As a veteran, Shannon thought his business idea, a machine that filters water from the air, would be a no-brainer for the military. But when the first round of funding fell through, he had to pivot. His next move led Shannon all the way to Buckingham Palace and is transforming countless lives across Australia in the process.

There are over two million Australians without access to fresh drinking water, but Shannon Lemanski intends to change that. On this episode of We built this thing, UNSW Canberra alumnus Shannon chats with host Justine Rogers about his uncertain path to becoming an award-winning founder. From his decision to swap his childhood plan of becoming a pilot to doing an engineering degree at uni, to the trials and tribulations of being a first-time founder, to finding out the secret sauce to start-up success isn’t the invention but the business plan.

For more episodes from We built this thing, visit unsw.to/wbtt.

As a veteran, Shannon thought his business idea, a machine that filters water from the air, would be a no-brainer for the military. But when the first round of funding fell through, he had to pivot. His next move led Shannon all the way to Buckingham Palace and is transforming countless lives across Australia in the process.
There are over two million Australians without access to fresh drinking water, but Shannon Lemanski intends to change that. On this episode of&nbsp;We built this thing, UNSW Canberra alumnus Shannon chats with host Justine Rogers about his uncertain path to becoming an award-winning founder. From his decision to swap his childhood plan of becoming a pilot to doing an engineering degree at uni, to the trials and tribulations of being a first-time founder, to finding out the secret sauce to start-up success isn&rsquo;t the invention but the business plan.
For more episodes from We built this thing, visit unsw.to/wbtt.

Not your average 9 to 5 job.

Life after school can feel more like a high wire act than a clear path forward.

From picking the right career, to saving for your first place, to figuring out who you are and what you stand for. A decade (or two) passes in the blink of an eye. And then what? You were meant to travel, see stuff. Be someone. And what about the environment? Is anyone doing anything about that? Won’t AI make us all obsolete in the next couple of years anyway? So many questions and just one life.

Enter We built this thing – a podcast series designed to share tips and bring a little joy to lead a more fulfilled life with host Dr Justine Rogers an Associate Law Professor and stand-up performer. 

Presented by the UNSW Centre for Ideas, We built this thing shares stories from founders, engineers and passionate creatives who aren’t following a traditional career path yet are achieving their dreams and living a life aligned with their values on their own terms.

Not your average 9 to 5 job.
Life after school can feel more like a high wire act than a clear path forward.
From picking the right career, to saving for your first place, to figuring out who you are and what you stand for. A decade (or two) passes in the blink of an eye. And then what? You were meant to travel, see stuff. Be someone. And what about the environment? Is anyone doing anything about that? Won&rsquo;t AI make us all obsolete in the next couple of years anyway? So many questions and just one life.
Enter We built this thing&nbsp;&ndash; a podcast series designed to share tips and bring a little joy to lead a more fulfilled life with host Dr Justine Rogers an Associate Law Professor and stand-up performer.&nbsp;
Presented by the&nbsp;<a href="https://unswcentreforideas.com/">UNSW Centre for Ideas</a>, We built this thing&nbsp;shares stories from founders, engineers and passionate creatives who aren&rsquo;t following a traditional career path yet are achieving their dreams and living a life aligned with their values on their own terms.

We built this thing

An initiative of UNSW Sydney, the Centre for Ideas is a thought-provoking program of events and digital content from the globe's leading thinkers, authors and artists.

An initiative of UNSW Sydney, the Centre for Ideas is a thought-provoking program of events and digital content from the globe's leading thinkers, authors and artists.

An initiative of UNSW Sydney, the Centre for Idea…

UNSW Centre for Ideas | All Episodes

UNSW Centre for Ideas

On this episode, Shannon chats about pivoting your start-up after funding failure, committing to your mission and transforming lives in the process. 

We built this thing Ep1: When solving the water crisis comes from thin air with Shannon Lemanski

Award-winning, internationally acclaimed writer Anna Funder shares how to be a best-selling author.  

In 1997, Anna Funder left Australia for Berlin. She told everyone that she was leaving to write a book, and now the pressure was on to deliver. Six years later Anna published Stasiland, stories gathered about life in East Germany from the people she interviewed during her time in Berlin.  

 Stasiland would go onto to win the Samuel Johnson Prize, be translated into a dozen languages and taught in Australian classrooms. Anna's work centres on untold stories of women whose pivotal role in history has either been brushed aside or concealed.  

In the 23 years since her first book was published, Anna has written two more highly prized books: All That I Am and Wifedom, which was named a NYTimes notable book of the year.  

Tune in to hear Anna’s advice on how to be a bestselling author.

For more UNSW Centre for Ideas podcasts, visit unsw.to/cfi-podcast

Award-winning, internationally acclaimed writer Anna Funder shares how to be a best-selling author.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In 1997, Anna Funder left Australia for Berlin. She told everyone that she was leaving to write a book, and now the pressure was on to deliver. Six years later Anna published Stasiland, stories gathered about life in East Germany from the people she interviewed during her time in Berlin.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;Stasiland would go onto to win the Samuel Johnson Prize, be translated into a dozen languages and taught in Australian classrooms. Anna's work centres on untold stories of women whose pivotal role in history has either been brushed aside or concealed.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In the 23 years since her first book was published, Anna has written two more highly prized books: All That I Am and Wifedom, which was named a NYTimes notable book of the year.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Tune in to hear Anna&rsquo;s advice on how to be a bestselling author.
For more UNSW Centre for Ideas podcasts, visit <a href="https://unswcentreforideas.com/podcasts">unsw.to/cfi-podcast</a>

Award-winning, internationally acclaimed writer Anna Funder shares how to be a best-selling author.   

How to be EP1: How to be a bestselling author with Anna Funder

When Chanel Contos first hit post on an Instagram poll in 2021, she had no idea of the cultural reckoning she was about to unleash. She asked a simple question, “Have you or has anyone close to you ever been sexually assaulted by someone who went to an all-boys school in Sydney?”. But the responses were overwhelming. So much so, that she had to create a website to collect over 6,700 testimonies. This led to the founding of Teach Us Consent.

Now, five years on Chanel has spearheaded an organisation at the forefront of dismantling sexual violence. She sat down with host Justine Rogers to discuss her journey from UNSW commerce and arts student to tackling consent in Australia and founding a grassroots campaign that has grown into an international movement.

Please be aware that this episode discusses sexual abuse and trauma which may be distressing for some people. Resources and support can be found at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) .

For more episodes from We built this thing, visit unsw.to/wbtt.

When Chanel Contos first hit post on an Instagram poll in 2021, she had no idea of the cultural reckoning she was about to unleash. She asked a simple question, &ldquo;Have you or has anyone close to you ever been sexually assaulted by someone who went to an all-boys school in Sydney?&rdquo;. But the responses were overwhelming. So much so, that she had to create a website to collect over 6,700 testimonies. This led to the founding of Teach Us Consent.
Now, five years on Chanel has spearheaded an organisation at the forefront of dismantling sexual violence. She sat down with host Justine Rogers to discuss her journey from UNSW commerce and arts student to tackling consent in Australia and founding a grassroots campaign that has grown into an international movement.
Please be aware that this episode discusses sexual abuse and trauma which may be distressing for some people. Resources and support can be found at <a href="https://1800respect.org.au/">1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) </a>.
For more episodes from We built this thing, visit <a href="https://unswcentreforideas.com/article/wbtt">unsw.to/wbtt</a>.

We built this thing Ep5: The age of consent: When your social media post causes a national reckoning with Chanel Contos

Raji Ambikairajah has had a very successful career. She was awarded NSW Woman of the Year for her work with Room to Read, she has a PhD in electrical engineering from UNSW, she’s been the CEO of several start-ups, and she’s been on company boards since she was in her 20s. But if you asked her right after graduating what she wanted to do, she wouldn’t have been able to tell you. In fact, she was one of the few graduates in her year without a job lined up. What makes Raji stand out has been a clear moral compass that has guided her across careers, companies and boardrooms.

On this episode of We built this thing, Raji chats with host Justine Rogers about letting your moral compass guide your career decisions. Tune in to hear how she committed to donating her time, treasure or talent from the very beginning of her career. Don’t miss her advice for dealing with an uncertain future and building a career that may not be linear but makes sense to you.

For more episodes from We built this thing, visit unsw.to/wbtt.

Raji Ambikairajah has had a very successful career. She was awarded NSW Woman of the Year for her work with Room to Read, she has a PhD in electrical engineering from UNSW, she&rsquo;s been the CEO of several start-ups, and she&rsquo;s been on company boards since she was in her 20s. But if you asked her right after graduating what she wanted to do, she wouldn&rsquo;t have been able to tell you. In fact, she was one of the few graduates in her year without a job lined up. What makes Raji stand out has been a clear moral compass that has guided her across careers, companies and boardrooms.
On this episode of&nbsp;We built this thing, Raji chats with host Justine Rogers about letting your moral compass guide your career decisions. Tune in to hear how she committed to donating her time, treasure or talent from the very beginning of her career. Don&rsquo;t miss her advice for dealing with an uncertain future and building a career that may not be linear but makes sense to you.
For more episodes from We built this thing, visit <a href="https://unswcentreforideas.com/article/wbtt">unsw.to/wbtt</a>.

We built this thing Ep1: When solving the water crisis comes from thin air with Shannon Lemanski

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