ISD is growing! Meet our new team members Anna and Ryan!

Hello Reader,

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Since ISD began back in 2017 all of the work has been done by just 1 person, me. From the blog to consulting and project work, to the courses and training, all our resources, the podcast...everything!

Over the past year or so, though I have engaged or partnered with some amazing collaborators and sub contractors to achieve some specific outcomes for ISD and its clients. This has enabled increases to productivity along with bringing in skills and expertise I don't have.

But as the complex needs for support and services around inclusion in sport increases and the demands of the work take up more of my limited bandwidth and skillset it has become apparent to me that flying solo is no longer sustainable. (Especially if I want to make the kinds of impacts that I set up ISD to achieve!)

Another huge consideration for me, too, is that I am increasingly mindful vital importance of diversifying the lived and professional experience that informs my work and which ISD can offer its clients and community. This was a key driver behind starting our regular ISD Webinars and the Sport is for Every Body Podcast - I wanted (needed) to amplify the diverse voices of others whilst learning and teaching more along the way. This is critical for the ISD business and for the sector as a whole.

So with that all said I am very pleased and immensely privileged to announce that ISD has expanded it's capabilities with two new amazing humans coming on board as Associate Inclusion Specialists.

Please join me in welcoming Anna Walker and Dr Ryan Storr to the ISD team!

I have collaborated with both of these people in various ways over a number of years and am hugely grateful that they have agreed to bring their expertise and passion to the work of ISD. Both Anna and Ryan bring highly valuable but varied professional, lived and living experience which will benefit our current and future clients as well as you, the ISD Community.

Read on to learn more about Anna and Ryan.

And if you are in the market for consulting, project, advisory or training services then please reach out, as the new and improved ISD Team is here for you!

Meet our new Associate Inclusion Specialists

Anna Walker (She/Her) Anna Walker strives to help create a world in which everyone can play, live and work on terms and in environments designed for them. She does this by using sport as a social impact tool. Over a 22 year career dedicated to growing sport participation, Anna has developed comprehensive knowledge and insights into the Australian and global sporting context. She has observed, learned from and delivered or advised customised sport solutions to more than 20 sports across Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and England. In each setting she’s gained unique knowledge of the sporting ecosystems operating within diverse cultures and communities to vast audiences. ​ Anna now applies this experience along with leading approaches to strategy development and program design to assist sports organisations to grow their participation base and retain members through sporting pathways. This is achieved by adopting an evidence-based and analytical approach, while always listening to, empathising and co-designing with communities. Solutions are never without a touch of creativity and futuristic thinking about how clients can best serve new audiences and society, growing as a result.

Dr Ryan Storr (He/Him) Ryan is an experienced researcher and consultant with a deep interest in how organisations engage with and enact diversity and inclusion, within sport and movement contexts. ​ Ryan completed his PhD in 2017 and was awarded the most outstanding doctorate by the Graduate Management Association of Australia. His advocacy and research led to him receiving the Rising Star award at the Alumni Awards at Victoria University for demonstrating significant early career and community service achievements. ​ At Western Sydney University Ryan was a lecturer and academic course advisor for the new Bachelor of Sport Development degree. His most recent research projects investigate how sports organisations engage with and enact LGBT+ inclusion and increase participation in cricket, football and tennis. In 2016 Ryan co-founded Proud2Play, a charity which aims to increase LGBTI+ engagement in sport, exercise and active recreation. ​ Through his academic and professional work Ryan has developed a powerful framework and reference point to influence social change, in both policy and practice.

P.S. You can get to know Anna even better by joining us for our upcoming ISD Webinar | Culture change for inclusion in sport​

P.P.S. You can get to know Ryan even better by listening to Ep07 of the Sport is for Every Body Podcast​

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Thanks for making the commitment to inclusion. I appreciate you.

Michael Woods

Founder, Inclusive Sport Design

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