With more than 14 years’ experience in the global social enterprise industry, including the last seven in the UK, Tara has held a range of leadership, advisory, and academic roles, with a specific focus on encouraging growth and impact through cross-sector collaboration. 

Social Traders Managing Director David Brookes said Tara would bring highly valuable expertise to the Social Traders team at a critical time. 

 “We’re really pleased to have Tara join the Social Traders team, confident that she will bring new ideas and add value to our leading market-maker role for the social enterprise sector in Australia,” David said. 

“As we emerge from the current COVID-19 crisis, Tara will help position Social Traders to play an even more significant role in connecting enterprises to social procurement opportunities that will be critical to economic and community recovery,” he said.  

In the UK, Tara was Director of Marketing and Business Development at Locality, the peak body for local social enterprises in England. She was also a Board member at On Purpose, a leadership development organisation for people transitioning from the corporate sector to the for-purpose sector.  

Prior to her stint in the UK, Tara was the General Manager of Marketing and Fundraising at Baptcare, a large multi-purpose charity operating across Victoria and Tasmania.   

Alongside those roles she Co-Founded The Dragonfly Collective social enterprise consultancy, completed her MBA at Cass Business School, and lectured on social enterprise at universities in London, Cambridge and Mexico City.   

Tara has established new cross-sector partnerships in all her previous roles. Most recently in the UK, she setup and chaired the largest partnership of the 11 leading social enterprise peak bodies.   

Tara said working with Social Traders presented an opportunity to promote the importance of collaboration in driving social enterprise growth. 

“I’m excited to be part of a talented team of people who really care about developing the social enterprise marketplace across the country,” Tara said.   

“It’s a really exciting time to be back working in the social enterprise sector in Australia. The significant disruption and impact of COVID-19 has given us a unique opportunity to reposition social enterprise and social procurement as a crucial part of our economic recovery,” she said. “I see big possibilities for creating an even more credible brand position and narrative for the social enterprise movement right across Australia. “ 

She looks forward to working in collaboration and partnership with others the social enterprise networks and intermediaries, buyer members, government and philanthropic partners.