- Alexandra Whitwam - Youth and Community Engagement Senior Manager, Telstra Foundation
We’re really excited to introduce Ash, who’s stepping into our brand‑new Young Person‑in‑Residence role at the Telstra Foundation.
This role is all about making sure young people’s voices, experiences and ideas help shape the work we do, especially when it comes to technology, digital inclusion and online wellbeing. Instead of adults guessing what young people need, we’re building space for young people to be part of the conversation from the inside.
What’s this role all about?
Our Young Person‑in‑Residence works alongside the Telstra Foundation team to bring real‑world youth perspectives into our projects, research and strategy. That includes contributing ideas, asking hard questions, sharing lived experience and helping us design work that actually makes sense to young people.
It’s also a learning and development opportunity. The role is paid, flexible, and designed to grow alongside Ash’s interests and strengths, including research, insight and storytelling.
Ash’s first official role: representing us at MWC Barcelona!
Ash is jumping straight into the role, with her first official duty being to represent the Telstra Foundation at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. MWC is one of the world’s largest global gatherings focused on technology, connectivity and the future of digital life.
As part of this, Ash has been invited to participate in the GSMA Ministerial Programme, which runs alongside MWC. The Ministerial Programme is an invitation‑only global forum that brings together government ministers, regulators, industry leaders and international organisations to discuss how technology and connectivity shape society, and how decisions made today affect people’s lives tomorrow.
Being included in the Ministerial Programme is a real honour, and it means youth perspectives will be part of conversations that are very often led by senior decision‑makers from around the world.
“It feels pretty surreal that one of my first things in this role is heading to MWC and being part of the Ministerial Programme,” Ash says.
“I’m excited to bring youth perspectives into those conversations and make sure young people’s experiences are considered in how decisions about technology get made.”
About Ash
Ash brings a strong interest in how technology shapes young people’s lives, wellbeing and opportunities. She’s particularly keen to explore the research and insight work the Telstra Foundation does – understanding what the data tells us, what young people are really experiencing, and how those insights can turn into action.
“I’m really excited to step into this role and be part of the work the Telstra Foundation is doing,” Ash says.
“I’m especially keen to explore the research side — digging into the insights and helping turn them into something that actually makes a difference for young people.”
Why this matters
Technology plays a huge role in young people’s lives, for learning, connection, creativity, wellbeing and even for fun. By creating a Young Person‑in‑Residence role, and supporting youth representation, we’re committing to listening more closely and making sure young people’s voices help shape the future of tech.
We’re so glad to have Ash on board and we can’t wait to see where this journey takes her, starting in Barcelona!
