Social impact shaping career, community for MBA grad
Studying while settling her premmie babies and on early morning runs, and through pandemic chaos and tough interest rate hikes, Sunshine Coast entrepreneur and social impact advocate Elisa Monagle knows what it means to persevere.
After more than five years balancing family life, a start-up, and big career goals, completing her CQUniversity Master of Business Administration (Leadership) is opening new doors.
The Alexandra Headland resident began the hyperflexible and fully online MBA while working as a communications executive in the not-for-profit sector.
“I loved that role, and communications is so central to any business: but I wanted to be shaping organisational strategy, and building communications into every stage of strategy development,” she explained.
Now, Elisa says the unique qualification has transformed how her career is making a difference.
Tenacity tuning in
Elisa began her MBA as she and her partner started growing their young family.
Their two sons were born prematurely, the eldest three months early, and the second nine weeks early.
“It was a lot of time in hospitals, and then the study just had to fit around the edges – doing my reading as I patted them to sleep, or listening to an innovation podcast on a run, or watching a video lesson while I cooked dinner,” she said.
She also juggled the launch of her start-up business Story Consulting, then had tough decisions to make as soaring interest rates hit.
“At one point, our mortgage repayments had gone up thousands per month, and I had to be earning a wage,” she explained.
“It was so hard to have to pause my studies, but my lecturers at CQUniversity were really understanding.”
The dream of completing the MBA didn’t disappear though: "When things settled down, I decided I was going to pull my socks up and get it done," she said.
“That was invaluable for building my business – every assignment I worked on, I was targeting on an aspect of the business, and I could put it straight into practice.”
Today, Elisa combines several leadership and advisory roles across the social impact sector.
She continues to lead Story Consulting, serves as a director of Sustain: The Australian Food Network, and is a Strategy and Innovation Advisor for a not-for-profit.
The busy changemaker is also developing Change Traders, a venture designed to help businesses align environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals with meaningful community impact, and supporting not-for-profit organisations to attract funding and partnerships.
She credits the MBA's practical learning approach with helping her apply new skills directly to real-world challenges.
Unlocking influence
Since earning her MBA, Elisa has been selected for a social impact fellowship with Social Ventures Australia, and has started a new role as a strategy and innovation advisor.
She’s also set to earn her Graduate Certificate in Social Innovation Leadership at CQU. The impact-focused course reflects CQU’s commitment to changemaker education and reinforces its position as Australia’s only social enterprise university.
MBA (Leadership) Head of Course Dr Anja Pabel says Elisa has gained more than management skills.
“The MBA (Leadership) is designed to help students see differently, to recognise opportunities, connect ideas and create value where others may only see problems,” Dr Pabel explained.
“Elisa started on that path when she chose to grow her career into business strategy – and everything she’s achieved shows how students can develop a mindset of curiosity, opportunity recognition, and social impact.”
Explore your opportunities with CQUniversity’s Master of Business Administration (Leadership).
