RONNI KAHN

Stunned by the amount of food wasted by the hospitality industry, in 2004 Ronni Kahn founded Ozharvest, which collects quality excess food from commercial outlets and delivers it to charities who support people in need across Australia.

DISPARITY IN SALARY BECAUSE OF GENDER IS OUTRAGEOUS and a huge issue still facing women every day. That women are being paid a different salary because of their sex and not their capabilities offends me deeply. The second issue is getting our voices heard in the corporate world as CEOS. We run an event called the CEO Cookoff and we probably have 150 CEOS, and if I can get 10 women, it’s a lot.

IF I THOUGHT CHANGE WASN’T POSSIBLE, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I do believe we have to raise our voices, and I think there are champions, certainly of all genders, of that belief. Because one voice is powerful, but many voices is even more powerful.

I’M A MENTOR AND I RECEIVE MENTORING. It’s a beautiful tool to lift women up and empower them, but it’s equally a very important tool for all people.

WAKING UP WITH GRATITUDE EVERY SINGLE DAY is the wisdom I live by, and it’s essential to recognise how privileged I am. It doesn’t mean every day is easy – that would mean I don’t have challenges. But I have huge gratitude for waking up with an opportunity to make a difference, to create an impact and work with magnificent human beings.

NEGATIVITY IS VERY DRAINING. In my daily life, I choose to be with people who don’t drain me. I’m an eternal optimist, so I find it challenging with people who see a glass half-empty. I always try to show why the glass is actually half-full. Time is precious and I choose to spend it with people who inspire me.

I DON’T SPEND A LOT OF TIME WONDERING IF SOMEONE WILL LIKE ME or whether I’m making a good impression. I get up every day and I dress because I like to feel my best. I think it’s very much about feeling empowered within myself and the more one is in one’s power, the less important other people’s views of you are.

I’M A FEMINIST BUT I’M ALSO A GLOBAL CITIZEN. I’m a feminist because I believe that women should have absolutely the same rights as men. But I’m a global citizen and I believe when one works hard, one should be able to achieve the fruits of that labour – whatever one’s sex is, whatever one’s age is. Women are very skilled at making intuitive, smart decisions. And having your head and your heart connected is a very important part of running our world today.