“These young girls growing up can see the world and see themselves, that’s how we start to make changes because you can’t be what you can’t see, and I think we’re starting that journey, we’re getting better, but we’ve still got a long way to go.”y
This is a world filled with uncertainty, division, and in many cases, hate. But there are so many people out there with voices and experiences that need to be shared. Lorna Deng is the co-founder of a social enterprise designed to help BIPOC job seekers raise their voices.
Lorna is a South Sudanese refugee who immigrated to Australia over twenty years ago. She found it difficult to find her place in Australian society which made her childhood quite hard.
When she entered the workforce, she found that she had the same problem. Despite being well-qualified for positions, her voice wasn’t being heard. As she finally found her foothold, she realized she needed to reach back and help others up. This is how DivTal was born.
DivTal was launched during the height of the global pandemic and required quite a bit of bravery to get off the ground. Employers weren’t hiring and an over-represented number of BIPOC professionals were out of a job. Lorna knew she couldn’t sit back and do nothing.
Listen as Lorna shares her story and what it means to her to be brave. We live in a world that is more connected than ever, but instead of uniting us, it seems to be dividing us. It’s time to change that. Lorna is making some very brave moves and you won’t want to miss it.
ABOUT THE GUEST
Lorna Deng
Lorna is a social entrepreneur and Human Resources Business Partner with professional experience within the health, education, banking and not-for-profit sectors in Australia and the UK.
Named by SmartCompany as one of ‘Australia’s 13 most inspiring female entrepreneurs’ her purpose is to help create a more inclusive future of work. Lorna is a keynote speaker, a champion for cultural inclusion and a mentor to BIPOC in Melbourne.
Lorna holds a Bachelor of Psychological Sciences from Monash University and a Business masterclass qualification from Melbourne University.
