Three questions to Bella

Before we dive in Bella, tell us a little bit about yourself!

Hello! I am an Aussie (originally from Brisbane, now living in Sydney after a stint in London). In my professional life, I am a lawyer in-house for UBS. I am the Global Head of Regulatory Strategy for Emerging Technology. My role entails helping the bank stay across laws and regulations concerning AI, digital assets, cybersecurity and personal data protection. It is fascinating watching law-makers around the world grapple with the new challenges of our increasingly digital lives. I also run a furniture business with my sisters called Curated Spaces, which is a lot of fun.

What’s something you’ve changed your mind about recently?

I recently had a great conversation with a friend about whether it is fair and right for a commercial airline to charge very overweight people for two seats. My initial reaction to hearing the proposal was that it seemed fair and my friend was shocked that I could be so callous. After we pulled apart the motivation for the policy, how it would be enforced, analogies with other scenarios (e.g., paying more for a larger pair of jeans vs paying more for extra baggage), and how it would play out with other passengers, she convinced me the move was not the right thing to do.  

Who is someone you admire, and why?

I am a big reader of fiction, so I greatly admire writers for their ability to conjure up new worlds. One writer I admire in particular is Richard Powers, because he uses his creativity to bring attention to societal or environmental issues. He has a background in science and often writes about the impact of science or technology on the world. Powers' novel Overstory moved me greatly. It is a story about nine people who each have an experience with trees that brings them together to address the destruction of forests. 

If you had to give a TED talk tomorrow, what topic would you choose and why?

It would probably be about something in the biohacking category (diet and other practices for optimal health, longevity and mental acuity), which I've been fascinated about for years now. I've also recently been passionate about birth and how we can prepare our body and mind for a positive birth experience. I find the female body and pregnancy in general miraculous, so I could talk about that til the cows come home!