Aussie in that respect, spending a lot of her life in the ocean. But in 2018 she got a stage 4 melanoma diagnosis that changed her attitude to the sun. Anne was lucky, she responded to treatment and is now cancer-free, but it was a wake up call for Ann...

Allison Davies has created a bag of tools to help her cope in a neurotypical world. Along the way she realised that music was a powerful way to regulate both herself and others who are on the spectrum. She founded Music and the Brain, and now spends her time educating others on how to use music to regulate emotions. She also helps people understand autistic culture. To read about what inspires All...

Women over 40 can start to feel invisible. For Faith Agugu it’s when women become more vibrant and powerful. Faith turned a crisis in her own life into an opportunity when she founded Silver Sirens , a network for women over 50. For more words of wisdom from Faith read about her inspirations here . Follow A Better World Blueprint on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to get all the latest episodes. This is...

As an intensive care nurse Anne Myers was familiar with death and dying, but she was startled by the shape of her grief when her mum died. It made her curious about the palliative care unit, and the more she learnt the more she understood that working in people’s homes was where she needed to be. Anne’s approach to life is invigorating, if you’d like to hear more about her inspirations, read my ar...

When it comes to changing the world, you can’t get much greater impact than influencing the next generation. Our parents have such a big influence on who we become as people, and mine are no exception. My mum and dad- Marilyn and Robert Hunt - never told me to be kind, generous or compassionate - but they have been living examples of those qualities all my life. Dad decided to sit this one out, bu...

Mindfulness based stress-reduction is a specific course designed by American Medical Professor Jon Kabat-Zinn. Twenty years ago Timothea Goddard became enamoured of the technique so decided to start OpenGround in Australia to teach it to others. Tim says the practice opens up the opportunity for people to understand their own minds in a way that is liberating. To find out what motivates Tim in day...

Jon Owen is the Pastor and CEO of Wayside Chapel in Sydney’s Kings Cross. He started his life of purpose early- recognising that his true calling involved service to others. To learn more about what inspires Jon in his life check out this article . To learn more about Wayside Chapel and help Jon continue his work, check out their website . Follow A Better World Blueprint on Spotify or Apple Podcas...

Grief can be a complicated and unpredictable emotion. Ryan and Callie Bowles found that it was also an emotion that had very little support. Having both lost a parent they felt they could build a community and supply resources that would help others. Together they started their faith based website and podcast Good Grief HQ . Listen to what motivates Ryan each day to make the world a better place h...

Rebekah Robertson is an actor, author and activist. Her book About A Girl- A Mother’s Powerful Story About Raising Her Transgender Child details her incredible relationship with her daughter Georgie. Together they challenged the Family Courts decree that children must apply to them before accessing puberty blockers. In 2012 Rebekah founded Transcend Australia , the first organisation to support th...

Marnie Fairlie has been singing since she was a child, but the singing she enjoys the most is when she’s with other people. Today she’s a choir conductor with Hummingsong Choirs where she brings women together to sing. During the day Marnie teaches kids music and both experiences combine to create not just beautiful music but joyful souls. Marnie has a particular obsession with musician Katie Noon...

Amy Taylor-Kabbaz - Helping mothers rise Amy’s experience becoming a mother shocked her onto a career path she never thought she’d take. From a young age she dreamed of becoming a journalist, but after having her children she realised it wasn’t where she was meant to be. So Amy took a mighty leap away from the dream that was and into a new reality that has seen her help thousands of women better u...