Changemakers Among Us: Natasha and the Movement to Reshape Career Conversations

Seventeen months ago, Natasha walked away from a tech career with no immediate plans. Burnt out and unsure of what was next, she found herself grasping at clarity in conversations over coffee. What started as a personal search for purpose sparked a wider movement—Our Curiosity Collective—a space for others to question, reflect, and transform the way we approach our working lives.

From One Conversation to a Collective

The origin of Our Curiosity Collective (OCC) wasn’t a well-mapped plan. Natasha describes it as “something that started from a personal need.” At the time, she had just left her job in tech, with no next step in sight. What she did have was a deep, unsettling feeling of burnout and disconnection from what she wanted her career—and life—to be.

“I felt very alone,” she recalls, “but my hypothesis was: I can’t be the only one.” That gut feeling led her to gather 12 friends in a room for a conversation-based event that came together in just two weeks. “The moment we saw how much people needed this, we knew we had to do another one.”

Fast forward to now: more than a dozen events, each one shaped by the questions that emerged from the last. Topics like is it okay to be a generalist? What is the cost of staying in the role surfaced . Natasha and co-founder Chris leaned into those threads, designing workshops and event that enable participants to share their perspective.

What Is Our Curiosity Collective?

Our Curiosity Collective (OCC) is a community initiative founded by Natasha and Chris, inspired by Natasha's personal experience of burnout and her desire for deeper conversations around career and personal purpose.

It began organically as a small gathering among friends to explore significant life questions and quickly evolved into regular events, providing participants with a safe space to discuss career transitions, personal values, and professional alignment.

Through carefully designed experiences, OCC aims to empower individuals—particularly Singaporean millennials—to confidently navigate their career paths, shift away from feeling trapped or without choice, and ultimately transform their personal and professional lives by fostering meaningful dialogue and self-reflection

A Partnership of Contrasts

Natasha and Chris’s partnership began not from years of friendship, but from a reconnection via LinkedIn. Despite only having exchanged “less than two words” during university, something clicked. “We’re very different people,” Natasha admits. “She’s extroverted, I’m introverted—but that balance worked.”

Their collaboration is both intuitive and complementary. Chris bring clarity and structure to events. Natasha brings introspection and instinct. Together, they make OCC more than just a series of events— it is a community for curious individuals.

Empowered Portraits: Beyond Headshots

One of OCC’s most unexpected successes is Empowered Portraits—a portrait photography experience designed not just for aesthetic output, but for internal transformation. “It’s not about getting a corporate headshot,” Natasha says. “It’s about confidence-building.” Participants first explore personal values, then reflect aloud with others, and finally step in front of the camera—not to pose, but to be seen.

The experience is as much about storytelling as it is about the final image. With the help of collaborators like a trusted photographer friend who understands their mission, Natasha and Chris create a space where people can bring their whole selves—not their professional mask—into the frame.

Lessons from the Room

One of Natasha’s most memorable moments came from a session on navigating career transitions. After one participant shared their struggles openly, others followed. “I’ve been in a role for five years that doesn’t feel right,” someone admitted. Another, emboldened, said they would finally take the sabbatical their company offered but they’d never dared to request. The shift happened in real time.

“It made me realise the power of simply holding space,” Natasha reflects. “People already have the answers—they just need somewhere safe enough to voice them.”

This isn’t about telling people to quit their jobs. OCC isn’t a push towards rebellion—it’s an invitation into alignment. “We want people to stop saying ‘I had no choice.’ We want them to feel like they’re choosing.”

Looking Ahead: From Organic to Scalable

With support from Singapore’s National Youth Council through the Youth Action Challenge, Natasha and Chris now have funding to take OCC further. Their plans? Keep events accessible, reach more Singaporeans, and explore how their work could support companies too.

They’re still grounded in organic growth—“we don’t have a fixed plan,” Natasha says—but there’s a clear pull toward deeper transformation. “We want to explore the B2B side. Because how people feel about work is shaped so much by their organisations.”

The Vision: Confident Career Ownership

What’s the ultimate goal? For Singaporean millennials to feel empowered about their career paths. “To say, ‘This is the path I chose, and it aligns with who I am.’ That’s the dream,” Natasha says.