Inspired by: Rebecca Hansen, Community Manager, Future Women

Interview by Rebecca Rusinovic

Community Manager at ‘Future Women’, Rebecca is the essence of a trailblazer, driven by the pursuit of a challenge and is fearless in doing so! 

Hi Rebecca, thank you kindly for your time, Yes Queen is delighted to introduce you to the community! You are the Community Manager at ‘Future Women’. Can you explain what Future Women is, and the ethos ‘Future Women’ is upheld by?

Future Women is a women’s club delivering virtual events, leadership training and a curated digital network to its members. Our mission is to advance women by helping them connect, learn and lead. While Future Women members are a diverse group, what they have in common is their passion and ambition. We do not target an age, we target an attitude. Future Women is building a membership base that will create significant social change in Australia.

‘Future Women’ is so much more than bringing a group of women together to connect. It is rooted in the idea of giving women an opportunity to further themselves personally and professionally. Events and articles cover everything from feminism to finance and everything in between. What are three top trending topics for women in business currently?

Future Women is lucky to have to have a talented editorial team who are creating progressive, empowering and thoughtful content for our members. Popular topics that particularly resonate are leadership related, whether it be career advice, leadership strategy or profiles on successful women in business. One of my favourite articles on futurewomen.com is this article about Adore Beauty founder, Kate Morris.

What does your role at ‘Future Women’ entail and how did you get involved with the initiative with a background in the Government sector and start ups?

I’ve had a career with many twists and turns! When my former workplace announced they would be closing, Future Women was preparing to launch. It was very fortunate timing to say the least. My day-to-day at Future Women is non-stop and ever-changing, which is something that I love about it. A typical day might include connecting with our members to help them raise their profiles, creating opportunities for members to network with other women, driving conversation in our Member-Only Facebook Group, producing a podcast, managing and organising events, tonnes of behind the scenes project management and more!

How has your role at ‘Future Women’ changed your perspective of women in the workplace and impacted the way you approach business goals and dreams?

I have always tried to educate myself on the systemic and ongoing inequality many women and other minority groups face, but since working at Future Women I’ve become a lot more versed in the statistics and issues that are particularly relevant and urgent in Australia. There are many issues I am passionate about, but one of great importance is the disparity in superannuation balances between men and women, and rising rates of homelessness for women over 55. Future Women has reinforced to me why your values should be at the heart of your mission. 

Who is your icon or mentor in business?

I don’t have a particular business icon I admire but a woman who I think is absolutely nailing it in the start-up space is Mina Radhakrishnan, the co-founder of :Different. We interviewed her recently for the Next Generation Innovators podcast. Mina’s start-up is disrupting the Australian property management industry by using technology to streamline property management and free up time for the people working in these industries to do what they do best - relationship management, problem solving and empathy. Mina was one of Uber’s first hires. Her acumen for building great products and prioritising the customer experience is huge.  

Do you believe in the mentor/mentee relationship? 

I strongly believe in the power and value of mentoring. I’ve been very fortunate to cross paths in my career with women who have invested in me and my development. I value it greatly and take a lot of joy in paying that good fortune I’ve had forward. Women are less likely to benefit from informal mentoring in the workplace, the old ‘tap on the shoulder’ is less likely to come your way. I always encourage my friends and colleagues to proactively reach out to the people they think they can collaborate with and learn from (who knows what might happen!), as well as think about how they can build up and support the people around them.

How do you ensure the ‘Future Women’ community is challenged, empowered and inspired?

Future Women curates an ambitious calendar of content. We challenge, empower and inspire our members through thought-provoking, long-form journalism, engaging and topical live broadcasts, Ask Me Anything discussions with experts, podcasts covering a range of topics from literary discussion to entrepreneurial stories, and engaging events ranging from intimate Social Club meet-ups to conferences with hundreds of passionate attendees. No topic is ever off the table. It’s OK if a community doesn’t always agree with each other! Healthy debate is natural and encouraged, and diverse opinions are how conversations and ideas can be propelled forward. 

What has working at ‘Future Women’ taught you about yourself?

Future Women has taught me about the importance of understanding my own values and applying them to everything I do. It has also reminded me to trust my gut in those tricky situations where there are quick decisions to be made, and to understand how bias can get in the way. And finally, accepting that there is always more to do, the task list will never be completely finished, so be kind and cut yourself some slack sometimes.