Social Enterprise Advisory and Strategy
I work with social enterprises across Australia, from startups through to established organisations. Think of me as your plug-in strategy consultant, operations troubleshooter, sounding board or impact advisor - whatever the gap, I can work with you on a specific project, as a one-off advisor, or through an ongoing fractional leadership arrangement.
With 25 years of business experience across social enterprises, government and corporates - 15 of those in the for-purpose sector - I bring a practical, commercially grounded perspective to the specific challenges of balancing purpose and profit. Based in Melbourne, I work with purpose-driven organisations across Victoria and Australia.
Maybe you're overly reliant on grants and need to diversify your income. Maybe your operations aren't running smoothly, your P&L isn't giving you the insights you need, or you're stretched too thin and starting to feel the pull of mission creep. Or maybe things are going well and you're ready to grow, but you want external support to test your ideas and build the case.
That's where I come in.
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Strategy development: business plans, strategic planning workshops and strategic guidance
Growth strategy: market research, ideation workshops, idea assessment and financial modelling
Business health check: diagnosing the root cause of your challenges
Financial analysis and pricing strategy to improve performance
Business model design, including for new revenue streams
Social procurement readiness: identifying opportunities, preparing winning responses and building the capability to deliver
Operational efficiency: improving how you spend your time, who does what and how things get done
Social impact measurement and reporting: making sure you have robust data to demonstrate your outcomes and social impact to stakeholders
Fractional leadership: bringing experienced executive support into your organisation on a flexible, part-time basis
Starting a social enterprise: refining your purpose, testing your ideas, designing your business model and getting your financials in order
“Olivia was recommended to us as someone who understands small not-for-profits and social enterprises, which is exactly what we were looking for when we began our strategic planning work.
She worked closely with us to create an engaging, thought-provoking process that brought our board and staff together to really reflect on our organisation, what’s working, and where we want to head next. Olivia brings a great mix of sector experience, insight and practical judgement, and she was clear and well organised throughout — the process felt well structured, and things happened when she said they would.
Olivia was also just lovely to work with — warm, a great listener, and easy to collaborate with. I’d happily recommend her to other purpose-led organisations looking for practical, values-aligned strategic support.
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Case studies
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The opportunity
Open Table is a values-led not-for-profit working to improve food access, food literacy and community connection. With strong programs and growing impact, the organisation was refining its three-year strategic plan and wanted to ensure the process genuinely engaged both board and staff.
Like many small purpose-led organisations, Open Table operates with limited resources and a lean team. The CEO was seeking external facilitation that would balance rigour with creativity, strengthen shared understanding and translate big-picture aspirations into clear, practical priorities.
My approach
Impact Practice was engaged to design and facilitate a highly interactive strategy workshop with Open Table’s board and leadership team.
The session combined structured strategic frameworks with participatory exercises that drew on the lived experience and insights of all participants. Together, the group refreshed and validated the organisation’s vision, mission and values, explored strengths and development areas, clarified value propositions across key programs, and imagined Open Table’s future direction. This work informed the identification of clear strategic priorities.
Following the workshop, I provided detailed feedback on the draft strategic plan, supporting the CEO to finalise a practical, future-focused roadmap.
Throughout the process, the emphasis was on creating a safe, engaging space for honest reflection, shared learning and collaborative decision-making.
The outcome
Open Table developed a clear, aligned and practical three-year strategic plan, grounded in shared understanding and collective ownership.
The organisation now has greater clarity around its purpose, priorities and programs, and a robust framework to guide decision-making, governance and future growth.
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Unravelling the challenge
After 15 years of organic growth, The Social Studio (TSS)—a social enterprise working with people from Melbourne’s refugee and new migrant communities—faced a changing external environment: shifts in consumer behaviour, rising operating costs, increased competition, and evolving expectations from funders. With limited resources and a heavy reliance on external funding, TSS needed to clarify its purpose, refocus its strategy and build a more self-sufficient future by increasing its own-earned income.
Stitching together a new approach
Brought in to support the CEO and Board, I led a strategic reset focused on aligning business operations with social impact, while also identifying opportunities for innovation, new revenue streams and long-term sustainability. This included a deep dive into data and financials, revealing—for the first time—insights into product performance, margins, and operating efficiency. I introduced new costing and margin tools in manufacturing and repairs, implemented team debriefing processes, and built capacity to use student outcomes data for decision-making.
I facilitated strategic planning workshops to evaluate current performance, sharpen purpose, generate ideas and explore new priorities. From this, I developed a strategic proposal that reorients manufacturing towards a vertically integrated TSS label and repair business, embeds trainee designers and makers into the product lifecycle, and invests in brand development and digital growth.
Weaving a stronger future
TSS is now on a clearer path to sustainability and impact. Manufacturing has been repositioned to prioritise high-margin, purpose-aligned internal work. A new Brand & Design Manager role will strengthen the in-house label while deepening training outcomes. The growing TSS Mend business is poised for scale, supported by operational improvements and new systems. A revitalised digital strategy will boost reach and revenue—unlocking more paid opportunities for young people from refugee and new migrant backgrounds.
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From Disjointed Stores to a Cohesive Retail Strategy
When I joined Australian Red Cross as General Manager of its national retail division, the organisation had a bold vision: to transform its sprawling network of op shops into a modern, vibrant social enterprise that blended mission with retail excellence. But realising that vision meant addressing some deeply embedded challenges.
The division, while one of Australia’s largest social enterprises, had inherited a legacy of fragmented operations. Stores were still operating under a state-based model, despite a national restructure. There was no consistent strategy, branding or approach. Most stores were concentrated in outer suburban, regional and rural areas, with little to no metro presence. Many sites were tired, cluttered and difficult to shop in, with outdated systems—some stores still used cash tins instead of registers—and aging inventory that no longer resonated with customers.
That’s where I came in.
My approach
As General Manager, I led a multi-year transformation across 164 stores, 100+ staff and 4,500 volunteers, focused on improving financial performance, operational consistency and social impact. Key initiatives included:
Strategic & Financial Transformation
Drew on best practice from global retail to develop national retail and merchandise strategies that aligned commercial performance with humanitarian goals, setting a clear direction for growth and impact
Led cost-reduction initiatives that decreased cost of goods sold from 19% to 5% of revenue within two years—without compromising income
Introduced scenario planning and financial modelling to support strategic, forward-looking decision making and shift teams from reactive to proactive resource management
Organisational Design & Capability Building
Restructured teams and optimised workforce mix to reduce paid staff costs while increasing volunteer engagement and store-level support
Implemented annual planning processes to align day-to-day operations with broader strategic objectives and improve accountability
Store Innovation & Brand Positioning
Opened a number of new stores as part of the national growth strategy, including flagship vintage concept stores and boutique recycled fashion outlets in premium locations
Used these launches to reposition Red Cross retail as a modern, mission-aligned brand in the sustainable fashion space
Launched the Fashion Trade partnership with Country Road, securing national media coverage and in-kind donations that elevated brand visibility
Attracted a younger, more values-aligned customer base and generated over $2.5 million in earned media coverage, elevating visibility and broadening public engagement
What was achieved
This transformation helped turn a fragmented and outdated retail operation into a nationally recognised social enterprise brand—financially sustainable, operationally resilient, and mission-aligned.
By the end of my tenure, the business had shifted from loss-making to delivering a significant surplus, directly contributing to the funding of Red Cross’ humanitarian programs and strengthening the organisation’s overall financial sustainability.
It’s this blend of strategic thinking, operational pragmatism and deep understanding of purpose-driven business that I bring to my consulting work today—particularly with social enterprises and not-for-profits looking to scale impact while staying true to their values.
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When Organic Growth Isn’t Enough
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) had built a strong, values-led social enterprise in ASRC Cleaning—delivering both reliable income and meaningful employment for people seeking asylum. But after several years of organic growth, the business had reached a critical inflection point: it was well-established, delivering impact, and operating sustainably, but needed investment to scale further.
With strong internal capability already in place, the ASRC team sought external support to guide the next stage of their journey—developing a clear, evidence-based business case for board and funder investment, without losing sight of their social mission.
My approach
I led a structured, collaborative consulting process to help ASRC Cleaning chart a strategic path forward, focused on balancing commercial growth with social impact. Key components included:
Impact Alignment
Facilitated key strategic conversations—through stakeholder interviews and participation in a Theory of Change workshop—to clarify the social impact goals that would guide all business decisions
Opportunity Mapping
Designed and facilitated social procurement and ideation workshops to identify and prioritise growth opportunities aligned to ASRC’s mission and operational strengths
Viability Assessment
Conducted customer research and market testing to validate growth ideas
Developed a detailed financial model to evaluate the commercial and impact potential of different scale pathways
Strategic Planning
Synthesised insights into a practical, phased three-year roadmap
Ensured all strategic choices were backed by data and aligned with ASRC Cleaning’s dual goals of economic sustainability and employment impact
What was achieved
The resulting growth strategy projected:
30% revenue growth
4% increase in net profit
8 new employment opportunities for people seeking asylum
This project demonstrates my ability to support social enterprises as they navigate the shift from stability to scale—building strategies that are commercially viable, grounded in impact, and ready for investment.
