01
Start with who is missing
The most important part of any narrative is often the part that has been left out. Saad begins with the communities and voices the national story tends to overlook — and builds the work around them.
Find the gap.The journey
From a question about memory to a career in narrative and change.
Saad Khalid began his career as a content creator and podcaster, asking a question that has shaped everything since: who gets remembered as a pioneer in Australia, and whose stories are left out of the national narrative.
That question took him across Outback Australia, listening to communities and uncovering the overlooked stories of multicultural heroes who helped shape the country during the 1800s. Born in Pakistan and having migrated to Australia in 2016, he understood first-hand how much of a nation's story lives in the communities its records tend to forget.
Since then, his work has grown into leading communications, media, engagement and community-facing projects that help institutions connect more meaningfully with diverse communities at scale. He works at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, public-interest communication and systems change — and was named a 2024 Young Australian of the Year finalist.
01
Asking the question
Whose stories are remembered — and whose are left out.
02
Listening on the ground
Across Outback Australia, uncovering overlooked histories.
03
Telling them well
Content, podcasting and ethnic-media storytelling.
04
Leading at scale
Communications, media and community engagement.
05
Shaping systems
Boards, advisory groups and public-interest work.
06
Building what's next
Trust infrastructure for the age of narrative risk.
At the heart of the work is a single intention: to make a lasting impact — and to help boardrooms and institutions better reflect the communities they serve.
