Natasha Zimmerman with support from some amazing people in the Community room (not recorded)

A Community Zoom room focussed on deepening connections and meeting others, organised by Natasha Zimmerman from Unchatter. Natasha is an excellence enthusiast and leadership consultant with over a decade of experience in executive leadership and operations. She completed her PhD in organisational psychology at with a research focus on belongingness and connection in the workplace, and she loves finding the juicy intersection of science, humanism, and practical application. Natasha is also the founder and creative force behind Unchatter, an organisation focused on bringing meaningful connection to the world.

Melanie Mayell- Melanie Mayell is an award-winning author, artist and death-walker. She has been hosting the Christchurch Death Café since 2016, and heading the Death Matters Conference since 2019. Through her art, writing and photography she explores the universal themes of death and gratitude. These explorations often translate into workshops, conferences, exhibitions and other collaborations. Of her work, Melanie says, 'We seem to have such a fear of death and are reluctant to even discuss the subject. And yet maintaining an awareness of death has so many benefits, at the very least it can remind us of what is most important, each day, right now.’

Dr. Sarah Wright- Sarah Wright is an Associate Professor of organisational behaviour at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. At the heart of Sarah’s research and teaching is a focus on human relationships within groups and organisations, with a particular focus on workplace loneliness and relationship quality. Sarah has published in leading journals such as Human Relations, Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Business Ethics, and Harvard Business Review. She is a research advisor for Loneliness NZ, Ending Loneliness Together, and the Coalition to End Loneliness, a Fellow with the Higher Education Association, and a Director for the Management and Organizational Behaviour Teaching Society. 

Dr. Jamie Prout- Jamie lives in Ōtepoti Dunedin with his partner and baby. He loves connecting with people, making music, and being in nature. Jamie has a PhD in Physiology, and he investigates how we adapt to extreme environments, such as heat, cold, and stress, with the aim of improving human health and fitness. He has a desire to help people heal and grow using the great outdoors.

Stephanie Defregger- Stephanie Defregger is a soul photographer, soul whisperer and self care ambassador. She sees the essence and beauty in people, events and places and puts those into photographs. She also helps people to reconnect to their heart and soul and shows them a gentle way to be more their authentic self

Listen to Natasha’s Seeds Podcast episode here.