As the chief executive of the WA Social Enterprise Council, Olivia Chapman spends a lot of time out and about representing WA’s social enterprise sector.
Whether she’s meeting with government, philanthropy, business or community leaders, the conversations she has help ensure social enterprises are visible in the rooms where decisions are made, opportunities are created and the future of the sector is shaped.
Join us for a look at what Olivia has been up to lately.
Olivia attended the launch of the FRRR (Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal)‘s new 2026–2028 Strategic Plan at the University of Western Australia. FRRR is Australia’s only national foundation dedicated solely to rural, regional and remote communities, connecting philanthropy, government and business funding with local needs.
At the strategy presentation, Olivia joined Kylie Hansen (on both the WASEC and FRRR Board) in a room full of WA’s community sector and philanthropy leaders, and said she admired the plan they had built:
“It was encouraging to see the plan centre the specific knowledge and social capital that regional and remote communities have built themselves, and a timely reminder that WA still lacks the dedicated social enterprise strategy that Queensland and Victoria have had for years.
The lack of a dedicated WA strategy is an issue Olivia and WASEC continues to advocate for.
Olivia was also at the recent Founders Factory pitch night, joining leaders from across government, including Innovation Minister, Stephen Dawson, and industry leaders, such as the CEO of Rio Tinto, to hear from some of WA’s emerging innovators. The event highlighted the growing collaboration between government, business and entrepreneurs to tackle some of the state’s biggest challenges.
Olivia said it was a valuable opportunity to connect with founders who are already delivering social impact through their businesses, as well as those who may not yet realise that the social enterprise model could help strengthen their mission.
“There are founders building businesses that create positive social and environmental outcomes, even if they don’t identify as social enterprises yet. Events like this are a great opportunity to support those founders, and share what’s possible through the social enterprise model.”
“Innovation doesn’t just happen in the startup sector. Social enterprises are constantly developing new ways to solve complex social and environmental challenges, so it’s important that our sector has a voice in these broader conversations about the future of WA.”
Closer to WASEC’s Fremantle office home, she loved being at the opening of RePatched in Fremantle by WASEC members St. Pat’s For All – a new retail store that’s community through and through. Congratulations Lyn Levy Michael Piu and team!
Surplus fabric donations are upcycled by volunteers into a sustainable fashion line – skirts, totes, hats – that is sold at the store, with all profits going back into St Pat’s programs to end homelessness.
“It was a genuinely beautiful example of a social enterprise doing exactly what it should. St Pat’s are solving two problems at once, waste diversion and employment pathways for people who need them most.”
The opening drew a huge crowd from the Freo community, including the mayor, and Olivia said she loved catching up with our WASEC Incubator graduates, members of the Circular Fashion Council. St Pat’s Stores is spread over three shops along Market Street and there is a donations depot at 8 Elder Place.
Staying responsive and connected to the people who know the sector best is at the heart of what WASEC does, so Olivia recently brought together some of WA’s most respected sector leaders to help shape the organisation’s direction and identify the greatest opportunities for growth.
Facilitated by Fiona Reeves from Impact Seed , the roundtable drew on the experience of Frank Mitchell Joni Sercombe Luke van der Beeke Andrew Davy Kathleen Burton , Emma Tomkinson and Sarah Brown .
Olivia said that sessions like this are part of how WASEC builds the evidence base to make sure government decisions about the sector actually reflect what the sector needs – not assumptions made from the outside.
“There was candour about the pace of change, but also a shared sense that momentum is building and that stronger alignment across the sector will help accelerate it.”
What does June hold? Olivia is deep in the nominations for the WA Social Enterprise Awards, one of the few dedicated opportunities to document and celebrate what WA social enterprises are actually achieving, at a time when the Government of Western Australia has no formal recognition of social enterprises of its own.
We’ll keep you posted.