Spiro Pissas Gives Back to the Foundation that Shaped his Family’s Future

For Spiro Pissas, stepping into the role of Chief Executive Officer at the Intellectual Disability Foundation of St George wasn’t just a career move. It was personal.  

The foundation had been an integral part of his family’s life for nearly 40 years, providing his brother Peter with a sense of belonging, purpose, and peace of mind when his family needed it most.

More than six decades ago, a group of parents, many of them facing the same challenges as Spiro’s own, came together to create a place for their children with intellectual disabilities. They built a space that not only offered meaningful work but also fostered a strong sense of community in a world that often didn’t offer much else.  

Spiro’s parents were among those who benefited from the foundation, knowing that their son had somewhere safe and fulfilling to go.

“My brother has been a part of this foundation for 38 years, and it’s been an essential part of our family’s life. They gave them assurances that my brother was safe and that he was actually being active; he was being employed. And I think that was really important,” he said.  

When Spiro first joined the foundation three years ago, he didn’t see it as a long-term move; he was there to help modernise operations.  

He’ll admit he had his doubts, but that perspective changed very quickly.  

“I have never worked with a more enthusiastic, passionate bunch of people who make coming to work so easy and fulfilling,” he said.  

It made him wonder: how many other businesses still underestimated this workforce? Determined to prove they don’t just match but surpass mainstream workers, he left his career in technology behind to help shape a future where ability, not disability, defined success.  

His vision for the foundation was both simple and transformative: to create meaningful job opportunities that not only provided employment but also equipped participants with the skills they needed to thrive beyond the foundation.

He recognised people with intellectual disabilities could build careers in a wide range of fields – from digital marketing and product development to even running their own businesses.  

“When I started, I had this feeling that, you know, everyone’s just packing. We’ve got the nursery across the road, but I believe with a lot of patience and training, we could help people build transferable skills. That way, if they ever left this area, they’d be able to find work anywhere," he said.  

He said through his experience running a business, he’d learned people wanted careers, not just tasks.  

“They want meaningful work where they can contribute, feel valued, and see progress. Why should people with intellectual disabilities be any different? That’s when I realised we needed to rethink the way we approached employment for our participants,” he said.  

“So that was the big helicopter plan, the big idea. I thought, why don’t we just launch different businesses here, in a variety of industries? Hopefully, those businesses are successful, and we can offer employment to people with intellectual disabilities and create products to employ and train them.  

“The other way in business is hopefully you sell something, and then if you get busy, you employ people. We wanted to create the products so we can offer employment.”  

Under his leadership, the foundation redefined what it means to provide employment for people with intellectual disabilities. What began as a space focused on traditional tasks like packing and growing plants evolved into a place where participants were developing real-world skills in areas like product development and customer service.

The initiative has already proven successful, offering participants hands-on experience and training, allowing them to engage directly with clients and learn the value of commerce.