The REAL Supper Club
Welcome to "The REAL"
"The REAL" is for founders, solopreneurs, creatives, and leaders seeking meaningful connections that cut deeper than surface talk. The brainchild of Lisa Kjerulf and Nicky Kruse, The REAL is about uniting diverse backgrounds and perspectives in an intimate, shared space. We’re here to cut the BS to explore and discuss very REAL topics that often go unspoken in day-to-day life.
This isn’t about finding the next best strategy or sharing the latest ‘hacks’ to grow your business. It's about creating a safe space for real human connection (max 15 people per event), where we can show up as our real unedited selves. A space to learn from and support one another, stretching our emotional intelligence with uncomfortable and honest discussions that drive both personal and collective transformation.
So rather than another panel discussion, we have designed this to be an open conversation around the dinner table sharing a beautiful meal, led by a special guest who will guide us into less common, yet essential, topics to help us navigate life and business. It’s about showing up as your authentic self, sharing stories, learning together, and moving forward—together.
"To have conversed so deeply in only a few hours with people I had never met, reflects the quality, truth and honourable vulnerability that is possible when we are willing to go there. The event was so hard to leave and departing goodbyes actually led to longer conversations and connections of which have continued into friendships and potential working collaborations."
— Former Guest
Previous Conversation Hosts
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![Nicole Gibson - IN TRUTH]()
Nicole Gibson
Backing Human Intelligence
A founder, global speaker, and leader in emotional intelligence and human-centred technology. Nicole is the CEO and founder of inTruth Technologies, a pioneering bio-tech translating wearable data into real-time emotional insight to support better decision-making, wellbeing, and leadership in high-pressure environments. Together we dove deep into the ethical implications of AI and bio-tech, and what embodied, emotionally intelligent leadership looks like in a world on the edge of transformation. -
![Daniela Maiorano - The REAL Supper Club]()
Daniela Maiorano
Discovering Your Potential Where you Least Expect it
A fierce fourth-generation chef from Abruzzo with a rich culinary heritage and a transformative personal journey. From battling addiction, to becoming a professional boxer, to building her dream in the tranquil landscapes of Northern New South Wales, Daniela's story challenges us to consider how our darkest times can foster resilience and redefine what it means to be successful. -
![Liesel Arden - The REAL Supper Club]()
Liesel Arden
Creative Agency in a Time of Uncertainty
An award-winning artist, writer and researcher exploring creativity as a source of agency, meaning, and connection in uncertain times. Her work spans across fine art, installations, interaction design and academic research, examining how humans shape, and are shaped by, their environments. We explored how everyday creative acts allow us to respond rather than react, how they sustain us in uncertain times and how they ripple outward into our work, leadership and communities.
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![Nikki Williams - The REAL Supper Club]()
Nikki WIlliams
What does it mean to be ‘Well’?
A repeat entrepreneur, marketer, and wellness advocate whose personal journey led her to create Mentwell Australia. Together we unpacked the paradox of wellness in an age of collective exhaustion, explored what truly sustains us, and reflected on how we can honour our needs while living and working in an always-on, fast-paced world.
Upcoming — The Power of Our Truth
A curated supper club exploring truth, storytelling and the power of lived experience — hosted by The REAL in collaboration with Mata Gathering.
June 2026 | Melbourne
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We are back for another evening of REAL conversation and shared food around the table—this time exploring The Power of Our Truth, with award-winning filmmaker and broadcaster Helen Kapalos.
In a time when narratives move faster than ever and public discourse is shaped by algorithms, media cycles and competing agendas, the question of truth has become increasingly complex. What does it mean to stay anchored in our own truth? And what happens when individuals choose to speak it—especially when doing so carries personal, professional or social consequences?
Throughout her career as a journalist and filmmaker, Helen Kapalos has witnessed the powerful pull of storytelling—how the courage of one person speaking honestly can invite others to do the same. Her work, including the globally distributed documentary A Life of Its Own – The Truth About Medical Marijuana, has sparked national conversations around stigma, advocacy and the role of truth in shaping public understanding.
Together around the table, we’ll explore the role truth plays in our lives and institutions today: how it shapes the stories we tell, the leadership we embody and the cultures we help create. What does it mean to remain aligned with our values in complex systems? Where do we feel the tension between the narratives we present and the realities we live?
As always, this will be an intimate, facilitated conversation—designed to hold thoughtful dialogue across disciplines. A space to think deeply, speak honestly and explore perspectives that rarely find room in conventional public forums.
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Helen Kapalos is one of Australia’s most respected broadcasters and an award-winning independent filmmaker. Her breakthrough documentary A Life of Its Own – The Truth About Medical Marijuana was distributed globally by Netflix and continues to be used as an educational film on medicinal cannabis.
Across her career, Helen has championed stronger social policy outcomes and amplified the voices of communities often excluded from public discourse. She has led numerous state and federal policy submissions representing marginalised communities across areas including multicultural policy, family violence and healthcare access.
Alongside her filmmaking, Helen designs and delivers media awareness programs for the Australian Defence Force through Melbourne Business School. She remains a leading advocate for medicinal cannabis patients, working to address systemic barriers to care and elevate patient voices in national conversations about health policy.
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This gathering will take place at Bar Liberty, one of Melbourne’s most celebrated wine bars.
Founded by a group of hospitality industry heavyweights, Bar Liberty set out to redefine the modern Australian wine bar—stripping away the pretension of fine dining while keeping its quality and craft. The venue blends world-class hospitality with a gritty inner-north soul, anchored in a deep respect for sustainability and low-intervention winemaking.
With an ever-evolving wine list championing both local renegades and international icons, and a menu built around clever produce-driven dishes, Bar Liberty has become a cornerstone of Melbourne’s dining scene.
We will gather in one of the venue’s intimate private dining spaces for a three-course shared meal, designed for thoughtful conversation and connection around the table.
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Mata exists to honour and share the wisdom found in lived experience.
Through patient stories, alongside practical resources and tools, Mata works to guide and support access to holistic healthcare. The platform was founded by Bee Mohamed, a healthcare policy advocate and leader in medicinal cannabis access and patient rights.
Bee previously served as Head of Advocacy and Government Relations at Astrid Dispensary and Clinic—Australia’s first female-led medicinal cannabis dispensary—and as Patient Advocacy and Stakeholder Manager for the Asia Pacific region of Canopy Growth, the world’s largest cannabis company.
Mata was created from the belief that stories reveal what hurts, what heals, and what truly matters. By bringing patients and practitioners closer through storytelling, community and trusted knowledge on holistic medicine, Mata aims to build trust, expand understanding and improve health outcomes.
At its core, Mata believes stories are not just reflections of experience — they are catalysts for change.
Please note: Seats are limited to maintain the intimacy of the conversation. As this is a professionally facilitated conversation and curated dinner experience for founders, creatives, leaders, and systems thinkers, many guests choose to attend as part of their ongoing professional development.
Register your interest.
We do not mass promote these events, so if you are interested in joining one of our future events, please register your interest for an invitation to the next one.