From foolish to fearless: Ninna Larsen’s Westpac Social Change Fellowship journey

Ninna Larsen is a 2024 Westpac Social Change Fellow, and Founder of Reground – a social enterprise dedicated to helping organisations and individuals build a circular economy through innovative waste collection and sustainable waste management initiatives, focusing on coffee grind waste bins and beyond.

Desperately seeking inspiration

 

After working in the Australian hospitality sector and contributing firsthand to the problem of coffee waste, I started Reground with the belief that a simple resource like used ground coffee could be a tool to address the triple planetary crisis.

 

I wanted the planet to win, for the community to win, and to role model to others that this was a formula for good business. By 2023, I had been working hard and mostly in isolation towards our vision and mission for nine years. I desperately needed new inspiration. I was stuck, trapped in a system I had designed myself. It had gotten us far, but I knew it would not take me any further.

 

Time to back myself

 

I had only read about the Westpac Social Change Fellowship online, and I felt completely foolish thinking I would be accepted into that community. But fuelled by desperation, I wrote my application while caring for my two kids at home on a Friday.

 

Although the application process was relatively straightforward, the questions required me to reflect deeply on my personal journey, which is not a place I usually write from. They prompted me to evaluate my past achievements from an individual perspective rather than that of my organisation. It took a considerable time and effort to consolidate my personal leadership highlights, but it ended up being a fun and rewarding challenge. 

 

Stepping outside my comfort zone

 

My hope was that the Fellowship would help me get unstuck. I was surprised to make it through to the interview stage. That was the first moment I truly felt outside my comfort zone. I was used to telling the Reground story, but I had never had to talk about myself as a leader. It was confronting.

 

The interviewing process ran over two days in the Westpac offices in Sydney and was a big change from the environment I usually hang out in - gardens and portables. The biggest challenge for me though was switching from representing my organisation to speaking from my own leadership values and style. During my interview they asked me what I do to look after myself - to which I was honest and said I analyse my dreams in my monthly dream group - emphasising that this fellowship is truly about you and not just tied to your current mission.

 

Making the most of the opportunity

 

I ended up using the application process as an opportunity to define a growth roadmap for myself. It was something I could use in the very likely event that I wasn’t selected.

 

I had to be brave and ask for help from my mentors, who willingly brainstormed growth opportunities with me. The main question I raised with them was how I might move to a larger platform of impact beyond my current organisation. This honest discussion highlighted the skills I would need to acquire and which people and organisations I should learn from to move to the next phase of system change. From this I gained a clearer understanding of a path for growth for me.

 

Investing in yourself isn’t selfish

 

Even before knowing the outcome, I had already gained so much. The process brought me much closer to my support network. Working to achieve systemic, social and environmental change is hard. It is a long and relentless journey. But providing self-care and radical self-love doesn’t need to be. Nurturing your leadership potential is not selfish. Growing, getting inspired and having fun is the best strategy for long-term impact. I am no longer stuck.

 

While I still have so much to learn, I am able to celebrate my own unique leadership approach. The Westpac Social Change Fellowship changed my life, and it can change yours too.

 

Are you a social change leader looking to accelerate your growth and impact?  

Apply for a Westpac Social Change Fellowship today and you could receive up to $50,000 to invest in your personal development and join network of passionate changemakers like Ninna, working to create a more inclusive and sustainable future for all Australians. 

 

Applications for 2026 close on Thursday 3 July at 5pm (AEST).