1. Tell us about your role and the impact your work has on your organisation or industry.
As Founder and CEO of MiDesk Global, my work is grounded in a very simple belief: every child deserves a dignified place to learn, no matter where they are born or what resources their community has access to. I lead the vision, strategy, and partnerships that help us deliver climate-resilient, inclusive learning infrastructure to underserved schools, while keeping our impact closely aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
What drives me is the opportunity to create practical solutions that respond to real human needs. At MiDesk, this means designing for access, dignity, sustainability, and measurable social impact, rather than simply supplying a product. The goal is to shift how people think about education infrastructure: not as a once-off donation, but as a tool for equity, resilience, and long-term opportunity.
A separate proof point of this same thinking is my patented Forever Farana Coveralls, designed specifically for women in mining. The Forever Farana Coverall is endorsed by the Mine Health and Safety Council and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy and aligns with the 2023 Guideline for PPE for Women in Mining, which emphasises ergonomics, comfort, and inclusivity. T
he design converts from a one-piece garment into a two-piece through zips or buttons, allowing women to maintain dignity when using ablution facilities underground. Padding and tailored sizing support a more ergonomic fit and better protection for women’s bodies in mining environments.
Although it responds to a different sector and challenge, it reflects the same product design expertise I bring to MiDesk: listening to overlooked users, understanding the barriers they face, and creating solutions that embed dignity, safety, inclusivity, and innovation into everyday use.
2. What are the biggest strategic decisions you are focused on right now?
Right now, my strategic focus is on scaling MiDesk Global to reach 1 million learners by 2030, ensuring that climate-resilient, inclusive infrastructure can transform education equity at scale. It is an ambitious target, but one that reflects the urgency of the need. I am also focused on advancing the MiDesk Outcomes Bond, which is designed to build global partnerships that align investment with measurable social outcomes, and our aim here is to reach 100 000 children in two years.
In parallel, I am positioning my patented Forever Farana Coveralls for broader markets, while continuing to champion women-centred design in industries where inclusivity has too often been overlooked. For me, these decisions are about growth with purpose: embedding equity, innovation, and sustainability into every step forward.
3. How do you approach making difficult business decisions under pressure?
When I am under pressure, I try to remove the noise and reconnect with my purpose: changing the lives of children through dignified learning environments and greater access to opportunity. I am no stranger to adversity. At 42, I decided to return to studying, proving to myself that growth and reinvention have no age limit. I also stepped away from a successful corporate career to focus on family and pursue work that truly aligned with my passion and purpose.
Those experiences taught me that some of the most difficult decisions often lead to the greatest impact. They have shaped my resilience, strengthened my resolve, and remind me that meaningful change requires courage. It is this perspective that also helps me make the decisions I do.
4. What major shifts are you seeing within your industry, and how are you preparing for them?
In education, I am seeing a clear shift toward climate-resilient infrastructure and equity-driven design. Governments, partners, and communities are recognising that learning environments must respond to both social and environmental realities. At MiDesk Global, we are preparing for this by scaling solutions that directly address these needs and help ensure learners are not excluded because of inadequate resources.
At the same time, more industries are beginning to value women-centred innovation and inclusive design. Forever Farana Coveralls reflects this shift by offering a practical, empowering solution for women in sectors where their needs have historically been overlooked. By embedding inclusivity and sustainability into both education and design, I am positioning my work to meet these shifts directly and turn challenges into opportunities for systemic change.
5. What role does technology, innovation or digital transformation play in your business strategy?
At MiDesk Global, technology and innovation are central to our strategy. We use climate-resilient design to create inclusive learning infrastructure that can be scaled nationally and internationally. Digital transformation also helps us track outcomes, measure social impact, and strengthen accountability, so every intervention is linked to education equity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
For us, innovation is not only about creating new products. It is about embedding equity, sustainability, and measurable impact into the systems that shape education. By using technology in this way, MiDesk is helping prepare learners for the future while also changing how organisations and partners invest in social change.
Forever Farana Coveralls is a further example of this approach to innovation. The product brings together policy compliance, user-led design, ergonomics, and inclusivity to ensure women in mining have PPE that protects them while respecting their dignity. It also shows how consultation and continuous improvement can help scale a product responsibly and keep it aligned with evolving industry guidelines.
Technology, innovation, and digital transformation are not just operational tools. They are the foundation of a business strategy that combines policy compliance, ergonomic design, and inclusivity to help reshape sectors.
6. How do you measure success beyond financial performance?
For me, success is measured by impact, inclusion, and sustainability.
- At MiDesk Global, that means looking at the number of learners who now have access to climate-resilient, dignified infrastructure, and tracking how this improves attendance, participation, and long-term educational outcomes.
- With Forever Farana Coveralls, success is reflected in whether women in mining feel safer, more respected, and better equipped to thrive in environments that have historically excluded them.
Beyond the numbers, I look at the systemic shifts our work inspires, whether that means influencing policy, reshaping industry standards, or building partnerships. I truly believe that true success is when innovation not only grows an organisation but also creates measurable social change that lasts.
7. What leadership principles guide your decision-making every day?
My leadership is anchored in equity, collaboration and resilience. I want every decision to advance inclusion and sustainable impact. Above all, integrity remains my moral compass, guiding me to act with transparency, fairness, and accountability, even under pressure. I believe in listening deeply, drawing on diverse perspectives, and turning challenges into opportunities for innovation. These principles allow me to lead with conviction while building trust.
8. Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of your industry, and what advice would you offer the next generation of women leaders?
There is a shift toward a future where design, technology, and equity come together to create lasting change, and that is something I feel deeply passionate about. It drives me to be present, to be part of the change, and to keep finding more innovative ways to tackle the challenges in front of us. Industry can move slowly, and while we work hard to bring all the pieces together, it is often the day-to-day impact that excites me most.
It is the look on a child’s face when they receive a desk; the moment they realise they have their own space, that they matter, and that their future and potential matter too. In those moments, all the challenges fade into the background. That is why I make it a priority to be at every handover, so I can share in that joy and stay connected to the real reason this work matters.
My advice to the next generation of women leaders is simple: lead with integrity, innovate with courage, and never compromise on equity. Use pressure as a catalyst, not a constraint, and remember that your voice and vision can reshape entire industries. The future belongs to those who are brave enough to design it differently.
