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Amplifying Diverse Voices Is At The Heart Of The Peers Project's Mission

"I saw that I was often the only woman of colour in the room, and it has become my mission to change that" - by Grace Back
  • 23 Jul 2020
Amplifying Diverse Voices Is At The Heart Of The Peers Project's Mission

While the conversation of diversity in media has arguably been front and centre now more so than ever, Michelle Akhidenor has had that mission for years. Founding The Peers Project, an Australian podcast producing agency championing diversity, Akhidenor has set out to help brands spark conversations in ways that are "less vacuous flop and more creative genius", with the aim to reflect the diversity we actually see in the everyday world. 

Stumbling across the Forbes '30 Under 30' list, Akhidenor was inspired by the people who were making real differences in the world. "I wanted to capture these people," she tells marie claire Australia. 

And so she did, leaving her role in corporate finance to travel - from New York to London - interviewing and producing her own podcast series. In 2017, Akhidenor decided to solely focus on her business and The Peers Project was born and has since gone on to produce series for Australian brands such as ModiBodi and Forever New (which Akhidenor happens to host herself). 

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What a week it's been, peers. When it comes to the end of financial year, we always push ourselves to another level... ⠀ ⠀ Looking back on this last fin year, I can't help but feel so proud of the team and what we've achieved. This time last year, we had just rebranded the company and launched the Agency. And although I had a really good feeling about how things would turn out for us, I remember being so nervous and wondering if we could really do it. ⠀ ⠀ But of course, when you're working with the smartest minds and dedicated people who are genuinely committed to their craft, how could you not win. I'm the first person to say that I am nothing without my team. Every win is a win that we created together, and I feel so grateful and honoured to be able to lead such an incredible group of people every single day.⠀ ⠀ To the incredible @thepeersproject team: WELL DONE. We've all grown so much over this last fin year. I am so f*king proud of each and every one of you for always giving it your all, for constantly stepping up and doing whatever is necessary to achieve our big goals. I appreciate you all more than you will ever know (I've literally started crying as I write this...) and I thank you for believing in my vision, for sticking with me when things get really tough and for always overdelivering and overperforming. I know I demand a lot from you and that sometimes, I'm not the easiest person to work with. But I hope you all know that I do NOT take you for granted, I am always learning so much from you and that in many ways, I feel like you're leading me.⠀ ⠀ I love you all and you make me so proud. Here's to another amazingly successful year at The Peers Project. #BestTeam #Grateful #EOFY 📸: @farleyflex

Unforgettable Moments, Forever New's podcast, looks at defining moments in women's lives and how they shaped who they are. It's featured interviews with inspiring Australian women, including ballerina Isobelle Dashwood and Little Dreamers Australia founder Madeleine Buchner. 

The Red Tales, ModiBodi's series, hosts candid, "too-honest" stories about the awkward teenage years - and bodies. In its episodes, brave Aussie women chat to host Sasha Meany about the stuff no one dares to share, hoping to make the lives of fellow young teens a little easier. 

"I think what I realise is going into the media world, coming from corporate finance, I saw that I was often the only woman of colour in the room," Akhidenor says. "There were lots of women in the space but just no women of colour. When I was in meetings to pitch, I was always in the back of my head like, 'Wow, I'm really the only one here. What is going on?'"

Using that as her focus, the company now works to push the narrative of diversity. "That now has really become my mission to change that and this is what we're all about. Encouraging the brands we work with to actually showcase diverse stories and diverse voices. Because in my personal experience, and, obviously, everything that's come to light now it's just so phenomenal that finally, this is becoming a focus." 

"The mission behind our business now is just to keep fueling that," she adds. 

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It's no secret that life can be messy. But to make the most of it, we need to embrace the chaos. ⠀ ⠀ In the next episode of the Peers2Peers podcast, Kim Pham (@Kim_TPham) reveals how we can navigate stressful times, the struggles of starting her company, and what we can learn from pursuing a complicated path. Kim Pham is the Co-founder of @OmSom and a 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 listee. Link in bio.

On top of producing and guiding brands in the podcasting world, The Peers Project's namesake podcast series, Peers2Peers, hosts conversations with some of the world's most impressive millennial entrepreneurs. Interviews have included Kim Pham, the co-founder of OmSom, and Will Fan, the co-founder and CEO of New Campus. 

And while even Akhidenor admits she and her team are attempting to tackle something "huge", the change is worth it. "For us, I think it's just we couldn't imagine not doing it and really giving it a crack." 

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Grace Back
Grace Back
Grace Back is a journalist and was formerly the Digital Culture Editor across ELLE and marie claire Australia. When not stuck in a seemingly endless Instagram scroll, you'll find Grace with her head in a good book.

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