Gowri Penkar brings over 25 years of global experience in service design, strategic design, and research across the tech, fintech, digital marketplace, and consultancy sectors. She holds a Master’s in Design Futures from RMIT, with a research focus on Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) leadership and CoDesign.

A passionate advocate for inclusive leadership, Gowri is committed to mentoring and developing self-leadership—particularly within CALD communities—to help them thrive in Australian work environments. In her corporate role as a design leader, she fosters growth in others as both practitioners and people, a philosophy that deeply aligns with IBY Vision Foundation’s mission.

Gowri’s involvement in IBY reflects her personal commitment to elevating CALD voices and shaping systems that embrace diverse ways of being and doing. She contributes deep insight into CALD leadership, drawing on her expertise in design, systems thinking, organisational performance, and leadership development.