Room for All

The Long Run to Inclusion: An Epic Journey for Disability Awareness In this episode of the 'Inclusion in Hospitality' podcast, hosts Andrea and Saraya kick off the new year with exciting updates and developments in their 2026 journey. They are joined by special guest Enrique Suana, a seasoned runner and community ambassador, to discuss the 'Long Run to Inclusion' initiative. Th...

Creating Opportunity: Inclusive Employment in Hospitality & Social Enterprises In this episode of ' Room for All ,' hosts Andrea Comastri , CEO of Hotel Etico, and Saraya O'Connell, COO, dive into inclusive employment practices for people with disabilities. They are joined by special guests Jane Marx from The Beautiful Bunch and Ninna Larsen from Reground . Jane shares insights...

Transforming Lives: Inclusive Employment & Breaking Barriers with Reboot Australia | Room for All Podcast Join hosts Andrea Comastri and Saraya O'Connell in this enlightening episode of 'Room for All' as they delve into the impactful work of Reboot Australia . Featuring special guests Anthony and Job McShane , Reboot Australia focuses on reintegrating formerly incarcerated indiv...

Room for All: Inclusive Employment and Social Enterprise with Jess Colgan Welcome to ' Room for All ,' the podcast where we explore inclusive employment and the creation of opportunities for people with disabilities. Join hosts Andrea Comastri and Saraya O'Connell of Hotel Etico as they discuss breaking down workplace barriers, particularly in hospitality. This episode features Jess...

Room for All: Breaking Barriers in Inclusive Employment Join hosts Andrea Comastri and Saraya O'Connell in this episode of ' Room for All '  This episode features a conversation with Dr. Cale Bain of UTS Center for Social Justice and Inclusion, who discusses the importance of inclusive community engagement and the impact of UTS programs like Shopfront and Soul. The discussion delves...

Creating Opportunities: Vanessa Brettell on Empowering Refugee and Migrant Women In this episode of Room for All, we sit down with Vanessa Brettell , the co-founder and CEO of Stepping Stone Social Enterprise . Vanessa shares the mission of Stepping Stone, a work integration social enterprise in Canberra that provides employment and training to migrant and refugee women facing multiple barriers to...

Ethical AI and Social Impact: A Conversation with James Gauci | Room For All Podcast Join us for an engaging episode of the Room For All Podcast, live from the Social Traders Convene in Melbourne! In this episode, host Andrea interviews James Gauci, founder and leader of Cadent, a responsible AI engineering and governance consultancy. James shares his experiences from Morton Bay, his journey in th...

Empowering Women with Criminal Records: Natascha Consigli on Barriers and Support Programs Join us as we delve into an inspiring conversation with Natascha Consigli, the Employment and Training Program Coordinator at Success Works Partners. Natascha discusses the organization's mission to support women with criminal histories in finding meaningful and sustainable employment. With her own live...

Join us as we sit down with Jemma Tribe , chairperson of the Nowra Community Food Store , to explore how a small-town social enterprise is making a big impact! From humble beginnings to serving thousands each week, Jemma shares the challenges, triumphs, and community spirit that keep the doors open. 00:00 – Introduction & Jemma’s background 01:46 – What is the Nowra Community Food Store? 03:11...

Understanding Money and Thriving with Amanda di Medici of Yenom In this insightful episode of Room For All, we sit down with Amanda di Medici, the founder of Yenom, a unique financial education platform. Amanda shares her personal journey with money management and how it inspired her to create Yenom. We dive into the importance of financial literacy, the services offered by Yenom, and the pressing...

Weh Chats About Umbo's Impact in Regional Australia In this episode of Room for All , the managing director and co-founder of Umbo , Wei, shares the story behind their social enterprise which focuses on providing essential Allied health services to people in regional Australia through telehealth. Weh discusses the origins of Umbo, its unique business model, and the challenges faced in a secto...

Nina Gbor: Championing Sustainable Fashion & Tackling Fast Fashion Waste | Room for All Podcast Join us in this inspiring episode of the Room for All podcast as we welcome Nina Gbor , a passionate sustainable fashion educator, speaker, and researcher. Nina shares her journey from a vintage fashion enthusiast to becoming an advocate for sustainable fashion. Discover her work with Eco Styles , o...

Kylie Flament Discusses the Future of Social Enterprise Join Kylie Flament, CEO of the Social Enterprise Council of New South Wales and ACT (SECNA), as she talks about the importance of social enterprises, their growth, and impact. Kylie shares her journey, the challenges faced by social enterprises, and how SECNA is supporting and connecting these businesses to create a cleaner, greener, and kind...

Inclusive Employment and MTC Future Ready with James Walters In this episode of the Room for All Inclusion and Hospitality podcast, host interviews James Walters, GM of Strategic Growth at MTC Future Ready, a not-for-profit organization specializing in employment training and youth programs. James shares insights into MTC's recent achievements, including winning a new disability contract, and...

Empowering Inclusion: Shaheen's Journey with Ta'leem Consulting Welcome to Room for All at the 2025 Social Enterprise Festival hosted by the Social Enterprise Council of NSW and ACT ( SECNA ) at UTS. In this episode, we sit down with Shaheen, the founder of Ta'leem Consulting , a social enterprise dedicated to elevating marginalized voices through inclusive and equitable learning pr...

Innovative Solutions for Reuse: Patrick Manley on the Mission of Cercle In this episode of Room for All, co-founder and CEO of Cercle, Patrick Manley , discusses the organization's efforts to reduce single-use food and drink packaging through a comprehensive reuse network. Patrick explains how Cercle provides fully managed services for reusable packaging, including collection and washing, whi...

The Power of Inclusion: An Insider's Look at Hospitality with Stephanie Lopesi In this episode of the 'Room for All: The Inclusion in Hospitality Podcast,' join us as we welcome the incredible Stephanie Lopesi , Portfolio Director of Talent and Culture at the Accor Salter Brothers' Portfolio. Stephanie, fondly known as Steph, shares her professional journey and personal insight...

Innovations in Disability Employment: An Insightful Discussion with Dr. Jenny Crosbie Join co-hosts Andrea Comastri and Saraya O'Connell from Hotel Etico as they welcome Dr. Jenny Crosbie , a principal industry fellow at the Centre for Social Impact at Swinburne University, to discuss the WISE (Work Integration Social Enterprises) model and the unique WISEability model. The conversation inclu...

Quinn's Inspirational Journey: From Trainee to Accomplished Chef In a special episode of ' Room For All ,' hosts Andrea Comastri and Saraya O'Connell celebrate Andrea's birthday with an extraordinary guest, Quinn Jones . Quinn, one of the original trainees from the first intake back in 2021, shares his inspiring journey from a shy, reserved individual to a confident appren...

Training for Inclusion: Interview with Hotel Etico's Training Manager In this episode of Room for All, hosts Andrea Comastri and Saraya O'Connell welcome special guest Nathalie Kasselis , the Training Manager at Hotel Etico. They discuss Nathalie's personal background, her passion for fitness, nature, and poetry, and her professional journey from finance to training. The conversatio...

Customer Service and Guest Experience - Featuring Samantha Cox In this episode of 'Room for All,' Andrea Comastri and Saraya O'Connell , hosts from Australia's first social enterprise hotel, Hotel Etico, dive into the world of inclusive employment. They discuss the importance of creating opportunities for people with disabilities, particularly in customer-facing roles within th...

Exploring Social Enterprise with Sally McGeoch - Inclusion in Hospitality Podcast Join hosts Andrea Comastri and Saraya O'Connell on the Room for All - Inclusion in Hospitality podcast as they welcome special guest Sally McGeoch. In this episode, Sally shares her inspiring journey from growing up in a family business committed to inclusive employment to becoming a Senior Advisor at Westpac Fo...

Welcome to Room for All! Join hosts Saraya O'Connell and Andrea Comastri as they discuss Hotel Etico's innovative Program Elevate with guest Mariella Cuttonaro . This initiative focuses on transitioning individuals with disabilities from supported employment to open employment in the hospitality and tourism sectors. Learn about Mariella's extensive experience in the field, the genes...

Creating Inclusive Employment: Hotel Etico's Journey with Scott Bear In this episode of ' Room for All ,' hosts Andrea Comastri and Saraya O'Connell delve into inclusive employment for people with disabilities, featuring Scott Bear, General Manager of Mercure Sydney Manly Warringah . They discuss the success of Hotel Etico, a social enterprise providing career opportunities in...

In this reflective episode of ' Room for All ,' hosts Andrea Comastri and Saraya O'Connell discuss their journey with the podcast, personal challenges, and their mission for inclusion in the hospitality industry. They delve into their demanding schedules, touching on personal life pressures, leadership struggles, and the importance of self-care. The episode includes light-hearted mo...