Div Pillay

Div Pillay has been an ‘inclusionist’ before it became a buzz word. She is a South African Indian, now Australian, who thrived despite and because of, the segregation based on race during apartheid and,…despite and because of…surviving a violent physical assault and car hijacking. She got active and entrepreneurial in the community, whilst working in corporate HR driving affirmative action. She was named as the youngest Director in Rotary leading Youth Services in the late 1990’s and she used this platform and her training in behavioural sciences to bring about inclusion in a time that was divisive.

Fast forward almost 20 years later, Div is still driving the inclusion agenda in Australia in a unique way. She believes inclusion is a capability that can be taught and it is a behaviour choice – people can consciously choose to be inclusive.

While her speciality is in cultural inclusion, her behavioural sciences and economics background, allows her to drive for change for all diversities in an intersectional way, and she has lived it – experiencing micro biases daily for being a woman of colour, and often perceived as ‘too young’ despite being 40+!

The kind of change Div is driving for is tangible and measurable. Whether she is is leading MindTribes as CEO or
Culturally Diverse Women and Workforces (as Co-Founder) or speaking, Div can get people on board quickly to move fast
because inclusion makes economic and social sense in a world that needs diversity to work to solve for global issues like,
climate change, child trafficking etc. Div has people and business sense is fearless and vulnerable, persistent and
resilient. Inclusion is her purpose and passion.

Div is also the National Chair for D&I committees, American Chamber of Commerce and she is on the Board of STREAT
focussing on youth homelessness (and is a voice for the 25% of youth who come from an asylum seeker, refugee and
migrant background). Div and her Co-Founder at MindTribes are Plan International Ambassadors supporting
girls empowerment globally; giving 10% of their revenue to Plan.

Div is a State, Telstra Business Women’s Awards Judge, 2020; is one of the 100 Women of Influence, 2018 and her business is one of the named Westpac 200 Businesses of Tomorrow, 2018.