Business Woman of the Year to host mentoring event with executives and aspiring refugees

The exclusive event will take place at the recently launched Four Brave Women cafe in Summer Hill as part of a group mentoring and morning tea.

Women of influence from organisations such as Allianz, Commonwealth Bank, Telstra, Google and the NSW Chamber of Commerce will be paired with refugee young women while making a scented candle through the SSI social enterprise Humble Creatives.

Ms Roumeliotis is driving a series of initiatives including the inaugural Ignite Multicultural Women’s Business Scholarship Programme, which she will launch at the event.

Four women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds will receive a 12-month scholarship package of business start-up support.

Ms Roumeliotis is a strong advocate for aspiring young women, particularly those of CALD backgrounds. At the heart of her philosophy is an inherent belief in people, prosperity and partnerships.

“This unique, exclusive and intimate setting will facilitate robust discussions between some of the state’s most successful women in business and aspiring young refugee women who have an interest in entrepreneurship, business or leadership,” Ms Roumeliotis said.

Ms Roumeliotis has led SSI to activate a vision for a society that values the diversity of its community and supports meaningful social and economic participation to assist individuals and families reach their full potential.

“The Lighting Humble Creatives event is an opportunity for influential women to share experiences, insights and advice to spark inspiration and change someone’s life,” she said.

Each Ignite Multicultural Women’s Business Scholarship is valued at $20,000 worth of professional and specialised support and will be selected through a merit-based expression of interest. The package includes working with an individual business facilitator and mentorship from a team of Ignite experts.

The scholarships will provide direct access to a resource team to provide advice on financial management, administration and compliance, effective marketing strategies, and business planning services.

For information about Ignite Small Business Start-ups, click here.

About SSI:

Settlement Services International is a community organisation and social business that supports newcomers and other Australians to achieve their full potential. We work with all people who have experienced vulnerability, including refugees, people seeking asylum and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, to build capacity and enable them to overcome inequality.

Media enquiries:
SSI Communications Officer Rebeka Selmeczki:
E: rselmeczki@ssi.org.au
M: 0468 998 300