July 2026 ONLINE Event Recap: Conversations - Women in Leadership
Our July event focused on an inspiring online conversation with Stav Zotalis, Executive Director of Indigo Foundation.
The event saw Stav share her leadership journey, reflecting on the experiences, challenges, and opportunities that have shaped her career in the international development sector. Attendees gained valuable insights into leadership, career growth, and the lessons she has learned while working to create meaningful and lasting impact through community-led development.
Here is a recap of the event.
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Despite being Bastille Day, there was no French aspect to the July Women in Aid & Development event, which was hosted online as a daytime event on Tuesday 14 July.
The theme for this one was ‘Conversations: Women in Leadership ’, featuring a wonderful guest speaker, Stav Zotalis, who has been involved in the international development and humanitarian sectors for almost 30 years.
Stav is the Executive Director of the Indigo Foundation – an independent community organisation which has been operating since 2000 – a role she moved into 3 years ago, after time spent in roles overseas as a development practitioner, with NGOs, as well as in governance and as a volunteer.
The event was hosted by WiAD Chair Chris Franks and facilitated by Communications Director Jill Scanlon, with a small but engaged online attendance.
The conversation began with a look at the Indigo Foundation itself; its mission premise and progression over the past 26 years. Stav emphasised that the mission approach is very much a trust-based philanthropic one, which was established by women working in the sector for various NGO’s who decided to invest their own donations to partner with very small community-based groups which would not attract funding from major NGO’s due to their inability to meet strict M&E requirements despite it being plain that due diligence shows these organisations make major impact in their communities. Indigo works in a support and monitoring capacity, with partnerships around the Indo-Pacific region as well as special links in tough environments in Afghanistan and Palestine.
She noted that despite the international development sector putting up some very big hurdles over the years, Indigo had essentially stuck to its original vision and mission approach over the years, deeming it essential to support women at a local level through community groups.
One of the interesting notes in the conversation was the inclusion of and collaboration with diaspora communities here in Australia, as a key part of the Indigo strategy, relating to the overseas programs. Stav also highlighted that there had always been a conscious decision not to pursue government (ie: DFAT) funding, but instead look at sources such as donations, grants and philanthropy.
As is always the WiAD way, after an interesting exploration of the Indigo Foundation’s work, we moved on to her own story, her professional pathway over those decades which led her to this point. Her own professional journey again touched on a much-repeated theme at WiAD discussions, of a career in development being very much non-linear and taking or exploring opportunities when they arise.
Over the hour, it proved to be a very interesting conversation about prioritising the purpose and passion for supporting and achieving outcomes through local agency, in small steps if necessary, over the need to chase large funding, which includes the unavoidable ties to expansive reporting, analysis and hoop-jumping.
Jill Scanlon - WiAD Communications Director
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A massive thank you to our amazing speaker, Stav Zotalis. Thank you to all those who attended. You ensured this event was a success.
We hope to see you all again at our next series of events!