Sydney Chocolate Ball founder Natalie Cooney on the state of Australian philanthropy

Investor Natalie Cooney says philanthropy has the power to change the world, if only the ‘naughty kids in the classroom’ would get out of the way first.

Natalie Cooney

You work alongside your father, the banking titan Bill Moss, at the investment firm Boston Global Group. In what ways are the two of you similar? You know the saying that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree? He can turn something quite complex – maybe in science, or something strategically challenging – into a simple narrative and story. I like to think that has rubbed off on me. My father is the mentor in my life, but I’m also my own person.

And in what ways are you two different? He’salways said to me, “Stop colouring in the details”, but attention to detail is important for me. I’m a bit of a Virgo, whereas he is so efficient. We’re different but we’re made from the same thread, that’s why we work so well together.

Bill has Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD), and the pair of you have been the driving force behind the FSHD Global Research Foundation since 2007. What are some of the foundation’s biggest achievements? We created the world’s first saliva test for FSHD, and that led me on a journey to improve other diagnostics. Then there’s the Cure FSHD app, which is a patient-led registry allowing users to learn a lot about their body and put their hands up for clinical trials. It means that whole process has been fast-tracked. We could see therapies introduced to Australia three, four years quicker than they may otherwise have.

Your family has been key to developing a product, Kurk, that uses curcumin for its anti-inflammatory properties. What is curcumin? It’s been used for decades across different styles of cultural cuisines, in turmeric, and as a natural medicine, but the problem has been curcumin is a large crystal, and the crystal does not allow for absorption into the body.

So, all those curcumin and turmeric products currently on the shelves in the health food aisle...? Despite their pretty marketing, none of those can be absorbed well enough to have any true benefit. A good looking Instagram page doesn’t mean a product is backed by science. We commissioned specialised equipment with a rapid spin mechanism to crush the curcumin, then we used plant-based ingredients to create micelles that surround the hard crystals, allowing the crystals to mix with water and be absorbed into the cell wall, delivering curcumin directly into the bloodstream.

After a career in banking and philanthropy, how does it feel to be central to a scientific breakthrough? I’ve spent my entire life searching for the answers to good health, especially around inflammation in the body, because I grew up in a family where health was something very precious. With FSHD, the body creates a lot of inflammation. This is a personal project. It came from a personal place, and the thought of people around the world using it and seeing its benefits makes me smile.

At the Sydney Chocolate Ball

FSHD Global’s big fundraiser, the black-tie gala Sydney Chocolate Ball, is your brainchild. What’s your view on the state of philanthropy in this country? In Australia there is a tendency to put off giving, until maybe you’ve bought a house, or once the kids are out of school. We volunteer, but we’re not good at the dollars. And perhaps there are too many entitled charities not doing the right thing, not being transparent, and that kind of burns it for the rest of us.

How do we fix that? Cleaning the naughty kids out of the classroom would be helpful. Regulations and transparency must improve. If I buy a share for $5 in the stock market I see how it performs, but if I donate $5 to charity I don’t know what they do with it unless they tell me.

What’s your pitch to get more Australians digging deepfor a cause? It’s good for the world, it’s good for the soul, it makes you feel the passion, and it’s contagious – it’s a good addiction to have!

Kurk is available from May 19. Visit: kurk.au

Tickets to Sydney Chocolate Ball, visit sydneychocolateball.com.au