Priyanka Ashraf is an ex-lawyer turned technologist building an anti-racism tool called Maya Cares (launched 2023) supporting the mental health & wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Black and Women of Colour (WoC). She is also the Founder and Director of the Creative Co-operative working closely with the startup community through the program Anyone Can (launched in 2022), supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Black and WoC startup founders and operators to not just access, but advance in the ecosystem Priyanka is listed as one of the Top 100 Innovators in 2022 by The Australian and was a recipient of the Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards -  Entrepreneur of the Year 2021. In this episode, Priyanka shares how her father beat poverty to become the High Commissioner in Australia, and how she watched other’s reactions to a brown man having power. Priyanka lives by a value her parents instilled of “paying it forward” and she describes how she is using her unearned privilege. We are lucky enough to hear her Founder’s moment, 1 week prior to George Floyd’s death, in a supermarket where she experienced racism – it was a catalyst moment for Priyanka to make scalable change and she has done just that in an incredibly short period of time. Through her advocacy and programs, she teaches Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Black and Women of Colour to realise their power in business and collectively they are closing the intersectional and intergenerational gap in the business community. Jump onto thecco.com.au to find out how to get involved. Please enjoy the powerhouse, Priyanka Ashraf.