Our Story
The globalaai movement was founded after a personal campaign to create a social platform for inclusivity, allergy awareness and safety for worldwide suffers at risk of anaphylaxis. When Dr Pooja Newman suffered latex anaphylaxis from the sudden, unexpected and extensive release of balloons at an Adele concert in March 2016 in South Australia she had a life changing near-death experience. From her recovery bed, she created a simple Facebook page on a whim after feeling flat and misunderstood.
Pooja and her loved ones were traumatized after this terrifying experience and turned this around to rally support globally and create a vehicle of networks for make positive changes for safety.
In the first week her Facebook page reached 100,000 people from all over the globe. With the assistance of a Board the Not For Profit Start-up, globalaai was born. This powerful vehicle for change is a community of inclusivity that coordinates all existing, worldwide support associations and resource groups to force crucial positive changes for the benefit of all with allergic disease and their loved ones.
Globlaai improves the quality of life by building a worldwide community of #globalaaiaware stakeholders to remove the stigma associated with anaphylaxis or life threatening allergic disease.
Founder - Pooja Newman
Dr Pooja Newman was born in Adelaide, South Australia and was officially diagnosed with anaphylaxis to tree nuts and peanuts in her twenties. She developed a severely progressive occupational latex allergy in postgraduate clinical medical training in Radiation Oncology and had anaphylaxis requiring strict avoidance of latex.
Pooja is a passionate Clinical Director in her family owned, Ananda Aged Care who uses her medical background to direct the organisation with a flair for innovative, best practice in the sector. She thinks being a Mum to her three daughters is her biggest achievement in life and brings her determined spirit for independence and courage to Globalaai.
Pooja has suffered multiple episodes of anaphylaxis and is taking this opportunity to be a #changemaker and is using her first hand knowledge of the difficulties faced by allergy sufferers for the greater social good. She aspires not only raise worldwide awareness but also is crusading for palpable changes for safety. There is a real need for worldwide coordination and sharing of ideas to not only appropriately treat and manage anaphylaxis but also prevent allergic reactions in the first place and this is her vision for Globalaai.
Director - Dr Matthew Newman
Dr Newman was born and raised in Adelaide, South Australia. Professionally, Matthew has been a fully qualified Specialist Anaesthetist since 2009 and has a special interest in anaesthesia related anaphylaxis. Due to occupational exposure, he developed an allergy to a range of drugs in the muscle relaxant class which are commonly used in anaesthesia, and so has personal understanding what anaphylaxis means to an individual.
His wife, Pooja Newman, has suffered nearly thirty episodes of anaphylaxis to various allergens over the last 15 years. As a result, he has a real understanding of the impact of anaphylaxis not only on the individual but also their family and friends.
Board Member - Andrew Tucker
Andrew Tucker…
Executive Assistant - Daisy Anderson
Daisy Anderson is an enthusiastic and driven member of the globalaai team. She is currently undertaking a bachelor of laws and a bachelor of arts at Adelaide University and is constantly seeking ways to use these developing skills to expand globalaai’s reach.
Her own experiences with allergies means she has a personal commitment to globalaai’s work and is passionate about making the world a more inclusive place.
Medical Advisory Board
Dr Suzan Bekir, General Practitioner, MBBS Hons1 FRACGP
Dr Bekir is an experienced General Practitioner practicing family medicine amongst a collective of specialty interests including allergy + ENT, sexual health, paediatrics, mental health, nutritional medicine, cosmetic medicine, skin, and laser medicine.
She is co-creator and Clinical Director of Taylor Clinic, Dr Ink Tattoo Removal, Australian Allergy Centre and collective.care as well as clinical content creator of Brand -Aid, Australia’s first physician-owned medical digital media marketing company.
Dr Suzie works in Edgecliff, Bella Vista and Wollongong clinics where she clinically consults and clinical supervises an accredited GP Special Skills programs medically educating and up-skilling GP’s in Allergy, ENT, Skin, Laser, Cosmetics and Nutritional medicine. As a medical entrepreneur, her collective.care model for Health Care Homes is a physician-built model seamlessly incorporating nurses, doctor, allied health and specialists within a patient-centred framework.
Amongst this Dr Bekir also enjoys medical journalism including video journalism, qui gong & healing practices and is proud to be an ambassador for globalaai.
Other Advisors
Vito Rinaldi, IT, Technology and Compliance, Managing Director: Blue Crystal Solutions
Specialist Applications Service provider which supplies Database Management and Cloud enablement services. A unique offering that embraces a culture which promotes high quality service delivery, ethical behaviour, continuous improvement and teamwork.
Vito founded Blue Crystal Solutions in 2004 with steady growth over the last 13 years becoming a respected and trusted provider to many industries across Australia. Vito has more than 20 years’ experience in database management and has an ongoing commitment to provide value for money for his customers and superior services reflecting the growth of Blue Crystal Solutions.
Vito connects with technology partners such as Microsoft and has a network of business and technology partners around the world to enrich IT products, solutions and continually improve the value provided to their extensive client base. Globalaai recognises the importance of having an experienced IT professional on our team to forge forwards into the future as society becomes increasingly dependent on technology.
Robert Dempsey, Community Healthcare Advisor
Rob Dempsey has worked in the health and community care services sector for almost 40 years. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer for Minda Incorporated.
He has previously held the CEO role at Aged and Community Services SA&NT as well as CEO roles at North Eastern Community Hospital & Nursing Home.
Rob is a Special Justice for the State of South Australia. He has a Bachelor of Business in Accounting, a Master of Business Administration and is an Associate Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Management.