Lead or drift: Rethinking strategy in ECE's new normal

I'm an early years tragic! I was born into ECE, with Mum starting a home-based service and then purchasing a 28-place preschool in Ermington, NSW, Australia. Being a 4th-generation teacher, our dinner conversations centred around pedagogy, psychology, and the impact of stencils on learning! After completing my Science/Law undergrad at University of Sydney, nearly finished my Masters in Education (Leadership & Management) (although I never finished my dissertation), and a period of time in education tech startups and consulting, it was my great privilege to be the CEO of Being for six years where we created one of Australia’s highest-quality early education organisations. With Mana, I continue my mission to transform early education on this planet - creating extraordinary outcomes for children, their families, and their communities.

My journey into education began with my first career as an OSHC Educator, where I discovered a passion for mentoring children. I then went on to study a Bachelor of Business Leadership and Commerce at Macquarie University, before joining Deloitte's strategy consulting team, with a focus on the education sector. A key highlight was leading the implementation planning for the Mental Health in Primary Schools Program across Victoria. Following this, I completed my Master's in Applied Positive Psychology at the University of Melbourne, where my research centred on positive education for children. My research was published in the International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, in collaboration with Smiling Mind (one of Australia's leading digital mental health providers for youth). This journey at the intersection of early education and technology ultimately led me to Mana - where our AI native child development platform seeks to empower educators and families to give every child an extraordinary start to life.