About Tazman
Meaningful engagement doesn't start with a workshop agenda… it starts with genuinely understanding who's in the room, what's at stake for them, and what "good" actually looks like for a specific challenge or opportunity. That's where I start with every piece of work.
From there, I design a bespoke approach rather than applying a template. I facilitate the engagement, and stay focused on one thing: an outcome you can implement, not just a summary of what people said.
My psychology background and specialisation in working with people with disability shape how I do this, particularly around building psychological safety quickly and navigating power imbalances between stakeholders. I work on both sides of the equation: inside organisations on culture, strategy and internal dynamics, and externally, connecting organisations meaningfully with the communities they serve.
The Story
Back in 2008, I joined an organisation working to resolve the issue of young people with disability living in aged care. My remit was to bring lived experience into our systems change work. Over the years, I developed and refined my facilitation and engagement toolkit. I learned the significant value of bringing together those influencing systems with those inside them.
What I came to realise was the facilitation and engagement tools I’d crafted are transferable. What worked for people with disability worked equally well for a wide range of stakeholders, including boards, executive teams, service providers and internal teams. My passion is bringing the right voices together, in the right way and at the right time, to achieve sustainable change with impact.
What drew me to Summer Foundation all those years ago was the conviction that the issue of young people in aged care was a solvable problem. Late in 2025, the amended Aged Care Act commenced, and from a legislative perspective the issue of young people in aged care was largely solved.
Services
Authentic engagement design
Complex conversation facilitation and hosting
Implementable strategies
Professional mentoring
This sparked a thought which grew into an action. The time had come to take my facilitation and engagement expertise and establish a business committed to translating engagement into embedded change, within the disability sector and beyond.
The name Tazman has significance to me. It's a family name passed down through generations. A name that embodies the work ethic and values I grew up surrounded by. Naming the business Tazman is my way of stepping into that heritage and carrying those values forward into this next chapter. That’s the standard and commitment I bring to every engagement. The same care, rigour and heart, whoever’s in the room.
Expertise
Translating complex and abstract concepts for people with cognitive disability
Creating psychological safety quickly
Building credibility and trust between stakeholders with power imbalances
Understanding people and the need fully
Designing bespoke approaches
Navigating complex and competing systems
After completing a Psychology degree and working initially with a Corporate Psychologist, Carolyn embarked on a 30 year career in the not for profit sector.
Carolyn commenced her journey in the not for profit sector setting up an earned income venture between Diabetes Australia, in partnership with Savers Thrift Department Stores. Carolyn's next role was with Summer Foundation.
Over 18 years of engagement with Summer Foundation as an Executive Leader Carolyn's role incuded the establishment of a Lived Experience Program, a period as Chief Operations Officer, Company Secretary and Head of Lived Experience.
With a combination of expertise in lived experience engagement, along with governance and strategy Carolyn is well positioned to effectively engage a wide range of stakeholders in meaningful, relevant ways designed purposefully to deliver change with impact.
Carolyn is passionate about bringing the right voices together, in the right way, at the right time to achieve real world change that sticks.
![Headshot_Carolyn1[66].jpg.jpeg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/96fb98_d1a38190911649039147dec5b96fd0c6~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_980,h_674,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/Headshot_Carolyn1%5B66%5D_jpg.jpeg)
About Carolyn...
Principles
Authentic
The right conversations, with the right people, everyone clear on the role their input will play. Genuine cut-through for sustainable change.
What Clients Notice
Conversations that go somewhere real, not a box-ticking exercise.
Accessible
Designed to accommodate disability and meet everyone where they are, in terms of how participation happens.
What Clients Notice
Everyone can contribute fully; no voices left behind or unheard.
Actionable
The ‘so what’ is clear, and next steps are known and owned by all participants.
What Clients Notice
Engagement is followed by real change and tangible impact.
Safe
Conditions of engagement are deliberately set up so everyone can participate fully without harm or unintended consequence.
What Clients Notice
All relevant voices are heard and important considerations surface early.