Our Patron

Alicia Curtis

Girl Guides WA is honoured to have as its Patron Alicia Curtis, one of Western Australia’s most inspiring social and business entrepreneurs, an award winning speaker, leadership facilitator and community change maker. Living the life of a revolutionary has always come naturally for Alicia. Her leadership journey started at 12 years old, attending the first International Children’s Conference organised by the United Nations and then co-founding her own children’s conference in Perth.

Alicia was keen to get involved with us because she believes that Girl Guides WA is doing incredibly important work - empowering girls to find their voice, be proactive in their community and develop their leadership skills. Alicia says, "I'm excited and inspired by the vision of GGWA. I love that GGWA wants its diverse young members to drive the future direction of the organisation. It's also a global organisation activated locally, which is powerful! It's a huge privilege to accept this role and lend my support to GGWA."

With a knack for inspiring crowds and empowering people to discover their own potential to be leaders, Alicia established her leadership development company, Alyceum, in 2001. Her presentations and programs have received many awards for challenging the stereotypes of who can be leaders and the difference they can make. She is also co-author of the book, Difference Makers: A Leader's Guide to Championing Diversity on Boards.

Alicia has a Masters in Business Leadership and was inducted into the WA Women's Hall of Fame in 2020, named EY's Social Entrepreneur of the Year for the Western region in 2018, and named in the Westpac and Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence List across Australia in 2014. Alicia continues pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. She is the co-founder and inaugural board chair of a women’s giving circle called 100 Women which inspires everyday people to become powerful  philanthropists.

Alicia is passionately driven by her purpose to ignite leaders to transform the world for the better - whether that be in the workplace or broader community. She has this tip for girls who want to be leaders: "Start today! For me, true leadership is born from a strong desire to make the world a better place in some way. So start exploring your local community and how you can contribute your best strengths and talents. When you're young, it's a great opportunity to try new and different experiences, whether it's volunteering, dancing, camping or speaking in front of a group. Just give it a go!"