About
A bit about me.
My motto for life:
Dream Big // Take Risks // Be Real // Give Generously
I fell in love with France in Year 9 and set a goal of doing a 12 month student-exchange. At 14, I went home from school every day to bake thousands of biscuits, sold books through party plan, sold chocolate-coated snakes from my high-school locker (the school canteen shut the operation down as they started losing money!), babysat and catered for parties on the weekends.
Started my first business
Exchange student to Belgium for 12 months
1999
I fell in love with France in Year 9 and set a goal of doing a 12 month student-exchange. At 14, I went home from school every day to bake thousands of biscuits, sold books through party plan, sold chocolate-coated snakes from my high-school locker (the school canteen shut the operation down as they started losing money!), babysat and catered for parties on the weekends.
1997
2002
First introduction to grants
Coordinated aid and development projects throughout South & Southeast Asia, and was first introduced to grants, funding, cross-cultural funding relationships.
2006
Got married & moved into grants in local government
Brilliant job split between coordinating local government grant applications to state & federal government, and upskilling community groups & NFPs on finding and winning grants. Saw the need for an easy-to-use online grants directory.
2009
Volunteered Professionally in Moldova (Eastern Europe) for 14 months
My husband and I quit our excellent jobs and moved to Moldova (between Romania & the Ukraine). An eye-opening and very challenging time. Fascinating insights into an ex-USSR country.
2011
Completed my Master of Social Science (International Development), became a Mum & started my consulting business
Submitted my minor thesis on donor-driven development to complete my Masters at 8 months pregnant. Became a mum and started my first consulting business. My one of favourite years of all time.
The game-changing year. I launched The Grants Hub (bootstrapped with about $20,000 from selling our home) at 39 weeks pregnant.
My 11-day-old son was completely unexpectedly diagnosed with congenital heart disease. I found myself with a nearly two-year-old daughter, a baby in emergency open heart surgery, and a startup.
Launched The Grants Hub at 39 weeks pregnant. Unbeknownst to us, our baby had a very serious heart condition, requiring emergency open heart surgery.
Growth spike! My family could live 100% off The Grants Hub’s growing revenue. Won my first business awards. Completed our family with our third child.
2016
A viral Facebook post, a Volunteer Grant and business awards triggered a huge growth spike for The Grants Hub. My husband resigned as a primary school teacher to work in Operations Management at The Grants Hub. Three pre-school aged kids and a growing business made for a busy yet life-filled home.
2013
2017
The Grants Hub’s first employee joined
The Grants Hub’s first employee! Growing a self-funded startup to the point of being able to provide someone else with work was a huge milestone. The team has continued to grow since that very first employee, our Grants Researcher.
2021
Launched Hey Good Thing (a social enterprise gift business) and launched the Grants Uncovered podcast.
Launch of the Grants Uncovered Podcast. Launch of Hey Good Thing, a social enterprise creating gift boxes exclusively from Social Enterprise, B Corp and For-Purpose brands.
