Better Student Leaders with Josh Farr

In this powerful episode of Better Student Leaders , Josh sits down with Sally Calder , CEO and Co-Founder of RespectX and one of Australia’s leading voices on workplace culture, psychosocial safety, and gender-based harm. After decades spanning Parliament House, state and federal government, child protection, sexual assault services and 15 years as National Lead Partner for Culture, Diversity and...

Today on Better Student Leaders, Josh sits down with Mana Venothkumar , international student, biomedical engineer, former President of the Sydney University Society of Medical Innovation, Startmate Summer Fellow, and now Investment Associate at NextGen Ventures , Australia’s first student-run VC fund backing student founders. By listening, you will gain: The confidence to back yourself even when...

Today on Better Student Leaders , Josh sits down with Dr Hugh Gundlach , Lecturer in Education at the University of Melbourne and author of viral articles How to Avoid “Death by PowerPoint” and To Save In-Person Lectures, Unis Need to Provide Lessons Worth Showing Up For . Hugh’s research and experience bridge the gap between education, design, and human connection — revealing how simple changes i...

Today on Better Student Leaders , I’m joined by Akshad Shalah , a La Trobe University student whose leadership journey began when friends “pushed” him to attend a Campus Consultancy workshop. Fast forward two years, and he’s gone from sitting in the audience to flying internationally to represent Australia at the Enactus World Cup in Thailand , serving as a Residential Leader , Club President , an...

Today on Better Student Leaders , we dive into a Website Makeover Masterclass with Tim Sullivan , Founder of Sonder Sites, a creative powerhouse specialising in Shopify and Shopify Plus for universities. “Everyone shops online, but students expect a certain level of quality. If your website doesn’t match what they’re used to, they’ll leave.” From rebuilding the RMIT Store and RMIT Online short cou...

Today on Better Student Leaders , Josh Farr reconnects with Irina Wong , President of UNSW Hall and the Inter-Residential Council, exactly one year after she attended leadership training. Together, they explore what happens after the workshop, when the theory meets reality. Irina reflects on the challenges of leading friends, balancing multiple roles, and learning to set boundaries while staying t...

Today on Better Student Leaders , Josh Farr sits down with Theo Kapodistrias - TEDx Hobart Director, lawyer, award-winning speaker, and author of A Way With Words . Together, they unpack what it takes to communicate with clarity, confidence, and connection. Theo shares insights from years of coaching TEDx speakers and leading communication workshops, revealing how to structure a message that stick...

Today, on Better Student Leaders , I’m joined by five remarkable student college presidents from the University of New South Wales residential colleges: Camilla from International House, Cooper from Goldstein, Daniel from Colombo, Luc from UNSW Hall, and Zoe from Philip Baxter. These student leaders share powerful lessons on service, teamwork, culture, and courage. From building communities where...

Today on Better Student Leaders , I’m joined by Doug Taylor , CEO of The Smith Family - one of Australia’s most trusted charities, supporting over 200,000 young people and families each year to overcome educational disadvantage. In this conversation, Doug opens up about his why , the leadership lessons that have shaped him, and why being a “reformer” — someone who is persistently consistent — migh...

In this rare ‘behind-the-scenes’ episode, you’ll hear students from Adelaide University ask their questions following a 3 hour leadership workshop. Josh answers: What do I do if I can’t get motivated? How do I manage my time when something unexpected comes up? What do I do if I’m ‘impatient’ and ambitious? How do I find a mentor? After I connect on LinkedIn, what next? Listen in as Josh identifies...

Today on Better Student Leaders , Josh Farr sits down with Scott Carlson , senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education , and Dr Ned Scott Laff , a veteran academic and co-author of Hacking College: Why the Major Doesn’t Matter — and What Really Does . Together, they challenge one of higher education’s oldest myths: that your major determines your destiny. In this conversation, they explore...

Today, on Better Student Leaders, Owen Firth, Chief Employability Officer at Readygrad , has spent over 20 years reshaping the graduate employment landscape in Australia. As Founder of Gradability and Ribit.net, and the driving force behind Readygrad’s work-readiness platforms that have connected 20,000 students to 6,000 employers, Owen is one of the nation’s leading voices on employability, WIL a...

We’re on campus at Griffith University (Nathan) with three inspiring women: Harmony Tree , Treasurer and Founding Member; Alpa , Vice-President; and Lana , incoming President of the Griffith Women in Engineering (WIE) Club. Two years ago, the club didn’t exist — today, it’s thriving, creating connection, confidence, and career opportunities for women across disciplines. In this episode, we explore...

Today, on Better Student Leaders , I’m joined by Australian Special Forces veteran and corporate psychologist Harry Moffitt — author of The Fourth Pillar and Eleven Bats . After 25 years, 11 tours and 1000 days with the SAS, Harry has trained and worked with the best in the military, sport, and corporate realms. In this episode, we explore how his philosophy of leadership can help grow young minds...

Today, on Better Student Leaders , I’m joined by Paul Majumdar — University Council Member at Deakin University , National Executive of the National Union of Students , and President of Deakin Social Club . In just three years, Paul has gone from a first-year student running a small 50-member club to leading one of Deakin’s largest student communities, representing over 60,000 students at the univ...

Today on Better Student Leaders , we’re on campus at Griffith University Gold Coast with someone who’s lived the student leadership journey from both sides of the fence. Back in 2006, Jessica Brown started as a Club President — and by 2007, she was named Club Administrator of the Year by the Griffith University Student Guild. Nearly two decades later, she’s now CEO of the Griffith University Gold...

In this special episode of Espresso Exchanges , host Vaibhav Kashyap sits down with Josh Farr , founder of Campus Consultancy , international speaker, and best-selling author of Lessons from 100,000 Student Leaders . Josh has spent almost a decade training young leaders around the world—and in this conversation, he distills what he’s learned about turning reflection into action and potential into...

Today, on Better Student Leaders, Two-time Olympian, silver medalist, and President of the Queensland Olympic Council, Paul “Gonzo” Gonzalez has spent decades studying what separates good players from great ones. From leading Australia to a baseball silver medal to delivering a record-breaking $2.2 million fundraiser in 24 hours, Gonzo’s life has been a masterclass in leadership, trust, and relent...

What does leadership look like when it arrives — even in your first year of university? In this inspiring episode of Better Student Leaders , we meet Mariefinah Pollen Marcuelo , a first-year engineering student at the University of Auckland , whose experience in a recent leadership workshop sparked a powerful idea: to revive the Women in Engineering Podcast and give voice to women in a male-domin...

Today on Better Student Leaders , I’m joined by Professor George Williams AO , Vice-Chancellor and President of Western Sydney University — one of Australia’s preeminent constitutional law experts, author of 43 books, and a barrister who has appeared before the High Court. Beyond the law, Professor Williams is redefining what it means to be a university leader. From giving himself a pay cut to sta...

In this episode of Better Student Leaders , host Josh Farr speaks with Tim Burdeu , Associate Director of Student Life at RMIT University and Board Director of the Student Experience Network. With more than two decades of experience across Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam, Tim shares how curiosity, adaptive leadership and co-design are reshaping the future of student experience. Together, they e...

What does it take to future-proof universities and how can student leaders shape the next decade of higher education? In this episode of Better Student Leaders, Josh Farr is joined by Professor Chris Moran, Vice-Chancellor and CEO of the University of New England. With a career spanning CSIRO, UQ, Curtin, and now UNE, Professor Moran has led world-class research, always with an eye on how strategy...

What is a university brand — really? Beyond logos, colours, and taglines, a brand is leadership, culture, and community. In this episode, Shannon Tricklebank, Director of Marketing and Brand at Bond University , takes us behind the scenes of Bond’s bold new platform Ambition Loves Company. From belonging to boldness, Shannon shares how her team worked with staff, students, and alumni to capture Bo...

In this special student highlight on Better Student Leaders , we sit down with Hannah Arndt — Juris Doctor candidate, Griffith University, and 2025 Gold Coast Mayor’s Student Ambassador. Just weeks ago, Hannah faced her biggest fear: climbing Q1, the tallest building in Australia. What began with tears and hesitation transformed into one of her proudest milestones, thanks to the support of her pee...

Today on Better Student Leaders , I’m joined by Shivani Tholasi , Membership and Higher Education Coordinator at the Institute of Managers and Leaders Australia and New Zealand. Shivani has coordinated the Most Impactful Mentoring Program Award three years in a row , recognised internationally on the Mentorloop platform. In this episode, Shivani shares the secrets behind building award-winning men...