Leading the charge against bullying in Australia

Rosie launched PROJECT ROCKIT when she was fresh out of high school and sick and tired of seeing bullying destroy the lives of her peers. Fast forward almost two decades and that restless idea for change has now directly impacted over 650,000 school students and is set to reach 1 million young people by 2026. Recently, Rosie launched The Project Rockit Foundation, a charity dedicated to supporting young Aussies experiencing disadvantage, working to make sure that when it comes to wellbeing, no student is left behind.

Rosie is relentlessly passionate about engineering a kinder digital world and has served on the Global Safety Advisory Boards of big tech, such as Meta to ensure young people’s voices are heard. Her work has been recognised by UNICEF among the 12 Digital Champions for Children’s Rights in the Digital Age and was honoured in Washington D.C. with the International Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cybersafety. Rosie has also received an Order of Australia Medal, recognising her service to young people and her work against bullying. Read on for our interview with Rosie!

Describe your career trajectory and how you got to your current position.

I kind of fell into my career, hurtling headfirst right after high school! When I graduated nearly two decades ago, I was deeply frustrated by the way bullying was shattering the lives of some of my peers. It wasn’t just about the lasting damage it caused, it was that nobody was reaching young people in a way that truly reached us! So my sister and I created PROJECT ROCKIT, driven by a vision for a world where kindness and respect thrive over bullying, hate, and prejudice, and where every young person feels free to realise their potential. What started as a wild idea has since grown into Australia’s youth-driven movement against bullying, hate and prejudice. We empower young people to stand up instead of standing by, running workshops across the country that create lasting impact. To date, we’ve reached 650,000 students, and are on track to mobilise 1 million young Aussies against (cyber)bullying by 2026.

 What does this role mean to you?

This role as Executive Director of The Project Rockit Foundation holds deep meaning for me. It represents an evolution of PROJECT ROCKIT’s mission – a new charity arm that allows us to double down on our commitment to creating social change. Through the Foundation, we’re able to provide priority anti-bullying support to underserved schools, making sure every young person, no matter their background, has the tools and peer support to champion social inclusion.

We work exclusively with schools that face socio-economic and geographic barriers, where young people are at a much higher risk of school disengagement, mental health challenges, and long-term unemployment. Last year alone, we supported over 23,000 students from 58 underserved schools who otherwise would have gone without access to PROJECT ROCKIT programming. This role allows me to channel my passion into helping those who need it most, pitching for funding to nurture a growing waitlist of schools seeking our support. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that we’re giving these young people a chance to stand up and create positive change in their own lives and communities.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve encountered in your career, and how did you overcome it?

Coming back from maternity leave!  It was a surreal experience, one I had read so much about – women returning to leadership roles often feel like they’re starting over. For me, it felt like trying to jump into a hectic game of rope skipping while the rope was already swinging, and I had to jump in seamlessly!

Fortunately, PROJECT ROCKIT’s supportive environment helped me regain my rhythm. I remembered that thing they say: “Confidence is like oxygen: when you have it, you don’t think about it, but if you lose it for even a minute, it’s the only thing you think about.” I needed to rebuild my confidence! I embraced deliberate leaps and sought guidance from my executive coach, Kate Richardson, who helped me challenge negative self-narratives. I also became a scholar in The Marketing Academy, which has been so awesome at boosting my confidence. As Helen Keller said, ‘Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.’ I choose the adventure!

If you could go back in time, what piece of advice would you give yourself as you first embarked on your career? 

If I could go back in time, I’d tell myself that the very traits I thought were weaknesses are actually my greatest strengths! My wild ideas, once criticised as unrealistic, have shaken up education and endured almost two decades of impact.  My super optimistic nature, often seen as idealistic, has driven me to envision a better way of doing things. Being “too loud, outspoken, and restless” – have enabled me to challenge the status quo and advocate hard for change.

I’d remind myself to be bold and not lose focus by comparing my journey to others. Building a business and creating social change takes time and vision. It starts with the ability to see a better way, followed by action to pave that path. That takes courage. It requires laying down many bricks before others recognise the value in that direction. Once they do, their footsteps will help firm and shape the trail, and your momentum will grow. The moral of the story? Stick to it and lean into what makes you unique! 

How do you unwind after work?

After work, I hang out with my partner and our 2 year old daughter, Joey (insert mischief!) or you’ll find me on the basketball court – I may be 5 foot 4 but I’m obsessed! I’ve also been known to lie in bed for hours listening to a gripping historical fiction book, telling myself, “just one more chapter”…

What was the last thing you:

Watched: ‘What Remains’ – a grisly British crime thriller

Read: ‘The German Wife’ – historical fiction book that centres on the lives of two women during WWII

Listened to: Awesome interview with Jackie Hallan on what it means to be a ‘trauma informed’ leader on the Future Women podcast