Western Sydney Women Awards 2021
The Western Sydney Women Awards is the only awards program representing women at all stages in their life, business & career across the Inner West, Greater West, North West & South West of Sydney.
It is also the only awards program that is free to enter and free to attend to ensure it is accessible to all women.
2021 Winners and Finalists
Western Sydney Woman of the Year Award
Alison Covington
Alison Covington is an innovator, social entrepreneur, Founder & MD of Good360 Australia. Good360 is a matchmaker, giving items first life and directing them to Australians in need. Passionate about equality and reducing waste, Alison founded Good360 because she saw a gap in the market and created a solution to match surplus with need in a seamless way at scale. Since 2015, $192M+ of goods have been donated from businesses, including BIG W and LEGO, matching 22 million+ items to 2,925+ charities and schools. Alison's goal is simple - $1bn of brand-new goods to Australians in need by 2025.
Sponsored by Women NSW
Western Sydney Community Woman of the Year Award
Alison Covington
Sponsored by Adora Handmade Chocolates
Western Sydney Woman Small Business Growth Award
Cassandra Kalpaxis
Cassandra is a bestselling author of Dignified Divorce and an entrepreneur based in Parramatta, NSW. As a disruptor in the legal industry, Cassandra is the Director and Principal of Kalpaxis Legal and Director of Simply Surrogacy (fertility law), being one of the few practitioners to practise in both family and fertility law in Australia. Cassandra has since founded Dispute Resolution Centre Australia (DRCA), Detox Your Divorce (DYD) Retreats and the Detox Your Divorce online course. Furthermore, Cassandra is the host of the Simply Separated podcast and a sought-after expert and mentor in divorce, family law and surrogacy law.
Sponsored by ASBFEO
Western Sydney Woman Leader of Change Award
Sera Yilmaz
Sera has been moving up her career ladder, from a young grassroot activist to representing a ward in local council, then progressively into the role of deputy mayor for the LGA. Her ambition promotes the growth of young women running for local office across NSW due to the numerous forums she ran across NSW explaining how to run for local office and the experiences she has to offer. Her achievements have been inspirational to many people, giving them and less privileged hopes for a change that they would never expected.
Sponsored by Dreamstone HR
Western Sydney Young Woman of the Year Award
Daniya Atif Syed
Daniya Syed is a Year 11 student who is a technology enthusiast and has participated in multiple Robotics competitions for past 5 years. She represented Australia in the Robotics Championships held in Europe in 2018 and Japan in 2020 as Lead Programmer and Technician. Among her other projects, she developed BionicAssist which is an artificial device that allows a user to mimic the hand motions or gestures of their hand onto the robotic Hand by projecting their every movement. She volunteers with multiple charity and community organisations to promote access of education, food and water for underprivileged children, especially girls.
Sponsored by Bright Print Group
Western Sydney Sporting Woman of the Year Award
Odette Lafourcade
Odette migrated to Australia in 2012 and is a mum, a company director, former captain of the Chilean Olympic Team and the former National Record Holder for Chile in the Hammer Throw. In Australia, she holds the 2nd Place in NSW in 2021 and finished with the Bronze Medal in the National Championships in Australia 2021, in the open women's category. She's the owner of 2 Australian records in Masters for the Hammer & Super weight Throw and in Masters she own 3 NSW records; Super Weight, Hammer Throw and Pentathlon Throws. She created the business, Women in Power Sydney, where as a Life Coach, she helps women mostly from the immigrant communities live a healthier and stress-free life.
Sponsored by Meredith Dairy
Western Sydney Educator of the Year Award
Michelle Cull
Michelle has taught accounting and financial planning for over 20 years, is the co-founder of Western Sydney University Tax Clinic and developed the WalletSmart App to build the financial capability of university students. She has also partnered with industry across a wide range of platforms to: introduce artificial intelligence and machine learning into the curriculum; secure internships for students; source valuable real-life business projects for students as part of their work-integrated learning experiences, and secure paid work experience and graduate roles for students. Michelle has published in journals, practitioner magazines and textbooks, with her work also used for compulsory education of Financial Advisers.
Sponsored by Sydney Women’s Fund
Western Sydney Woman in Performing & Creative Arts Award
Lisa Crouch
Lisa is considered by her fans and peers to be one of the most unique "Powerhouse" entertainers in the industry. She is a multi-award winning singer, songwriter, cruise ship performer, chart writer and arranger, voice over artist and CrossFit coach, who has performed all over the world as well as for her local community. She has self-funded 9 albums and was the first to produce a show paying tribute to female artists. Lisa has held the rank of Vice President of the Australian Ladies' Variety Association since 2006, a non-profit organisation that physically and financially supports members of the Entertainment industry and wider community benevolently and mentors many upcoming artists, both male and female.
Sponsored by Andrew Peace Wines
Western Sydney Woman Indigenous Changemaker Award
Rhonda Sampson
Rhonda is a Kamilaroi woman who is very proud of her heritage and has lived on Dharawal Country all her life with deep respect for Country and community. She has grown her own graphic design business from very humble beginnings and is now in high demand. Rhonda incorporates culture into her graphic design business in order to incorporate the importance of First Nations peoples and their cultures and also promotes Campbelltown as a connected and positive place to dispel the often negative view of the city.
Sponsored by Bartier Perry Lawyers
Western Sydney Executive Woman of the Year Award
Sara Ang
Sara Ang is a champion for tourism in Western Sydney, leading the marketing for iconic Western Sydney attraction, Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park for over 4 years along with sister parks Mogo Zoo and Hunter Valley Wildlife Park. Award-winning Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park, under Sara's leadership, has doubled its social media audience and has embarked on several exciting partnerships including tie-ups with the Parramatta Eels and Raging Waters Sydney and a TV show featuring the park's ambassador Chad.
Sponsored by KPMG
Western Sydney Woman in STEM Award
Olivia Mirza
Associate Professor Olivia Mirza is currently the Associate Dean of Engagement, for the School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment at Western Sydney University. She is a Fellow and Chartered Professional Engineer and is currently Deputy President for Engineers Australia. Not only she is the Women in Engineering representative in the Western Sydney Region, she is passionate about increasing the number of females and Indigenous in the Engineering sector in the West. She is currently leading the Women of Wisdom and Women Transforming Built Environment and has successfully initiated the Aspire Program to increase the number of Indigenous females participating in STEM Education in the West.
Sponsored by Western Sydney Airport
Western Sydney Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Ulrika Lobo
Ulrika is a young entrepreneur who, in less than 18 months has founded her own business providing credit to SMEs, and to date has generated over $1,200,000 for her clients. Ulrika's achievements leading up to this moment in her career include, completing her dual MBA and Master of Applied Finance qualifications, being named as a finalist in the Women in Finance Director of the Year 2020 award and raising $17,000,000 in investment capital for Sparrow Loans.
Sponsored by City of Canterbury Bankstown
Western Sydney Woman in Trades Award
Victoria Waring
Victoria has seen many changes in the trade industry, having worked as a Painter and Decorator for the past 24yrs. Victoria has mentored many young women and men in the trade industry always helping young people take up a trade and excel. She has run her own company for the past 22 years and was the first person to start the group Women in Trade.
Sponsored by Multiplex
