CEO
Selina Tomasich is the Founder and CEO of Hair Aid Inc., an Australian based charity doing amazing things both internationally and in communities throughout Australia.
As a Queensland based academic currently lecturing in Business at the University of Queensland as well as at Queensland University of Technology, Selina describes herself as a ‘dedicated nerd’, with a passion for learning. Selina holds five university qualifications as well as an international inventors' patent for creating online technology. She has created eight apps, written academic books and is published in peer reviewed journals.
With a passion for finding real life learning events for students to engage in and create change in the world, Selina started Hair Aid in 2010. The vision was to provide hands on learning for students and to create livelihood empowerment training for people living in critical poverty. From this first project, Hair Aid was born.
Since the first project in 2010, Selina has committed hours of her own time to Hair Aid, and manages every international project, where volunteer hairdressers travel to street and slum communities in developing countries and teach those living in critical poverty how to cut hair. Each one of these projects can have up to 30+ volunteers and will train 260+ people how to cut basic hair cuts in a five day period. Not only does she project manage these complex projects, both her and her husband Mark travel with the team and attend every project to provide encouragement and ensure every volunteer is supported.
Addtionally, Selina manages the Hair Aid Community Cuts programs throughout Australia. Fondly referred to as HACCs, Selina coordinates these 40+ free hair cut events on a six weekly cycle in communities all throughout Australia. These free haircuts provide dignity and respect to those in our communities who need additional support. Homeless people, those suffering domestic violence, youth, indigenous, migrants and those in ICU and long term care in hospitals are all recipients of the HACCs programs. More than 4100 free hair cuts were provided in 2017 to those in need.
While many people comment on how Hair Aid has grown under Selina’s eye, when congratulated on this success Selina always recognises the Hair Aid Ambassadors, the Hair Aid board and all the thousands of supporters that provide knowledge, resources, time and are dedicated to the Hair Aid vision of #changingtheworldonehaircutatatime
Selina believes education is the key to providing opportunities to improve lives, but states her greatest achievement is her family, she is a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother and a passionate community member and a social entrepreneur.