Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast with Renae Hanvin

In this episode of Doing Disasters Differently,  Renae talks with Professor Daniel Aldrich, a full professor at Northeastern University. They explore the groundbreaking development of a national framework for measuring social capital and social infrastructure in Australia, featuring insights from Professor Daniel Aldrich. Discover how these tools can transform community resilience, disaster preparedness, and everyday social cohesion.

In this episode, I'm talking with Tony Pearce about Tony's Trek.Tony shares his inspiring journey of raising awareness for mental health in emergency services through daring treks, including walking from Melbourne to Brisbane, Everest Base Camp, and paddling the Murray River. Discover how community engagement, early intervention, and systemic change can improve mental health support for responders and their families.

In this episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is joined by John de Rooy, a respected business and community leader with a strong background in regional development and business chambers. A leader of the Malanda Chamber of Commerce in Far North Queensland, he’s spent years helping local businesses stay connected, supported, and resilient - especially in times of disruption.This episode explores the vital role of business chambers in regional communities, highlighting how they foster resilience, support local businesses, and collaborate with emergency services to prepare for and recover from disasters. John de Rooy shares practical insights from Malanda, North Queensland, demonstrating the power of community-driven initiatives.

In this episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is joined by Dave Owens, an experienced emergency manager and former police officer who now works with governments and organisations to strengthen risk and crisis leadership. Drawing on more than three decades of experience across emergency management, Dave shares why traditional leadership approaches often fall short in complex and uncertain disaster environments. The conversation explores the shift from tactical response to strategic thinking, and why leaders need new skills to navigate increasingly frequent and compounding disasters. 

In this week's episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is joined by David Younger, a clinical psychologist and consultant to governments and communities who is deeply passionate about stress and wellbeing when it comes to before, during and after disasters. David especially recognises the double impact that business people have and how important everyday self-care is so you can thrive through the unexpected challenges. 

In this episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is joined by David Sanderson, the Inaugural Judith Neilson Professor of Architecture at UNSW, and Founder and lead of HowWeSurvive. With a true passion for disaster resilience and recovery, David talks about the importance of letting recovery be led by the social fabric of the community. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is joined by Mark Duckworth, Associate Director at the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies (CRIS) and Senior Research Fellow at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation at Deakin University, with more than 30 years’ experience in senior public sector and resilience roles, including contributing to the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience (2011). Together, they explore whether governments truly trust communities, unpacking the role of trust, social capital and social infrastructure in disaster resilience, and why resilience must be built with communities, not delivered to them.

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is joined by Leanne Schmidt, Manager Emergency Support at the Local Government Association of South Australia. With decades of experience across SES and fire services, Leanne shares insights into South Australia’s emergency management approach and the vital role of local government in building community resilience. 

In this special 40th episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae reflects on standout conversations from the last ten episodes with thought leaders in disaster resilience.  Renae highlights the growing momentum around social capital, the importance of shared responsibility, and how Resilient Ready is translating policy and research into action for communities and small businesses across Australia. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently Renae chats with Dr Briony Towers, founder of Leadrrr and expert in child-centered disaster risk management. They explore the role of schools in building social capital and how empowering children and youth can drive real change in disaster resilience. From bushfire education to youth-led initiatives, Briony shares how schools can be true hubs of preparedness and community strength. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is joined by Joe Buffone, Deputy Coordinator General at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). With over 40 years in security and disaster management, Joe has played a key role in emergency response across Australia and internationally. Today, we explore his journey—from the Country Fire Authority (CFA) to leading efforts in disaster resilience—along with the National Emergency Management Stockpile (NEMS) and how it ensures communities have access to critical resources during crises. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is joined by the Hon Bruce Billson, Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO), a tireless advocate for small businesses across the country. Today, we are exploring Bruce’s journey—from launching his own advisory business to his leadership in fostering resilience and growth for Australia’s small business sector. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is talking with Professor Paul Arbon AM, a distinguished leader in emergency and disaster resilience and Director of the Torrens Resilience Initiative at Flinders University.Today, we are diving into resilience in South Australia’s grape and wine sector. With decades of experience as a researcher, academic, and organisational leader—including roles as Chief Commissioner of St John Ambulance Australia and President of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine—Professor Arbon brings a wealth of knowledge on how industries can adapt and thrive in the face of challenges.

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is talking with Kruthika Nagananda, a passionate advocate for resilience who moved from India to Australia to pursue her dream of strengthening communities in times of crisis. Today, we are talking about Kruthika’s journey, from completing her Master’s in Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development at the University of Newcastle to her work in disaster risk reduction at the Walcha Council and now with the Australian Red Cross in the Urban Climate Resilience Program. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is talking with Fiona Jago, a former dairy farmer and small business owner with deep roots in regional Victoria. Fiona and her husband, Mark, made a bold move to purchase and run a caravan park on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, where they became active community members. However, the devastating 2019-2020 bushfires profoundly impacted their lives, prompting three years of rebuilding. Eventually, they decided to sell and return to regional Victoria to be closer to family. Now, as a lived experience facilitator with Resilient Ready, Fiona travels across Australia, sharing her resilience journey and helping other small business owners navigate challenges. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is talking with Johanna Garnett who is the Manager of Disaster Resilience & Risk Reduction at the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission (SAFECOM). Today we are talking about building cultural heritage resilience. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is talking with Dr Val Ingham who is the Associate Professor, Emergency Management at Charles Sturt University. Today we are talking about Indicators of Community Disaster Fatigue. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, Renae is talking with Professor Daniel Aldrich, Director of the resilience and security studies program at Northeastern University in the USA who’s also a volunteer advisory member of Resilient Ready and project delivery partner. Today we are talking about bringing social capital and social infrastructure measurement to Australia. 

In this episode, Renae reflects on the increasing complexity of disasters in Australia, from bushfires and floods to smaller disruptions like power outages and staffing shortages. She emphasises the critical role small businesses play in community resilience, noting that "if small businesses get impacted, it actually affects the whole community." Renae discusses the development of the Business Community Resilience toolkit, a microlearning program focused on disaster preparedness, which uses nudge theory to help businesses become more resilient. This approach has been implemented across various regions and industries, including collaborations with the CFA in Victoria and the South Australian government. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, I sat down with David Parsons, crisis management expert, and volunteer advisor and delivery partner at Resilient Ready and today we are talking about safeguarding livelihoods and services after disasters. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently, I sat down with Tracy Collier, GM of Strategy and Programs for the Thriving Communities Partnership and today we are talking about building thriving communities. 

In this week’s episode of Doing Disasters Differently the Podcast, I sit down with Jenn Donovan from Spend with us and we are discussing ‘Getting Australia to Buy from the Bush’. 

Today Renae sits down with Bridget Tehan, the Senior Policy Advisor at the Victorian Council of Social Services, also called VCOSS. We are sitting down to discuss the role of community organisations in disasters.Bridget has worked for more than 10 years in emergency management in both the government and not-for-profit sectors. Bridget is currently a senior policy advisor at the Victorian Council of Social Services and works to highlight the role of the community sector in building resilience and to explore the role of the sector in emergency management. Bridget also works to highlight the needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged people before, during and after emergencies as well as their needs in the mitigation, transition and adaptation to climate change. Bridget is also the co-founder and President of the Australasian Women in Emergencies Network (AWEN).Links:VCOSS Perspectives from the frontline reportConnect with Bridget on LinkedIn

In the twenty-fivth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, Renae Hanvin will be talking with Tony Pearce, Victoria’s first Inspector-General for Emergency Management (IGEM). He shares with us how this role was created and how it is impacting the Victorian community as we continue to see a rise in disasters in our country. 

In the twenty-fourth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, Renae Hanvin will be talking with  Lawrence Atkinson from BusinessBM and we are discussing ‘Business networks build resilience’. C2C and BusinessBM have teamed up and today we will discuss the changes we are hoping to see in the Blue Mountains region in New South Wales. 

In the twenty-third episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, Renae Hanvin will be talking with Natalie Egleton, CEO of the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR). She was appointed CEO of the FRRR in November 2015, after joining the organisation in 2012, and she's responsible for shaping the FRRR’s strategy, designing new programs and developing and nurturing new funding partnerships. 

In the twenty-second episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, Renae Hanvin will be talking with James Ritchie, the Director of Thamani and Principal Consultant with our C2C collective. He is currently located in Germany and has just come out of a 200-day lockdown and will share with us his thoughts. 

In the twenty-first episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, Renae Hanvin will be talking with Amanda Leck, the Executive Director of the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, also known as AIDR , where she leads a program of work on behalf of the Commonwealth Government through the Department of Home Affairs - Emergency Management Australia to support a disaster resilient Australia. I’m so excited to have Amanda on the show as she shares her wisdom on how we can all have an impact on the future of disaster resilience in Australia.

In the twentieth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, she will be reflecting on some of the conversations we’ve had. Renae set up corporate2community and this Doing Disasters Differently podcast because we need to start thinking differently and doing things differently before, during, and after all types of disasters. 2020 and 2021 have shown us that disasters are the new future - it's now normal and just the way that we're now living. Renae will reflect on recent conversations and discuss the largest issues facing the disaster recovery space in Australia. 

In this episode, I'm talking with Susan Gray. She's the president of the Tilba District Chamber of Commerce in the southern region of New South Wales, and the owner of the main pub in Tilba. We're talking about a business owner hit by disaster. So, a little bit about Susan. Susan and her husband bought the Dromedary Hotel in Central Tilba almost exactly three years ago. Susan spent around half the year travelling around the world for work. Prior to being an airport consultant, Susan was a journalist and editor and then a corporate communications and business development director with a major global food operator. While her partner was the CEO of a global media business. They both have a lot of business experience, and the pub that they now own is managed by family and trusted locals. Susan's originally from the UK and her partner is from Wollongong but his dad grew up in Tuross Head on the south coast of New South Wales so they knew the area a little bit before they bought the pub.

In the sixteenth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, she will be chatting to Mark Duckworth, Senior Research Fellow at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation at Deakin University working in the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies (CRIS).

In the seventeenth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin.Renae is the founder of certified social enterprise corporate2community which focuses on building resilience in businesses, communities and governments before, during and after disasters.  Today she will be chatting to Hayley Hardy, the Marketing Manager from the East Gippsland Marketing Inc. and, we're talking about a Winter Festival of Community Resilience. 

In the sixteenth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, she will be chatting to Terry Campese Community Recovery Officer at the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council.

In the fifteenth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, she will be chatting to Daniel Aldrich,  Professor and Director of the Resilience and Security Studies Program at Northeastern University, USA. 

In the fourteenth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, she will be chatting to Brooks Nelson, Senior Director Global Resilience US Chamber of Commerce Foundation about leading America's private sector to make a difference.

In the thirteenth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, she will be chatting to Rachel Lopes and Emma Ashton about the Fire and Rain Conversation Series.

In the twelfth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, she will be chatting to Kate Sutton, Director of the Humanitarian Advisory Group (HAG) about a humanitarian aid perspective in disasters.

In the eleventh episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, she will be chatting to Miriam Lumb, Manager of Policy and Strategy and Sue Gould, Program Manager Disaster Resilience from the Emergency Management Office at the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission (SAFECOM) about state-wide disaster resilience the SA-way.

In the tenth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, she will be reflecting on what she has learnt and the key themes coming through from her conversations to-date.

In the ninth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, she will be chatting to W. Craig Fugate, Chief Emergency Management Officer, One Concern and former FEMA Administrator (2009-2017) about the Waffle House Index.

In the eighth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, she will be chatting to Jennifer Gray Thompson, Executive Director - Rebuild North Bay Foundation in California, USA about recovering, rebuilding and reimagining post Californian wildfires.

In the seventh episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, she will be chatting to Dr Margaret Moreton, Principal of Leva Consulting, about a new era of community engagement and community resilience.

In the sixth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, she will be chatting to Chris Quin, Director of Resilient Projects about the new era of infrastructure resilience.

In the fifth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, she will be chatting to John Blackburn, Board Chair of the Institute for Integrated Economic Research - Australia, about Doing Disasters Differently by changing the disaster language to ‘Our Preparedness and Resilience’.

In the fourth episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, she will be chatting to Anna Dear, Public Affairs & Sustainability Manager at Coca-Cola South Pacific, about Doing Disasters Differently when it comes to how unprecedented disasters provide new ways for corporate giving.

In the third episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, she will be chatting to Jodie Willmer who founded Happy Changemakers, about Doing Disasters Differently when it comes to Governance – an important element to think about in the before, during and after stages of disasters. Along with the benefits of building local governance capabilities to support community-led recovery and resilience.

In the second episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, we will be chatting to James Ritchie, Director of Thamani who is a Principal Consultant with our C2C collective, about Doing Disasters Differently by adding all-hazards resilience to the CEO’s agenda. Now is the time for CEOs to embrace the opportunities associated with current and future disasters.

Let’s face it our future will be one with more natural and unnatural disasters - whether we want them or not, they are here to stay.In this first episode of Doing Disasters Differently: The Podcast, hosted by corporate2community founder and disaster resilience specialist Renae Hanvin, brings you informal conversations with global and local leaders in emergency management and disaster resilience across government, corporate, small business, non-profit and community stakeholders.Perfect for building your understanding and disaster-related toolkit, there’s no doubt you’ll be inspired to start doing disasters differently today.