Economics graduate and social entrepreneur Mikhara Ramsing has been recognised for her outstanding commitment to serving others in the 2021 UQ Alumni Awards
Meet Mikhara Ramsing
Distinguished Young Alumni Award for outstanding commitment to serving others
Mikhara Ramsing is the founder of Miks Chai, a social enterprise that funds suicide prevention through sales of chai tea, and Ethnic LGBT+, a national resource platform for culturally and linguistically diverse LGTBIQA+ communities. She was Young Australian of the Year QLD Finalist 2019, one of Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Women of Influence 2019, and a Westpac Social Change Fellow, 1 of 10 Australians chosen to invest in to grow as a community leader in 2018.
Thank you, Nana
My grandfather (my Nana) was my inspiration to become a social entrepreneur. Growing up as a fifth generation South African Indian, I saw my Nana use business during the apartheid era as a tool to provide scholarships to attend university for those who weren’t able to access it. I knew growing up, I wanted to do the same. I even did a Tedx Talk at UQ on my Nana’s impact on my life.
How did you get to where you are?
I loved my economics degree at UQ, particularly the subjects that pushed us to think about the social and political impacts of different economic models. I met like-minded peers in these classes and a group of us started Queensland’s first youth-led and focused social enterprise conference – IMPACT – that inspired 300 young people into social enterprise where they can then use business as a tool for social impact.
What are you most proud of?
Creating the representation I need as a young queer woman of colour through my not-for-profit networking organisation: ethnicplus.org
Favourite quote
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou
Related links
- Meet UQ Alumni Awards winners for 2021 across all faculties
- Find out more about TEDxUQ and how you can get involved
- LGBTIQA+ UQ students can get support and more from the UQ Queer Collective.
