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About Us

Aha! Consulting is a boutique consulting firm, delivering quality consulting services since 2004. With clients from around Australia and overseas, Aha! Consulting works cross multiple sectors bringing their knowhow about what makes people, organisations, and community’s work.

Lead by Founder and Managing Director Joel Levin, 

Aha! Consulting draws on a skilled team of people that put our clients at the heart of our business.

 

Our commitment is to provide services that are tailored to your needs.

Our expertise in engagement & facilitation has been applied to strategy, policy, infrastructure, health, community services and more. We improve the quality of decisions and outcomes by bringing the diversity of voices to the table in a way that is inclusive and generative. 

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Our ability to work across a range of contexts has seen our company grow and now service all tiers of government, the resources sector, major infrastructure projects, health, disability, human services, emergency services, environment and not-for-profit organisations.

OUR TEAM

JOEL LEVIN 

MANAGING DIRECTOR 

JANELLE EASTHOPE

SENIOR CONSULTANT

JEMMA MOON

SENIOR CONSULTANT

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Dr HECTOR PALADA

DATA ANALYST

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NICOLE SJARDIN

OPERATIONS MANAGER

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GRETA JASIAK

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

Our Team Read More
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Joel Levin | Managing Director

Joel Levin is the founder and Managing Director at Aha! Consulting and has over 20 years experience working across a broad range of sectors both in Australia and Internationally.

 

His organisational, engagement and facilitation skills stem from a background in counselling, training, community work and senior management. Joel was the Senior Training Consultant for the Department of Community Development, focusing on the development of their services and funded not-for-profit services and established the Not-For-Profit Development unit for the WA Council of Social Services. 

 

Joel is a licensed trainer and board members for the International Association of Public Participation Australasia (IAP2) and the former Co-Chair of the Global Practise Development Committee.  In 2018, Joel was awarded the Distinguished Fellow Award from Leadership WA for outstanding commitment to the organisation and service to the WA community.

 

In 2015, Joel began working with the United Nations, exploring how they can use the engagement approach to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. This work led to the establishment of a partnership with IAP2 and the UN, leading to in country work across Asia-Pacific.

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Janelle Easthope  | Senior Consultant

With more than 20 years’ experience working in the WA local government sector, Janelle has an excellent understanding of the internal operations of local government organisations.

Most recently Janelle held a leadership role in community engagement at the City of Bayswater, with a track record in coordinating and supporting community engagement practice, embedding it as a core function in decision making.

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Also with previous experience in place management and community development, Janelle has a great understanding of the needs and expectations of both internal and external stakeholders. Janelle is skilled in identifying and managing risk, and integrating well-planned engagement with coordinated communications.

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Janelle has both lead and supported projects across a broad range of fields including strategic land use planning, infrastructure planning, strategy development and participatory budgeting.

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Jemma Moon | Senior Consultant

Jemma Moon has a background in community development, community engagement and facilitation. Jemma has worked in both the local government and not-for profit sector, helping organisations to build strategies, engage their communities and activate local spaces.

 

Jemma is passionate about local level, meaningful, targetted engagement that creates a real connection to the topic, the place and the people. From library plans, strategic plans, rural health, family and children's services, healthy aging, disabilities and seniors, Jemma has a creative knack for bringing vibrancy and authenticity to any project.

 

With a background in public health and qualifications in Project Management, Jemma is no stranger to leading larger projects, like the transition and refurbishment of Bentley Library into a community hub, later speaking at a community development industry conference on the success and improved community benefit.  

 

Jemma had been integral to Western Australia's first ‘Learning City’ with the City of Canning and led a team of 9 staff that re-structed libraries from a traditional model to a lifelong learning focus. Her strategic skills are coupled with leadership and a flair for conversation, she has the ability to connect with people of all backgrounds bringing a sense of connection to projects.

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Greta Jasiak | Communications Specialist

Greta is a communications professional with close to 10 years’ experience in both the local and state government sectors. Working with community and infrastructure projects of various shapes and sizes, Greta has led a Communications and Media team and the organisation's response to media and messaging, supporting engagement and ensuring the key message is not lost in the noise.

 

Some of Greta's key projects include leading the crisis and community recovery communications for the 2021 Wooroloo Bushfire, supporting the communications and PR strategy for the New Junction project in Midland, and promoting WA’s only rescue emergency rescue helicopter service, the RAC Rescue helicopters, for the State Government. 

 

Greta is highly skilled at working across different communication platforms, tailoring a strategy to different audiences, writing and editing cut-through content, and can quickly adapt her approach to amplify a good news story or navigate a crisis.  

 

With a well-developed understanding of the unique communication challenges facing the local government sector, Greta is passionate about using her experience and knowledge to help all sectors and organisations communicate more effectively, authentically and meaningfully with their stakeholders.    

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Dr Hector Palada | Data Analyst

Hector has a background in psychology and cognitive science. He graduated from the University of Queensland (UQ) with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Hector is in the final stages of completing his PhD at UQ where he applies mathematical models of decision-making.

 

Hector has worked on a range of projects with clients including Defence Science Technology Australia, Boeing and Queensland Bariatrics. His skillset includes research and questionnaire design, literature evaluation, exploratory data analysis, statistical and machine learning analyses, data visualisation and interactive dashboard development. Hector also has strong programming experience which he uses to streamline data processing and analysis.

 

Hector values conveying data in a meaningful, effective, and simple way.

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Nicole Sjardin | Operations Manager

Nicole is the Office Manager at Aha! Consulting, she helps keep everything running smoothly, keeping all the balls in the air and making sure they land in the right place. 

Nicole has a background in business support and planning, account management, sales, event management and community services, business management, and counselling.  

She is passionate about customer service and good communication and supporting the team out in the field.

TESTIMONIALS

Working with Joel reinforces how important people are in an organisation.  His "go gently" way allows consideration of the emotions inherent within any change management and how to communicate your message so it can be consistently understood.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / PUBLIC HEALTH & AMBULATORY CARE

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