This year has been transformative. It’s truly been a time of positive change in finalizing my PhD study on nonprofit innovation, sharing the study’s findings at seminars and conferences across the globe, having two more studies published, and gaining new practitioner roles where I’ve been able to directly apply my research insights. In addition to my ongoing position as Charley’s Chocolate Advisory Board Member, in early 2024, I became a Queensland University of Technology (Q

This article, which was coauthored with Professor Sarah Jane Kelly, reports on a survey study. Published by Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, it presents findings on the governance of nonprofit innovation from a survey of directors from predominantly Anglo-Saxon, especially Australian, nonprofits. The research has important implications for scholarship and practice, particularly for nonprofit directors, marketing leaders, and policymakers.

In 2024 (and early view in mid-2023), my interview study, coauthored with Professor Sarah Jane Kelly, was published in Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly from Sage. By weaving together a comprehensive literature review with findings from 26 interviews with nonprofit directors in this first-in-field conceptual paper, we describe nonprofit innovation for growth and why it matters. And we originally conceptualize that nonprofit boards seem to prioritize particular factoria

As Plato put it “Our need will be the real creator” (c. 375 B.C.E.). This aphorism reflects enduring themes of today’s society, challenging us to bring together critical ideas of innovation, growth, and social progress; and, certainly, such notions have been interrogated in their interconnectedness in for-profits. Yet despite the nonprofit sector’s recognized significance and particular hurdles, these concepts remain largely understudied in an integrated way in the nonprofit

In mid-2023, my literature review, co-authored with Professor Sarah Jane Kelly and Professor Nicole Gillespie, was published in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from Wiley. We offer a new conceptual model of how nonprofit boards can innovate for growth based on a first-in-field integrative-systematic review of the disparate literatures. We contribute by conceptualizing a unique multifactorial perspective, signalling that the relationship between nonprofit governance and or

Milton Friedman famously opined that the firm’s social responsibility is to maximize its profits (while engaging in open, free, and fair competition). The role and conduct of organizations in society has fascinated me for decades. For example, I have referenced competition theory throughout my corporate and nonprofit executive and board roles. In 2020, early in my doctoral program at The University of Queensland, Australia, I refreshed my knowledge of this influential concept

Harvard nonprofit innovation course, Better Boards innovation tour, Charley’s Chocolate Advisory Board and WOBSX Adjunct Chair appointments, and more.

Recently appointed to Charley’s Chocolate Advisory Board, my third food tech start up board, and after an immersion tour in their sunny far north Queensland operations, I began thinking about some common themes of my SME consultancy and my for purpose board roles: innovation and why some organisations do well and others not so well in this space. First of all, far north Queensland is such a delightful mix of scenery, agriculture, tourism … My ‘tour’ started with a drop by ac

Earlier this year, thanks to a Harvard Social Enterprise Scholarship and Sport Australia Women Leaders Grant, I had the pleasure of completing the Harvard Kennedy School of Government/Harvard Business School Performance Management in Non-Profits program. Similar to the AICD Company Directors Course a decade prior, I relished the opportunity to undertake some serious relevant study and to network with inspiring leaders. Similar to the AICD Course, the pre-reading materials we

As part of my board appointment to Australian University Sport I recently attended a two day university sport sector conference. I knew I would learn a lot about the sports education environment, gain valuable perspective on the organisation’s challenges and opportunities, meet some interesting folk across the sector and get to know my board colleagues. I didn’t anticipate, though, how stimulating, refreshing, strategic and more broadly relevant (to my other board roles and f

Parkinson’s Australia board/member engagement and research activities, innovation seminars, market updates, new blogs, and more.

Not-for-profits are realising the need to put the customer at the heart of their service, in response to the recent health, disability and aged care reforms. Tied to this customer centricity is a new language with terms floating around including person centred care or consumer directed care. Focusing on the customer is something corporates have learnt early in their organisation’s life. More than just marketing theory, they have experienced firsthand the results of being ou

Proportion Foods Advisory Board appointment, innovation seminars, new blogs, and more.

Parkinson’s Australia board and Advocacy Committee appointment, new blogs, and sector seminar participation.

In recent years I’ve noticed an emphasis on operational excellence. Maybe it’s just my exposure to the not-for-profit sector or a decade working with small to medium sized businesses? Or maybe it’s a newish focus across organisations. Whatever the case, I’m not convinced it’s the right focus. As much as I believe operational processes must be seamless and efficient, I’ve found time and again that the most successful organisations are those that embrace strategy – and I’m talk