Alex Dekker

Inspirational Speaker, Social Issues

Alex Dekker is an award-winning social entrepreneur and the founder of Alex Makes Meals, a not-for-profit that has provided over 700,000 meals to people in need. As a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and 2024 Young Melburnian of the Year, Alex shares inspiring insights on leadership, resilience, and creating sustainable impact in both schools and corporate settings.

Alex’s work has garnered numerous accolades, including being nominated for Victorian Young Australian of the Year (2021) and receiving the 2022 Premier’s Sustainability Award and the National Banksia Award. His efforts demonstrate that age is no barrier to making a profound difference.

Where were you born?

I grew up on a farm in regional Victoria before moving to Melbourne for university. I went from wide open spaces to a fast-paced city, juggling full-time study with work just to make ends meet. It was during this time that I experienced firsthand the challenges of food insecurity, which later became a driving force behind my work with Alex Makes Meals.

What other jobs have you had?

Before founding Alex Makes Meals, I worked as a dishwasher while studying, and of course, growing up on a farm comes with duties. That experience shaped my understanding of hard work, teamwork, and resilience—all essential qualities for building a successful social enterprise.

What themes are recurring in your work?

Sustainability, leadership, and impact. My goal is to create scalable, efficient, and financially sustainable solutions to food insecurity, while also ensuring businesses and individuals can get involved in meaningful change.

What have been the highlights of your career?

Being named Young Melburnian of the Year was a huge honor, as was being featured in Forbes 30 Under 30, but the greatest privilege has been the opportunity to feed thousands of people doing it tough every week. Knowing that a meal we provide might be the first proper meal someone has had in days is both humbling and a constant reminder of why this work matters. Whether it’s inspiring a student to start their own project or helping a company integrate food relief into their CSR strategy, the real reward is seeing tangible change in people’s lives.

I’ve been featured in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, ABC News, and various other media outlets covering social impact and sustainability. I’m a frequent guest and commentator on programs speaking on homelessness and food security.

What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about bridging the gap between charity and business. Too often, charities rely on inconsistent funding, and businesses struggle to align profit with purpose. My mission is to build sustainable, impactful models that work for both.

In my spare time, I love running.

Haven’t I seen you before?

I’ve been lucky enough to speak at schools, corporate events, and sustainability conferences, sharing stories about food security, leadership, and making an impact. I’ve also popped up in the media quite a bit—whether it’s discussing food relief on the news, chatting about social enterprise on podcasts, or occasionally being mistaken for a chef (I promise, I’m much better at organizing meals than cooking them!).