“As a female in a male-dominated industry it was exceedingly difficult to be seen as competent. But I stood tall, full of enthusiasm and confidence.” – Alison Flakemore.

When Alison Flakemore unearthed her passion for gardening in the late 1990s, she decided to study horticulture at night, while working full-time as a teller. Once she earned her trade certificate in 2000, she quit her day job and started her own garden maintenance and landscaping business in Lindisfarne, on Hobart’s eastern shore. Within four weeks, she had secured an area contract with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and taken on a full-time employee, despite critics telling her it was “a man’s job.” Today, Alison’s Garden & Landscape employs 21 staff and provides regular garden maintenance for 400 properties, including most of the grounds in southern Tasmania for the DHHS. The business also offers landscape services, such as tree removal and paving. Aware local work experience opportunities in her field are limited, Alison regularly opens her doors to TAFE students, including those with disabilities, to give them behind-the-scenes and hands-on experience.

“Happy and contented staff is my number one priority, because without them our targets will not be met and I won't have a business.” – Carolyn Snare.

Carolyn Snare and husband David became the first out-sourced ground handlers for a major domestic airline when they landed a contract with Ansett subsidiary Kendell Airlines in 1999. The deal was marred by union unrest, and the business closed in 2001 when Ansett collapsed. Undeterred, Carolyn contacted Virgin Blue, and within six weeks had a new business up and running. D & C Snare provides baggage and freight handling around the clock for airlines at Launceston Airport. It also handles passenger check-in, boarding, customer inquiries and aircraft cleaning. Despite David’s airline background, it was Carolyn who wanted to pursue the ground handling business. She has embraced the challenges of working in a highly regulated environment, building a high-performing team of 27 employees through open communication, regular training and development, and staying ahead of industry trends. Carolyn is now shaping the customer service team to better support the growing number of business travellers using Launceston airport.

“Despite all the technology currently available in the travel industry, people will still want to talk to real people who listen to them, understand their needs and will create a travel experience that exceeds their expectations.” – Genevieve Atkins.

Genevieve Atkins joined the travel industry 38 years ago when executive roles were mostly held by men. When she won her first sales award it was not publicly recognised as management feared it would “upset” her male colleagues. Genevieve has since blazed a trail for women in senior travel management roles, working with Qantas and Andrew Jones Travel before moving to her current role as Business Development Manager for The Travel Studio and Volunteer Holidays. Genevieve launched the concept for The Travel Studio in 2009, giving travellers the opportunity to experience and help disadvantaged communities in 22 developing countries. Volunteer Holidays now makes up more than 10 per cent of the Tasmanian organisation’s business. An expert in identifying and growing niche markets, Genevieve previously launched and operated a successful travel club for single women. She continues to mentor and champion women in business as founder of the Studio Network Club, which gives members a chance to network and hear motivational speakers.

“I do my best work when I focus on achieving results that improve people's lives.” – Donna Bain.

Donna Bain has a self-confessed habit of taking on paid and volunteer roles with little or no experience, simply because she wants to help. Her confidence has led her to a diverse career in the not-for-profit sector, including roles in adult education and migrant services. She now runs Self Help Workshop in Youngtown, providing employment for 54 people with disabilities. The enterprise provides work in four commercial areas: timber products, such as pallets; business services; second-hand clothing and rags; and catering. Since arriving as General Manager in 2009, Donna has quadrupled grant income through 27 new grants to sustain and expand commercial services and develop more life skills-oriented programs. Projects include a kitchen garden, which has helped teach employees independent living skills, and she is now designing a program to help older employees transition to retirement. Donna also works as a technical writer for the United Nations and volunteers with the Migrant Resource Centre in Northern Tasmania.

“Before working at the service I didn’t realise how the smallest of things - writing a letter or making a telephone call - could have the biggest impact on someone's life.” – Susan Fahey.

Five years after taking a six-month contract with the Women’s Legal Service Tasmania, family lawyer Susan Fahey was appointed to Managing Solicitor. She has spent the past four years reshaping the once-flagging centre into a leading community legal service. According to Susan, it now runs “like a law firm, but on a very small budget”. Each year, the Hobart-based service provides free legal advice, information and referrals to around 1,000 disadvantaged women across Tasmania, usually around family law and domestic violence. It also undertakes some case work and lobbies extensively for law reform. Since managing the centre, Susan has secured additional funding to increase staff from three to six, relocated to better premises, reached more women in rural areas, represented more women in court and provided additional education through fact sheets and forums. In 2009, she was instrumental in lobbying the State Government to amend a law to improve legal outcomes for women and their children.

“Common characteristics of successful people include the willingness to listen, learn and adapt, so I try to apply those skills each day.” – Katrena Stephenson.

Since being awarded a scholarship in 1994 to undertake a PhD in Social Science in the United Kingdom, Katrena Stephenson has pursued a passion for public policy and advocacy. As Policy Director for the Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT), Katrena develops and promotes the association’s policies and services and advocates on behalf of its 28 member councils. She previously worked as a senior manager for Housing Tasmania and was influential in the development of the Tasmanian Affordable Housing Strategy, a long-term plan to provide sustainable, low-cost housing for those in need. Since moving to the LGAT in 2007, she has regularly used her influence and negotiation skills to engage all council members and achieve statewide agreement on policy positions for issues, such as financial sustainability, community development, planning and governance. Katrena says she had been able to encourage collaboration and consensus, despite varying views, by listening to all positions, researching the issue and encouraging lateral thinking.

“I see my role as one grand exercise in science communication, focusing all my expertise on one important issue.” – Jessica Tyler.

Jessica Tyler has combined her passions for science communication and business to help save the Tasmanian devil. As the first ever manager of the Save The Tasmanian Devil Appeal, Jessica drives fundraising to sustain the species, under threat of extinction from Devil Facial Tumour Disease. The Appeal is a partnership between the Federal and Tasmanian Government and the University of Tasmania that support research into stemming the disease. With more than 90 per cent of wild devils lost and the species on the brink of extinction, Jessica introduced a strategic business plan to methodically identify fundraising markets and develop campaigns to target donors, using special events, cross-marketing as well as traditional media and social media. Since Jessica’s plan was introduced in 2009, donations have increased by nearly 140 per cent. The Appeal is now the leading charity for the official program to save the devil and is regarded as a world-leading species conservation effort.

“We want to create holidays with a real purpose and where people can benefit from the incredible feeling of helping someone else.” – Genevieve Atkins.

Genevieve Atkins helps travellers have a holiday and help humanity along the way. On joining The Travel Studio in Hobart two years ago, she launched Volunteer Holidays, offering travellers the chance to lend a hand in developing nations, such as Thailand, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea. Holiday-makers, schools and workplaces can choose from a variety of volunteer experiences, ranging from one-day encounters with a community to week-long group projects combined with 5-star accommodation as well as year-long cultural immersions. Genevieve developed the experiences with aid organisations and teamed with pop star Guy Sebastian to promote the concept. Volunteer Holidays now offers experiences in 22 countries. Each trip since the first has been successful in providing transformation in poor communities, with a proportion of all profits donated to participating community programs. Volunteer Holidays has been so successful it makes up more than 10 per cent of The Travel Studio’s business, with 75 per cent of customers volunteering again.

“Our vision is to sustain and grow a vibrant disability enterprise that provides access to meaningful employment for anyone with a disability who wants to work.” – Donna Bain.

Self Help Workshop General Manager Donna Bain is always looking for ways to grow the disability employment enterprise, which specialises in the production of timber pallets, business services, second hand clothing and catering. When a manufacturer approached the Youngtown enterprise last year to produce timber pallets using a new treatment method, Donna embraced the challenge. She needed to find a way to heat-treat pallets, instead of using methyl bromide, a toxin that is being phased out. Within two months, after a thorough analysis of costs and benefits, Self Help Workplace had found a heat-treating facility in Victoria to support the new process and developed a production system to gain accreditation under the Australian Wood Packaging Certification Scheme. Donna’s approach has not only proven the capability of the service and its disabled employees, but opened the door for new timber contracts. She has since deployed similar processes to ensure the catering service complies with food standards.

“The Appeal has become known as the singular point where donations can do the most good for the Tasmanian devil.” – Jessica Tyler.

Jessica Tyler has applied rigorous business disciplines to one of Tasmania’s most emotive wildlife issues: the future of the Tasmanian devil. Jessica is manager of the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal, a partnership between the Federal and Tasmanian Governments and the University of Tasmania. Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) has contributed to the eradication of 90 per cent of wild devils. Using a mix of events, social and traditional media, targeting and cross-promotion, Jessica has attracted 75 new corporate donors, as well as three major partners in just two years with the organisation. Replacing ad hoc ideas, the Appeal’s message now goes to an international audience of millions, giving researchers access to multi-million dollar grants and collaborators across the globe. The Appeal is breaking new ground in bringing business, science communication and research together. An advocate for connecting science and business opportunities, Jessica was a founding member of National Executive for the Australian Science Communicators.