At the Ignite event on 5 September at the Berry School of Arts, every speaker gave us something to think about. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing highlights from each presentation. You can find the presentations as they are published here.

Ashleigh McGuire’s story was one that moved the room. She spoke with honesty about growing up with dyslexia and sensory issues, struggling to make sense of a world that felt too bright, too loud, and not built for her. Later, as a teenage mother navigating trauma and the aftermath of domestic violence, life felt like a series of battles stacked against her.

“Innovation comes from lived experience, from people who have been told no their entire lives.”

But where others saw limitation, Ashleigh found imagination. She described how, in quiet moments holding her children, she began to picture a different life, one where they had security, independence, and a future they could be proud of.

Imagination was not escapism. For her, it was resilience. It was the spark that helped her reimagine her story and chart a way forward.

“Your imagination is the most powerful asset you have. It is the compass that will guide you and the forge where your innovation will be born.”

From that spark came innovation. Ashleigh built a social enterprise that connects Aboriginal culture and skills with business markets, proving that heritage and creativity can be powerful economic engines. She taught herself the language of business, from grant writing to tender applications, and when the obstacles piled up, she returned to imagination to find a way through.

Her message was clear and deeply inspiring: innovation does not only come from labs, boardrooms, or textbooks. It often comes from lived experience, from those who have been told “no” their whole lives, and from mothers who refuse to give up.

“Imagination was not a distraction. It was my deepest form of resilience.”

Ashleigh’s journey from imagination to innovation is more than a business success. It is a reminder that the future can be reshaped when we dare to see it differently. And it is proof that the stories we write for ourselves can be stronger than the ones the world tries to write for us.

“I refused to read their script. I imagined a different one.”

📸 Images used in this post are for commentary and community storytelling. Credits belong to the original photographers and sources. Please contact me if you would like an image credited differently or removed.

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