Care, Code, and Quiet Disruption with Allison Nikula

This week on AdChat: The Creative Woman’s Perspective, we’re joined by Joanna Lewis, international violinist, founder of the Koehne Quartet, and a formidable force in contemporary chamber music. Joanna left Australia for Vienna in 1985 on what was meant to be a ten-month scholarship. More than forty years later, she has built a life and career at the heart of European music - performing across orchestras, chamber music, contemporary repertoire, jazz and improvisation, while building the Koehne Quartet into an ensemble known for its deep and enduring relationships with composers. She arrived in a Vienna where there were no women in the Vienna Philharmonic and where, on one early engagement, Joanna found herself the only woman in the orchestra. She stayed. She played. And she built authority the way that matters - through the work. In this episode, we talk about the extraordinary influence of her mother, art historian Dr Betty Snowden, and growing up immersed in both music and the visual arts; the childhood concert that began a lifelong love affair with the string quartet; why working with living composers changes everything; four decades in Vienna; the art of listening; and the self-trust that comes when you stop waiting for permission. And yes, there’s the story of the unanswered fax to Melinda’s husband, composer Graeme Koehne. Joanna asked permission to name the quartet after him. He never replied - which, knowing Graeme, is entirely typical. She named it anyway. Tune in for a generous, funny and fascinating conversation about a lifelong love of music and art, discipline, curiosity, collaboration - and a life built note by note.

This week on AdChat: The Creative Woman’s Perspective, we’re joined by Anna Dimond and Kelly Jamieson - two powerhouse founders who’ve each built businesses with purpose, creativity, and real momentum. Kelly is the founder of Edible Blooms, one of Australia’s most iconic online gifting brands. Anna co-founded Palas Jewellery, a design-led brand stocked in over 600 stores - known for turning personal meaning into wearable connection. Together, they didn’t just grow brands - they grew the ecosystem. In partnership with Women in Innovation - co-led by Melinda Parent and Cassandra Zaina - and through their leadership in the Fearless Females Network, Anna and Kelly helped launch the Fearless Innovator Grant Program, a platform backing early-stage female founders with capital, confidence, and clarity. In this episode, we talk about building what’s missing, designing systems that scale and support, leading with empathy, and doing business with meaning. Tune in for a sharp, generous, and quietly revolutionary conversation about entrepreneurship, equity and turning intention into infrastructure.

This week on AdChat, we sit down with Anna Goldsworthy - pianist, writer, director, and one of Australia’s most quietly powerful cultural voices. She’s led from the stage and the page, built a life around discipline and creativity, and still finds time to write between school drop-off and concert prep. Now Director of the Elder Conservatorium - and incoming Artistic Director of ANAM - she’s defining a new generation of artists with rigour, empathy, and just the right amount of resistance. We talk about memory, motherhood, the architecture of music - and what it means to lead in a space where fewer than 10% of works performed are composed by women. Tune in for a conversation about craft, clarity and why great leadership doesn’t need to be loud.

This week on AdChat: The Creative Woman’s Perspective, we’re joined by Deborah Paauwe - one of Australia’s most compelling visual artists, whose quietly powerful images have shaped the landscape of contemporary photography for over three decades. Known for her soft, cinematic style and emotionally layered compositions, Deborah explores identity, adolescence, memory and the female gaze - often portraying girls and women whose faces we never see. Her work has been acquired by every major public collection in Australia and exhibited around the world. In this episode, Deborah shares how stillness became part of her creative language, why she resists perfection, and how softness can be a subversive force. We talk about authorship, ambiguity, and why trusting the quiet things might be the boldest act of all. Tune in for an intimate, elegant conversation about visibility, memory, and making work that holds its own kind of truth.

This week on AdChat: The Creative Woman’s Perspective, we’re joined by Alice Fitch — second-time founder, tech creator, and the woman behind Whola, one of Australia’s fastest-growing B2B fashion wholesale platforms. After years of running a fashion agency, Alice had seen enough of the inefficiencies baked into wholesale — the spreadsheets, the showrooms, the stress. So she decided to change it. Whola was built from lived experience, designed with empathy, and grown through strategy — not noise. In this episode, Alice shares the grit it takes to build a tech platform from scratch, why emotional connection is her superpower, and how she’s leading with clarity in a space where women are still underrepresented — from fashion to logistics to ecomm. 🎧 Tune in for a smart, grounded conversation about reinvention, leadership, and building something that actually works.

This week on AdChat: The Creative Woman’s Perspective, we’re joined by Nicky Downer AM — journalist, arts advocate, cultural strategist, and mother of four. Married to Alexander Downer, Australia’s longest-serving Foreign Minister, Nicky spent years in the public eye — but forged a powerful and distinct legacy of her own across media, 
multicultural arts, regional programs, and the creative industries. From opening barn exhibitions on hay bales to shaping arts policy in boardrooms and embassies, her work is defined by sharp thinking, inclusive action, and a deep belief in creative possibility. In this episode, she shares what it means to navigate public life with purpose and independence - and why the arts must always make room for risk, originality, and strong voices.

This week on AdChat, we sit down with Allison Nikula — occupational therapist turned tech entrepreneur and the founder of CareApp, a nationally awarded platform transforming how aged care feels across Australia. What began as a single photo to reassure a family member became a human-tech solution now used in over 130 care organisations. Hosted by Melinda Parent, Founder and Creative Director of Oranje Creative, and co-hosted by Creative Partner Teresa Robinson, this episode explores Allison’s bold leap from healthcare into the startup world, the quiet power of empathy-led inno-vation, and how she’s challenging the culture of care — one beautifully connected moment at a time. Tune in to hear how Allison is reshaping aged care, redefining leadership, and showing that when tech is built with heart, it can change lives.

In this episode of AdChat: The Creative Woman’s Perspective, we’re thrilled to welcome Jane de Teliga - former Style Editor for The Australian Women’s Weekly, curator, writer, and visionary stylist. Jane’s career has shaped the look of Australian icons and transformed magazine pages into dynamic works of art. From her editorial roles at Harper’s Bazaar and Good Housekeeping UK to styling some of the world’s most celebrated icons, Jane has left a lasting mark on the fashion industry. Join hosts Melinda Parent and Teresa Robinson as they delve into Jane’s extraordinary journey, from her influential editorial work to her bold decision to step away from a high-paced career to pursue a simpler life in Europe. Jane shares behind-the-scenes stories of working with stars like Nicole Kidman, Twiggy, Megan Gale and Olivia Newton-John, and opens up about her personal journey of reinvention as captured in her memoir, Running Away from Home. With insights on resilience, creativity, and finding fulfilment, Jane’s story is a testament to the power of following your own path. This is an episode not to miss for anyone interested in fashion, art, and the courage to redefine success.

In the third episode of AdChat: The Creative Woman’s Perspective, we sit down with two iconic figures from Adelaide's fashion scene—Sara Abel-Smith and Casana Perryman. Sara and Casana share stories from the runway, discuss the evolving portrayal of women in media, and open up about balancing successful careers with motherhood. The conversation also highlights their recent collaboration on the SA Life magazine cover, created with Oranje Creative. Tune in for an inspiring discussion of their journeys and the ever-evolving world of fashion and advertising.

Loene Furler is an inspiring figure in Adelaide’s arts scene, known worldwide for her artistic achievements, impactful teaching, and the fact that she is the mother of music superstar Sia Furler. Her story spans decades: from embracing existentialism in the ’60s, feminism in the ’70s, politics in the ‘80s, to arts advocacy in the millennium. Loene has explored sketching, painting, photography, filmmaking, and music. She’s made a significant impact through teaching in the Pitjanjatjara Lands, lecturing at ACARTS, and advising on arts policy. Loene has held key roles in various arts foundations and has been a mentor to many.