Hub Australia’s Flexi-Impact Program offers a number of memberships each year to people part of a business working to make a positive difference.
In 2022, Hub Australia supported 62 purpose-driven businesses around Australia. Over the year, they’ve had the chance to attend events, use our amenities, get exclusive perks, and have something as simple – and necessary – as a desk to work from to grow their business.
To help you learn more about the program, we spoke to a few of our 2022 recipients to hear about their experiences over the year as Hub members.
Diversity Arts Australia – Lena Nahlous, CEO and Executive Producer
Tell us a bit about Diversity Arts Australia – what’s your mission?
Diversity Arts Australia is the peak national organisation promoting racial equity across the arts, cultural, and screen sectors. Working within an ethnocultural and migrant context, we seek to build a creative sector that reflects Australia’s true cultural diversity because we believe creative expression is a fundamental human right that strengthens and connects communities.
How did you hear about the Flexi-Impact Program?
I was told about it by a colleague who had previously been a recipient through another non-profit they worked for. They were impressed with the program and the Hub location they were based from, and highly recommended it.
What are your favourite things about being part of the Hub community?
I have a few favourite things about being part of the Hub community. The feeling of connection and not being alone is particularly important, especially after several Covid lockdowns. Nothing is more motivating than being around other people working, making unexpected connections, and being in a gorgeous workspace with good coffee.
Our base is in Western Sydney, but most other organisations like ours and our funding bodies are based in Sydney’s CBD. We regularly welcome colleagues and contractors travelling in from other states, and I’ve been able to organise for them to meet with us at Hub Wynyard. We also travel interstate regularly, so accessing Hub locations in other states is incredibly important when you need a good working and meeting place.
Spaces like Hub, dedicated to connection and creativity, are invaluable for creative teams coming from a traditional office environment. It give us the flexibility to gather and feel energised.
I also really enjoy Hub’s free events and networking opportunities.
What were your biggest achievements in 2022?
This was a significant year for Diversity Arts. We launched the remaining topic areas of the Creative Equity Toolkit, an incredible website that supports the cultural sector in its diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism goals. Since launching, we’ve had significant growth in newsletter signups, subscribers, and website engagement.
We also launched a new season of our Colour Cycle podcast, which has been shortlisted this month as a finalist in the Australian Podcast Awards. Our podcast talks to established and emerging creative practitioners to share inspiration and practical strategies with the sector. Our latest season was produced by participants in our StoryCasters program, a training hub for young, culturally diverse citizen journalists and content creators from Western Sydney.
Do you have any tips or words of wisdom for people working in other purpose-driven businesses?
To have the stamina and avoid burnout, we need to pace ourselves and remind ourselves regularly that we’re in it for the long haul. In small-to-medium-sized organisations, this is particularly important after the advent of Covid, where we’re rethinking how we work and many people have dealt with personal crises and health issues. The work we do isn’t going away in a hurry, and it’s important to regularly take stock of all the progress you’ve achieved so far – slowly nurture that progress, and build upon it.
Diversity Arts Australia would like to thank Hub Australia for their in-kind sponsorship in 2022.
First published on Hub Australia 10 November 2022, read the full article here