Amy Orange’s career has been on a steep trajectory since graduating from Flinders University a decade ago – so impressive that she has been recognised by online publisher InDaily among its inaugural 40 Under 40 awards, which celebrate South Australia’s leading business entrepreneurs under the age of 40.
Amy’s meteoric rise with her enterprise Harvest Fair Australia, coupled with her passion for gender equity, led to the 33-year-old becoming a dynamic presence in SA’s business community and being selected as one of five Flinders graduates chosen for the awards.
Amy completed an honours degree in psychology in 2008 and began her career in the not-for-profit community services sector, before progressing to executive management and completing an MBA in 2015. She applied these skills to launch Harvest Fair Australia in 2016 – a social enterprise that uses the power of good food to advance gender equity, providing flexible employment for women who have struggled to find a place in the mainstream workforce. The enterprise prepares ready-made meals which are distributed through Drakes retail supermarkets and cafes around Adelaide.
Other Flinders graduates recognised in the 40 Under 40 program include Elizabeth Nowell, Chief Executive Officer of ACE Open, which provides transformative contemporary art experiences for artists and audiences at the Lion Arts Centre on North Terrace. The Flinders University graduate got her start as a visual arts officer with Country Arts SA and Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, then worked in Sydney before taking over as executive director at the Contemporary Art Centre of SA and driving its amalgamation with the Australian Experimental Art Foundation.
Kristy Schirmer, Founder and Principal Consultant at Zockmelon Health Promotion and Social Media Consulting, has more than 15 years’ experience working in health promotion and public health in South Australia and London. She worked across issues from blood-borne viruses, obesity, youth health, mental health, tobacco and breast cancer, before starting Zockmelon in 2013, a health promotion and social media consulting business to help public health organisations use social media effectively.
Lauren Hillman is General Manager of Adelaide community television station Channel 44. She first discovered screen production during her study at Flinders University, graduating with BA (Hons) in 2002, and going on to work in commercial television drama, commercial radio and ABC-TV, taking on producer roles before taking over the reins at Channel 44.
Michael Kay, who graduated with a double degree in 2004, is a Partner and Practice Leader at Wallmans Lawyers, heading the company’s specialist workplace relations, employment and safety practice. He has been recognised in Best Lawyers of Australia for his work and expertise in Labour and Employment Law and in Doyle’s Guide as a recommended Leading Employment Lawyer.