The following is an extract from Telstra’s 2022 Brilliant Connected Women in Digital Health Award Report

Miroma Project Factory, led by Katherine Robinson, creates digital solutions to nurture healthy behaviours. Notable projects include helping young people on the autistic spectrum to transition into working life, and platforms that prevent fall risks among the elderly. Some of Miss Robinson’s most prominent work involving difficult audiences is the mobile app Avow. She and her team worked with the NSW Behaviour Change Unit and Department of Communities and Justice to deliver a world-first app targeting domestic violence offenders, where sensitively applied behaviour change techniques gently guide low-medium risk perpetrators to adhere to their apprehended violence order conditions and attend court through tools and resources to raise their capacity and motivation.

What is the impact of your contribution to digital health?

I am especially proud of winning an innovation award for Learn Seek Match, a unique proposition targeting remote, systematic generational unemployed 17 to 24-year-old girls in regional NSW, empowering them to gain confidence in making informed decisions around potential careers in STEM. Most recently, as part of a government initiative to make it easier for people living with dementia to remain at home longer, we developed LIV: for Dementia. LIV helps people to remain living independently by providing easy access to supportive communities, information and local services, reducing their isolation.

Why are you passionate about digital health?

Initially, I commenced my career in marketing and communications, looking at human behaviour and how to influence actions in selected groups. Ultimately my desire to create positive change for the communities around me positioned me in digital health and wellbeing. It is not always easy working with vulnerable cohorts; many hard decisions boil down to what we stand for, how we respond to others and what we prioritise.

Who has been an important mentor to you?

Cliché, but my father David Robinson. Despite the occasional butting of heads as we debate over the dinner table, I continually go back to him for pragmatic advice and an excellent deep dive into the nuances of commercial contracts. His vast industry-agnostic knowledge never ceases to amaze me; from pirates to pipelines, he has a pearl of wisdom for all occurrences.

What does good leadership look like to you?

A good analogy for me is ‘be an umbrella’ for your team. Sometimes they require a walking stick when the weather is great, and will need you to hold up the sky when it’s raining cats and dogs. Often best passed to another when not required, and you should always have one for emergencies in the boot of a car.