SSI CEO, Violet Roumeliotis, recognised early the need for a unique approach to supporting refugee entrepreneurship. Her extensive knowledge, experience and leadership of large not-for-profit organisations providing services to CALD and refugee communities, and a fortuitous meeting with Dr Ernesto Sirolli, provided the catalyst for the creation of Ignite Small Business Start Ups.

Violet Roumeliotis AM is a social entrepreneur who champions the strengths of our diverse communities and is committed to take a leadership and pioneering role to elevate reconciliation. Through her C-suite and board roles, Violet uses innovation and collective impact to promote social justice and inclusion.

Violet is committed to achieving equity, and advancing diversity and inclusion in all forms. In 2020, she was made a member of the Order of Australia for outstanding service to the community. Violet is also a former Telstra Australia Business Woman of the Year, has been named one of AFR’s Top 100 Women of Influence for 2018 in the category of Diversity & Inclusion, In Style Magazine’s Community Champion, and was awarded the title of Community Fellow from Western Sydney University for outstanding service to the community.

Violet sits on the board of the Australian Council of Social Service as the Deputy President and sits on the NSW Domestic and Family Violence and Sexual Assault Council. Her other appointments include Deputy Chair for the SBS Community Advisory Committee, she sits on the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Expert Advisory Group for the ‘Racism. It Stops With Me’ campaign, the NSW Council for Women’s Economic Empowerment, teh University of Sydney’s Open Society, Common Purpose taskforce, the Leadership Council on Cultural Diversity, the UTS Business MBA Advisory Group, the Council on Economic Participation for Refugees, the International Metropolis Steering Committee, the Australian Defence Force’s Chiefs of Service Committee’s diversity and inclusion panel, and the NSW Government’s join partnership working group overseeing refugee resettlement.

“My parents instilled in me a deep belief that every person should have the right to meet their full potential, to live the life they want to live, and to be treated fairly and with dignity.” –Violet Roumeliotis, October 2018