Facilitators
IRL courses are run by a number of incredible facilitators with charisma, smarts, and a passion for empowering young people
Ben, Monty, Fady, Sarah & Lara are all experienced facilitators who bring a wealth of knowledge & energy. They come from different backgrounds, but share a belief in the importance of great education in shaping engaged, informed and inspired young adults.
BEN MIDDLETON (HE/HIM)
Ben holds a Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Philosophy, and has worked for over 7 years in the Corporate sector with organisations as diverse as Westpac and Lifeline. Ben works with Many Rivers as a mentor to 2 Sydney based startups, and is Secretary for OnCourse Projects, an Australian based charity that works to alleviate poverty through education and employment in Kenya. Ben is also a One Young World Ambassador, a UK-based not-for-profit organization that gathers young leaders from around the world to develop solutions to the world’s most pressing issues
Ben's expertise is in innovation, technology, and effective organisation of high functioning teams, but his passion lies in education and empowering young people to be change makers of the future.
DR. MONTY BADAMI (HE/HIM)
Dr. Monty Badami is an anthropologist and world-class speaker, facilitator and coach. Apart from holding a PhD in anthropology; he’s a university lecturer, Army Reserves officer, faculty member of The School of Life and co-presents a podcast called The Meaning Of....
He has spent most of his research living with the Paniya, a marginalised indigenous group in India, who were slaves until quite recently. It is here that he fully developed his social and ethical foundations and nurtured a deep appreciation for the innovation and resilience of humans all over the world.
He combines his knowledge of Army leadership with evolutionary evidence and cross-cultural research to demonstrate how our creativity, diversity and imperfection is essential to our adaptability and success as a species.
FADY GEORGY (HE/HIM)
Fady holds a Bachelor of Medical Science, Masters of Secondary Education, and Graduate Diploma of Mathematics Education. He is is a trained maths and science school teacher, previously teaching at Sydney Technical High School. Fady has also worked with Australian technology and education startup Mathspace, who deliver online maths learning to over 30,000 daily active users, as a content developer and school liaison.
Fady has a passion for working with students to create a fun learning environment as a way to achieve great student outcomes.
SARAH MCCARTHY (SHE/HER)
Sarah is an energetic and driven leader in the diversity and inclusion industry with a strong background in leadership development, coaching, and learning and development. As an accredited Organisational Coach and Genos Emotional Intelligence practitioner, Sarah is highly attuned to what motivates individuals and elevates their performance.
Sarah has been described by her network as engaging, thought-provoking, influential and a highly effective communicator. She's a lifelong learner and passionate advocate for approaches that harness principles of positive psychology, and believes that our greatest collective strength lies in our individual differences.
LARA HUSSELBEE (SHE/HER)
Lara Husselbee is an enthusiastic Human-Centred and experience design consultant who has delivered outcomes for clients globally.
Apart from her work as a consultant, Lara is on the Board of Directors for Wear it Purple, runs a small colourful suit company called Sundae Suits and is a public speaker. She holds a Bachelor of Design majoring in Visual Communication and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies majoring in German.
Lara has a passion for working with students to celebrate difference, explore creative techniques, problem solving tools and as inspiration to elevate their performance.