In this episode of She Who Dares, I sit down with systems thinker, changemaker, and unapologetic visionary Irene Portelli — founder of We Made It and leader behind the FNQ Circular Economy. What starts as a conversation about sustainability evolves into a deep, thought-provoking exploration of courage, community, and redefining what progress really looks like.

Irene shares how her upbringing and lived experience shaped her drive to create real-world solutions that bring people together — from circular economy models and upskilling programs to co-ops that give women economic freedom and purpose. We talk about everything from the love economy to neurodivergent innovation, trauma-informed community building, and why it’s time to reconnect with the systems that sustain us.

You’ll hear about:

• The love economy — and how connection can rebuild what capitalism broke

• Circular systems that turn waste into opportunity and restore dignity through meaningful work

• We Made It — a social enterprise training women to build and project-manage tiny homesto help deliver and maintain a waste to energy micro factory

• The brilliance of neurodivergent minds in solving complex environmental and social challenges

• Why choosing one thing is often the most powerful place to start

This episode is rich with insight, heart, and action. Irene’s mind moves at lightning speed, and her ideas spark genuine hope for what’s possible when we design for people, not profit.

🎧 Listen in — buy the t-shirt — because community really is everything.

Buy the t-shirt here:

https://wemadeit.com.au/shop/page/3/

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