Karen Mahlab, AM , is an Australian businesswoman, philanthropist, and social entrepreneur whose work has focused on developing infrastructure and communication channels within Australia's charity and media fields. She is known for founding Pro Bono Australia, a media organisation serving the Australian civil society sector. [1] Mahlab has also co-founded social enterprises focused on connecting communities, non-profit organisations, volunteers, philanthropic groups, and businesses. [2]
Mahlab attended Presbyterian Ladies College, graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Economics (BEc), and holds certifications in Yoga Teacher Training, Reiki, and Soul-Centred Psychotherapy. [3]
Mahlab was the CEO and Founder of Pro Bono Australia, Australia's first online social sector publisher. [4] Established in 2000, Pro Bono Australia operated as an online information hub serving Australia's community and non-profit sectors until 2023. [5] The platform provided news coverage of sector developments, a job board for non-profit positions, information about charitable organizations and their services, details on corporate community initiatives, and links to volunteering opportunities. [6]
Mahlab has also co-founded several social enterprise and philanthropic startups, including The Public Interest Journalism Initiative, which conducts research into how to make Australian public interest journalism sustainable; [7] PS Media, a collaborative local media service that co-creates the news with the communities it serves; [8] and the MacroMelbourne Initiative, a Melbourne Community Foundation project researching socioeconomic disadvantage. [9]
As a volunteer, Mahlab has served in numerous leadership and governance positions across philanthropic, cultural, and social justice organizations. [10] She has been Chair of the Australian Art Orchestra since 2016 and of Victoria University's Sir Zelman Cowen Centre since 2019. Her previous board memberships include the Reichstein Foundation (2015-2019), Ten20 Foundation (2014), Jewish Aid Australia (2008-2012), and the National Council of Jewish Women Foundation Victoria (2007-2015). Mahlab was a long-term board member (2002-2012) and later Ambassador (2012-present) for the Australian Communities Foundation, where she initiated and chaired the MacroMelbourne Initiative (2006-2011), which directed over $2 million to projects addressing urban disadvantage. [11]
In 2012, Mahlab was named one of Australia's top 100 Women of Influence by the Australian Financial Review newspaper. [12]
In 2015, she was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for her contributions to the not-for-profit sector and philanthropic initiatives. [13]
In 2016, Mahlab was one of 29 Victorian finalists in the Telstra Business Women's Awards in the category of Social Purpose Businesses. [14]
In 2017, she was appointed Chair of the Advisory Committee of Swinburne University of Technology’s Social Innovation Research Institute, [15] which partners with communities, industries, and not-for-profit organizations to create solutions to complex social problems. [16]
In 2019, she was named Chair of Victoria University's Sir Zelman Cowen Centre, which provides specialized legal training and education while promoting social cohesion through community engagement programs. [17]