“ Our purpose is about getting communities to thrive ”— DONNA SHEPHERD

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for many small businesses, but for Creating Communities managing director Donna Shepherd, the prospect of economic collapse has helped crystallise what her enterprise is all about.

In the latest instalment of Creating Communities’ Stronger Together series of video conversations, Donna discusses her approach of dealing with a problem by flipping it on its head, and using a crisis to look for an opportunity.

A pandemic response that cancels all public gatherings and puts everyone in isolation could spell disaster for a business that is all about bringing people together, but it quickly became apparent that CCA’s clients needed help in finding solutions to getting through the crisis.

“That’s where the amazing opportunity is … our purpose is about getting communities to thrive, and helping individuals in those communities to do well,” she says. “And you don’t need to be in the same room to do that.”

And she says people across the world have responded the pandemic in the same way, by defying the odds and finding creative and inspiring ways to continue to come together and support each other.

Donna Shepherd is managing director of Creating Communities. She chairs World Vision International and is a non-executive director of World Vision Australia.

This interview is part of Creating Communities’ series of video conversations with prominent Australians offering insights and wisdom on coping with the challenges this pandemic presents for all of us. It is a key part of our “Stronger Together” approach to the COVID-19 crisis as we work to bring people and communities together to help each other through this testing time.