Jess torstensson.
A new Australian community for women working across media, marketing and publishing has launched in Sydney, with plans to expand nationally.
The Room Collective is founded by Jessica Torstensson, client growth director at Bench Media, who brings more than 20 years of experience across agency and media environments in Sweden and Australia.
The community aims to create more opportunities for women at all career stages to connect, collaborate and build meaningful professional relationships across brands, agencies, media and publishing.
Torstensson said many of the defining moments in her career had not come from formal meetings but from introductions, conversations and open doors.
"While our industry is built on collaboration, many still build our careers in our own lanes," she said.
"We're constantly connected, yet there are fewer opportunities to build genuine professional relationships across brands, agencies, media and publishing. This is the very gap which I hope The Room Collective will bridge."
Erin Fraser, head of client services at Bench Media, said the initiative strengthened both individuals and the broader industry.
"Empowering women to build meaningful professional networks doesn't just benefit individuals, it strengthens our entire industry, and we're incredibly proud to support Jessica as she brings this vision to life," she said.
The Room Collective is currently building its founding network, with future gatherings and initiatives to be announced in coming weeks.
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