Our Annual Review for 2025

Every year, I sit down to write this review with a mixture of awe, gratitude, and deep reflection. What did we build? What did we learn? How did we grow? And how did our work make a meaningful difference in the communities we serve?

2025 has been funny old year – globally it feels as uncertain as ever, which has got me squarely focused on what is the biggest difference I can make.  From hosting powerful monthly leadership sessions in The Espresso Club, to connecting with global changemakers in Cambodia, to strengthening our national presence with 100 Women as well as growing the Emerging Leaders in Governance Program… this year stretched us, centred us, and reminded us why leadership matters.

Here are the moments and milestones that shaped our year.

Building The Espresso Club momentum

The Espresso Club continued to grow as a vibrant community of purpose-driven leaders across the corporate, government, and NFP sectors. After piloting The Espresso Club in 2024, one of my biggest highlights this year was the inspiring and insightful guests who have generously shared their time and experience with.  We had the incredible Audette Exel, Tasha Broomhall, Francis Lynch, Marija Andacic, Wayne Peel and Gina Hogan – thank you!   It’s been an exciting year running this community and supporting leaders each month with practical leadership insights and skills.  We have an exciting line up for 2026 as you can see with our annual calendar above.  Thank you to all our members.  Here’s just a few comments from members from throughout the year.

“Covers one leadership topic in detail, which I find more effective than briefly as part of a full day training course. This provides space to implement at least one strategy to improve my leadership.” –  Sharon L

“The Espresso Club helps you grow as a leader by reaffirming good habits, grounding myself in tools I was familiar with but had gone by the way side.” –  Hazel M

“It provides valuable insights and practical tools that support both my personal and professional development. It keeps me inspired and informed. Leadership is a journey and growth doesn’t stop.” – Auvita R

“It is providing me with the tools to reassess how I approach things and to role model the behaviour and make more connections.” – Louise L

“This month it has reminded me that we as leaders need to build confidence in not only myself but my team around me to create a safe and inclusive workspace.” – Emma S

“The most valuable aspect of being part of The Espresso Club is getting exposed to others and their experiences.” – Gabriella M

Cambodia Leadership Experience 2025

When I look back, one of the defining moments of 2025 was travelling to Cambodia for the Cambodia Leadership Experience (CLE2025), hosted by Trina Sunday.  This was such a powerful experience to learn directly from local leaders and grassroots organisations, explore leadership across cultures and contexts, reflect on the past to understand the lessons for the future and expand my global community. From standing in community hubs, listening to courageous women and change-makers, visiting Angkor Wat, this experience reminded me that leadership is fundamentally about connection — to people, to place, and to purpose.

We started our first full day in Cambodia by confronting the past. Standing inside Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21), a former school turned prison where thousands were tortured and executed, then walking the Killing Fields, where nearly 3 million Cambodians lost their lives, was a sobering reminder of the weight and responsibility of leadership. The Pol Pot regime thrived on fear and misinformation, turning the Cambodian people against each other, demonising education and free thought, and eliminating dissent. Leadership was used as a weapon for power and greed.  This past was truly unsettling, and yet the parallels to some realities of today was sobering. The tactics of division, the fear of the ‘other,’ the erosion of truth, these forces threaten our very humanity.

From then on, we experienced the pure joy, energy and creativity of the Cambodian people.

💡 Engaging with 80 Cambodian women leaders at the Reimagine HR Leadership Day.  Meeting incredible women who are part of the Australia Awards, who have studied their Master’s degrees in Australia, representing a wide range of industries. Their eagerness to learn, share, connect and uplift each other was so inspiring. Talk about the power of community in action!

💡 Meeting 100 Women grant recipients in Cambodia was a delight including Cambodian Children’s Fund, AusCam Freedom Project (see left), Free to Shine, and Human and Hope Association.  You can read my three part blog series here, here and here.  These organisations are pioneering such important work and it makes me so proud to be part of an organisation in Australia, that sees this and supports this.  People are people – no matter where they are in the world – and they deserve our support.

💡 Meeting Lida Loem! Meeting Lida felt like meeting my Cambodian reflection – empowering women and driving leadership development in Cambodia! Lida has been celebrating the 10 year anniversary of her work building the capacity of women to grow their micro-businesses, but it’s so much more than that – they’re helping women build the confidence to express themselves and advocate for their needs, fostering leadership and independence that transforms lives for the better.

💡 Experiencing Phare Circus in Siem Riep was a joy – it isn’t your traditional circus!  I expected a good show….what I didn’t expect was such emotional storytelling, diverse artistic expression and humorous acrobatics in the one show – humanity at it’s best.

It was a trip that left a deep imprint on me for a number of reasons. It’s so important (if you can) to go and explore the world around you.  The diversity of humanity is truly mesmerising.  I know this trip will shape my work for years to come. Thank you, Trina, for creating an transformative experience.

ELGP 2025 –  A New Cohort of Board-Ready Leaders

What a joy and delight the ELGP community is!  It really is the people that makes this program, from our community partners, my co-facilitator, Grace Mugabe, the Southcare team – we welcomed a brand-new cohort into the Emerging Leaders in Governance Program.

This program remains one of my greatest privileges to lead. Every year, I witness talented young leaders step into their confidence, challenge assumptions, and embrace the responsibility of serving on community boards.  You can read the Annual Report here.

I’m so proud of what they community has achieved – we are putting into action our original vision of creating a world class NFP sector by championing diversity on boards.  Our alumni community spans more than a decade now, and I’m filled with pride to see the difference they make on boards and committees in our community sector.  This year’s program participants did not disappoint either – they were super engaged and I loved how they turned their knowledge and experience of the program into board positions.

Congratulations to our 2025 cohort and previous, who have already stepped onto boards and into board leadership positions:

• Alanna Lofthouse (ELGP 2025): Board Member, Ishar Multicultural Women’s Health Services Inc.
• Chris Bashall (ELGP 2025): Board Member, Brightwater
• Elena Mikhaltsevich (ELGP Spring 2021): Subcommittee Member, Royal Life Saving Society
• Erin Farley (ELGP 2025): Board Member, Trillion Trees Australia
• Holly Turner (ELGP 2024): Board Member, Mens Talk Australia
• Louise Johnstone Forster (ELGP 2013): Independent Member, Noongar Boodja Trust Nominations Committee, Perpetual Limited
• Mariama Joy Bah (ELGP 2025): Treasurer and Board Member, Mental Health Matters 2
• Michael Clark (ELGP 2021): Board Member, Befriend
• Michael Elwan (ELGP 2023): Board Member, ASeTTS
• Nick Loke (ELGP 2020): Board Member, Community Vision Australia Limited
• Nick Tran (ELGP 2025): Board Member, Men’s Health & Wellbeing WA; Board Advisor, Clinical Governance Subcommittee, People Who Care; Board Director, Optometry WA
• Nicola Hodgson (ELGP 2023): President, LJM Memorial Hospice
• Tiana Connor (ELGP 2025): Board Member, Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services
• Valentina Kogon (ELGP 2025): Board Member, Girl Guides WA

100 Women –  Growing Our National Community

It’s been a busy and fulfilling year at 100 Women, from awarding five more annual grants to building a national community, it’s always a joy to connect with members, chat with our grant recipients and share the message of our work.

On 18th October five new organisations joined our grant recipient community when our community awarded a total of $230,290 at 100 Women’s 12th Annual Gala. The 2025 grant recipients were shortlisted from a competitive field of more than 157 applications from Australian organisations running local, national and global grassroots initiatives that support and empower women and girls.

Our 2025 grants included:

Healing Smiles – providing free, trauma-informed dental care for survivors of family and domestic violence in Perth.
DVassist – delivering online support groups for women recovering from domestic violence across regional WA.
Australia for Cedar Tanzania – supporting midwives and health workers to deliver safe maternal care in rural Tanzania.
Redgum Justice – establishing a Multicultural Women’s Legal Service offering advice and education in women’s first languages.
Mama Respond International – empowering Kenyan mothers and caregivers of children with disabilities through training and advocacy.

This year also took me across Australia meet with our growing 100 Women community in Sydney and Brisbane. I’m in awe of our incredible Sydney committee (see the pic above) led by Merren Favretto and Domonique Bertolucci.  This team is sowing the seeds of our Sydney community to grow our footprint across right across Australia.  The Brisbane team is not far behind with our inspiring board director, Mitra Khakbaz (pictured below).   These gatherings, big and small, remind me of two important truths –  that generosity is a practice, and community is powerful when it centres purpose greater than ourselves.

My Own Personal Leadership Edges & Expansions

This year has tested me in ways I didn’t imagine, in particular, how do you strive for a better world, in a world that feels volatile, unsafe, uncertain, and with global leaders who don’t reflect the values, ethics and practices that you expect in modern society.  This hits hard when you are person and leader that feeds on hope and optimism for the future.

My salves have been family, friends, art, books, fitness and my local community.  This has meant – delighting in my kids as they grow and explore who they want to be in the world, connecting and strengthening friendships and seeking the joys of life in community, committing to reading (real books) and being challenged through storytelling (check out Birds of a Feather now and join – highly recommend it!), and exploring the world of visual arts.

It’s been a year of expansion, but also a year of coming home  – to the work I love, the communities I’m building, and the leaders I’m lucky enough to walk alongside.

Looking Ahead to 2026 – Looking for Partners

Two personal projects I would really love to grow….

The Espresso Club is kicking so many goals.  I’m looking for workplaces who would like to explore supporting your staff through this innovative program.

I’m not the only one who would love to bring back is the Diverse Women’s Leadership Program in partnership with the Muslim Women’s Support Centre, so we are currently looking for new funding opportunities for 2026 – 2029.   The Impact report here highlights the incredible need and success of this program.  The community that was rallied and created through this program still exists today – from alumni, mentors, speakers, and facilitators.   If you are a funder, or can share a connection, I would love you to reach out.

Thank You

To everyone who has been part of the Alyceum community this year – The Espresso Club members, program participants, emerging leaders, board directors, partner organisations, colleagues, friends, and this wonderful wider community – thank you.  Your generosity, curiosity, courage, and belief in what leadership can be has made this year an extraordinary one.

Here’s to more meaningful conversations, bold leadership, and purposeful impact in 2026.

Warmest wishes,
Alicia Curtis
Founder, Alyceum