Dr Melina Georgousakis is an academic, social entrepreneur and governance-experienced leader with over a decade of experience across the Australian health and medical research ecosystem.

 

Melina’s experience spans research, policy, philanthropy and entrepreneurship, giving her a strong understanding of how ideas are funded, scaled and connected with government and community priorities. Her work has focused on strengthening workforce capability, driven by a commitment to building an ecosystem that values diverse experiences and perspectives which enables innovation and impact.

 

She is the Founder and former Director of Franklin Women, a national social enterprise advancing women’s representation and participation across the health and medical research ecosystem. Under her leadership, the organisation grew from a volunteer initiative to a credible and impactful social enterprise supporting more than 1,000 members and partnering with 27 organisations in a shared mission to drive systemic change.

 

Melina holds a PhD and a Master of Public Health and has completed the McKinsey Executive Leadership Program. She has served as a judge for the Australian Museum Eureka Awards and the Australian Technologies Competition, and her work has been recognised through awards including the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers, ProBono Australia’s Impact 25, and the Women’s Agenda Leadership Award.