A Year of Travel, Service, and New Beginnings

The past year has been one of the most eventful of my life — taking me across four countries, through personal challenges, and into an entirely new chapter for my business.

It started in early 2025 when I travelled to the Philippines to explore expanding our Australian AI operations in Southeast Asia. While the business move ultimately wasn’t the right fit, the trip became something far more meaningful. I connected with fellow Rotarians across the region, starting with the Rotary Club of Manila — one of the oldest and most established clubs in Southeast Asia, with a proud history of community service across the Philippines. We exchanged flags, and it was a reminder of how Rotary connects us no matter where we are in the world.

The highlight of my time in the Philippines was Lubang Island. The Rotary Club of Lubang Island graciously facilitated my visit to join their Operation Tulong — a medical and dental mission running from 12–16 March 2025. Lubang’s club is remarkable for its heart and determination. Operating on a remote island with limited resources, their members punch well above their weight, organising large-scale community health missions that bring volunteer doctors, dentists, and support workers together to serve hundreds of locals. It was humbling to be part of it. During the visit, we also inspected the school toilet facility that was built with the support of Rotary Melbourne — seeing our club’s contribution in action, making a tangible difference to children’s daily lives, was a genuinely proud moment.

On the personal side, I also had to travel to Syria during the year to be with family through a health matter. It was a difficult and uncertain time, but I’m grateful that everything turned out well in the end.

With a clearer sense of direction, I shifted our business focus to the UAE, where there is a growing demand for sovereign AI — technology that keeps company data secure and under local ownership. We established our enterprise AI company in Abu Dhabi along side our Australian entity and have had some exciting early traction, particularly with an AI model we built for HR operations. I was also recently interviewed by Entrepreneur Middle East about the importance of ethical AI and governance, which sits at the core of our mission.

While in the UAE, I had the pleasure of visiting the Rotary Club of Dubai and exchanging flags on behalf of Rotary Melbourne. Dubai’s club is a vibrant, multicultural community that reflects the city itself — bringing together members from dozens of nationalities, all united by service. It was wonderful to represent our club there.

From Melbourne to Manila to Lubang to Dubai to Abu Dhabi — it’s been a year of service, resilience, and finding the right path forward.