Louise Baxter on the power of positivity at the Starlight Foundation

Louise Baxter had a very successful career in advertising, when she hit a moment of truth, and realised she wanted to do something more meaningful with her life.

Fast forward, and Louise has now been CEO of Starlight Foundation for 16 years, proving through action (and results) that a culture of positivity doesn’t just feel good — it drives every business metric that matters.

Under her leadership, Starlight has topped the AFR’s MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES list, landed in the Top 20 Great Places to Work, and built a workplace so relentlessly positive that one team member confessed she kept waiting for the façade to drop… four years later, she’s still waiting.

Louise also knows the juggle — she’s a mum, a leader, and someone who’s managed to balance impact, ambition, and the everyday chaos of real life.

This is a conversation about values, leadership, workplace culture, and the kind of optimism that’s less about slogans and more about systems that actually work.