Murdoch University MasterClass series: Q&A on Higher Purpose in business

In 2009 Tom quit his day job in the private equity sector and decided to take a leap of faith into the world of social enterprise. Tired and frustrated with being managed only on the amount of income he generated for his shareholders Tom volunteered into the youth homelessness sector in order to get some balance back into his life. It was during this time that he identified the growing need for highbred businesses fused with social consciousness Vs the traditional domain of for profit and not for profits. Since that realisation Tom has been involved in the design and roll out of STREAT, Spacecubed, Social Innovation in WA and more recently in the state’s largest social and affordable housing provider Foundation Housing Ltd.
 
 

Tadhg McCarthy
Tadhg has been involved in the software tech industry since 1985, starting as a coder before becoming a leader (of sorts). He now works for an organisation ADAPT By Design, that (amongst other things) helps organisations to define and embed a higher purpose. During his career, he has been an employee of organisations with and without a defined higher purpose. As Billy Connolly once quipped “I have been rich and I’ve been poor. Rich is better” Tadhg would paraphrase that to say “Being in an organisation with a defined higher purpose is better”.
 
 

Melinda Cahill
Melinda spent many years in a corporate career that should have ticked all the boxes. She was on an executive salary and a respected member of that team.

But at what cost? Blessed with all “the hallmarks of success” she was increasingly questioning the depth of her contribution to the world. She reached her personal tipping point a couple of years ago, giving up her own certainty, to focus on making a difference. Today, Melinda is the director of two conscious companies – Huddle Creative, a digital marketing agency, and Wise Tribe Movement, a meditation training organisation.

Melinda’s purpose is to support conscious brands in finding their tipping point. She delights in working with soulful crusaders to achieve their mission.
 
 

Barry Green
Barry Green owns Western Tourist Radio operating in the SW of WA, and is a partner in Radio WA, broadcasting in East Perth, telling the stories of people and places in Western Australia. Barry’s background is in farming and as a technician in Radio & TV. He has been a member of Lions International for most of his adult life and his businesses philosophy is guided by the Lions Code of Ethics. The website associated with Radio WA has become a network of independent businesses across WA and is taking the notion of the sharing economy to a new level.
 
 

Tarryn Coward
Ever since Tarryn can remember, she has been curious about how the natural world works. Growing up in South Africa, England and Australia let her see how much of an impact human societies have on the environment globally. Often these impacts hurt people as much as they hurt the ecosystems they affect. Her interests in ecology lead to her studying a Bachelor of Science in Marine and Environmental Science at Murdoch University, where she has developed further interests in ecosystem based management and the concept of the triple bottom line. Her time in the MasterClass program reinforced her belief in the importance of finding balanced solutions in order to benefit both people and the environment. She is currently pursuing her interests in ecology and environmental management through an honours project studying the effect of nature based tourism on manta ray behaviour.