Humans of Purpose

AI isn't just another tool. It's intelligence becoming cheap, instant, and impossible to switch off from, and neurofuturist Joel Pearson thinks most of us haven't reckoned with what that actually means. In this episode, Mel sits down with Joel to unpack what happens to our brains, our work, and our relationships when thinking hard stops being necessary. They talk about the tension between innovati...

My guest this week is Henry Shukman — poet, novelist, authorised Zen master in the Sanbo Zen lineage, and co-founder of The Way meditation app. His work has moved through boardrooms, retreat centres, and living rooms across the world, helping people find what lies on the other side of their suffering. Henry's path here was anything but direct. A spontaneous awakening experience at nineteen, years...

In this episode, Jan Owen reflects on her journey - from setting up illegal drop-in centres in Brisbane to pioneering Australia's first lived experience advocacy organisations. She unpacks how philanthropy evolved from government funding to innovative impact investing, revealing surprising shifts in funding models that continue to influence social change. You'll discover why informal community net...

To premiere Season 2 of the Humans of Purpose Podcast, Mel sits down with Josh Ross from Humanitix. Josh Ross walked away from a hedge fund partnership at 26, turned down a lucrative career, and co-founded one of Australia's most radical companies with his best friend. Humanitix is an online event ticketing platform with one extraordinary difference: 100% of profits from booking fees go directly t...

My guest this week is Rachel Ball, CEO of the Reichstein Foundation, where she works at the forefront of social, economic, and environmental justice through collaborative philanthropy and systems-level change. Rachel’s path into this work was shaped early. Growing up in Sydney in a family grounded in education, and later experiencing global inequality firsthand during a Rotary exchange in Brazil,...

My guest this week is Amanda Cahill, CEO of The Next Economy, where she works with regional communities across Australia to support a rapid, responsible, and fair transition away from fossil fuels. Amanda has spent more than 15 years working at the intersection of community, climate, and economic development. Her work focuses on helping regions navigate complex change, ensuring that as industries...

This week Melanie Greblo and Colleague Bella Borello, Two purpose-driven leaders at Humans of Purpose, working at the intersection of storytelling, marketing, and social impact. In this episode, Melanie and Bella step into a different format, a shared conversation rather than a traditional interview exploring what it really means for organisations to communicate purpose in a way that is honest, cr...

My guest this week is Charlie Syme — a marketing strategist, founder of Pigface Marketing, and chair of the Common Ground Project, working at the intersection of marketing, creativity, and social impact. Charlie’s work is grounded in a simple but powerful idea: marketing should be a force for good. Through Pigface Marketing, they partner with purpose-driven organisations, B Corps, and social enter...

My guest this week is Meghal Shah — CEO of Action on Poverty, an Australian international development organisation focused on tackling global poverty through innovative, scalable solutions. Meghal brings an unusual perspective to the social sector. Originally trained as a chartered accountant, he began his career in the corporate world at PwC and Commonwealth Bank before making a bold pivot into p...

My guest this week is Bruce Maynard — a leading voice in regenerative agriculture and landscape restoration in Australia, known for pushing beyond “doing less harm” and into farming systems that actively rebuild nature while still producing food. Bruce shares how his journey into regenerative practice wasn’t just an idealistic shift, it was forged through pressure. In the late 1980s, severe econom...

My guests this week are Professor Paul Lacaze and Jane Tiller - two leading voices shaping the future of public health genetics in Australia. Professor Lacaze is a Professor of Genetics and part of the team behind DNA Screen, a major initiative exploring how preventive DNA testing could help identify people at high genetic risk of cancer and heart disease while they’re still young and healthy. Jan...

My guest this week is Elizabeth Tyler - co-founder and CEO of good.film, a visionary platform using film and television as a catalyst for connection, empathy, and meaningful conversation in an increasingly fragmented world. Through good.film, she works at the intersection of storytelling, social impact, and community-centred engagement, helping audiences discover movies and shows that resonate wit...

My guest this week is Jon Yeo - a highly respected speaker coach, communication expert, and founder of Brightstar Consulting & Coaching , where he works at the intersection of strategic communication, influence, and leadership development. Jon’s work focuses on helping individuals, leaders, and organisations craft messages that resonate, build trust, and foster deeper engagement in both in-per...

My guests this week are Damon Gameau, Hannah Diviney, Doug Cronin, and Hani Abdile - together, they explore storytelling as a force for cultural change, unpacking who gets to speak, whose voices are amplified, and how stories shape the futures we imagine. Damon Gameau is an actor and filmmaker known for his work mobilising audiences around climate, regeneration, and systems change. He reflects on...

My guest this week is Dr Darren Morton - a leading health and wellbeing expert, academic, and founder of The Lift Project, where he works at the intersection of evidence-based science, mental health, and human flourishing. Darren’s work focuses on helping individuals, leaders, and organisations build resilience, energy, and sustainable wellbeing in an increasingly demanding world. Best known for h...

My guest this week is Kurt Gruber - Co-founder and Managing Director of Worldview Foundation and WV Technologies , where he leads a social enterprise creating meaningful employment opportunities for Indigenous youth while tackling e-waste and environmental sustainability. Kurt’s work transforms discarded technology into valuable resources, providing pathways to skills, jobs, and empowerment for yo...

My guest this week is Kylea Tink - CEO of Foodbank Australia, former Independent MP, social impact leader, and one of the country’s most determined advocates for ending food insecurity. Kylea’s work goes far beyond food relief, it shines a light on the structural inequities that push Australians into hunger in the first place. She’s best known for her leadership across politics, nonprofits and com...

My guest this week is Michael Stuart - Impact & Data Manager at Social Traders , and one of the leading voices pushing Australia’s social enterprise sector toward a more evidence-driven future. Michael has spent more than a decade helping organisations make sense of their data, and today, he oversees how Social Traders captures, measures, and interprets impact across hundreds of enterprises. H...

My guest this week is Kurt Avery - Founder & President of Sawyer , a global impact organisation transforming access to clean water. Kurt’s work isn’t just about providing solutions; it’s about rethinking what’s possible in humanitarian aid and public health. He’s best known for pioneering water filtration technology that can last up to 10 years, helping entire villages gain safe, reliable drin...

My guest this week is Sarah Clarke - Group GM, Sustainability at Mirvac, where she leads the award-winning ESG strategy This Changes Everything. Sarah also serves as Deputy Chair of Cladding Safety Victoria and formerly chaired Homes Victoria’s $5b+ social housing investment -driving impact across climate, equity, and governance. In this conversation, we explore how Sarah embeds purpose and sustai...

My guest this week is Cat Longshaw - Co-founder and CEO at Trace, one of Australia’s fastest-growing climate tech companies helping businesses measure, reduce and report their carbon emissions. Cat has built trace into a trusted partner for organisations navigating the rising expectations - and increasing requirements - around climate accountability. Her work sits at the intersection of technology...

My guest this week is Sarah Sheridan - Co‑Founder and Deputy CEO of Clothing The Gaps , the powerful Aboriginal-led social enterprise using fashion to drive social change. Sarah has helped build a business where every t-shirt tells a story, and carries a message. Through her work, she’s redefining how brands can be platforms for policy, justice, and community. In this conversation, we explore how...

My guest this week is Jess Hill - investigative journalist, award-winning author, educator and one of Australia’s leading voices on gendered violence. Jess’s deeply important work unpacks not just abuse, but the power structures that enable it. She’s best known for her landmark book See What You Made Me Do, which explores coercive control, won the 2020 Stella Prize, and was adapted into a major SB...

My guest this week is Nicole Donnison - Social Procurement & Inclusion Manager at ICON Construction, a purpose‑led construction company building not only outstanding spaces but also stronger, more inclusive communities. Nicole is deeply committed to redefining what leadership in construction looks like - where commercial success and social value go hand in hand, and where every project becomes...

My guest this week is Lottie Dalziel - founder of Banish, and a leader redefining what sustainability looks like in everyday life. Lottie’s journey began with one big question: how can we make it easier for Australians to live and shop more sustainably? What started as a simple idea has grown into a national movement, from shoeboxes filled with bottle tops to a micro-recycling hub transforming was...