Penioni Tohi on Disability Employment, Tongan Culture & Fixing Wages

In this episode of What Are We Drinking?, Rachel Carey sits down with Penioni “Penny” Tohi, founder of Able Minds, for a raw and honest conversation about disability employment, culture, business pressure, and building meaningful impact in the NDIS sector.

From growing up in a traditional Tongan household in Western Sydney and chasing an NRL dream, through to working in autism support and launching Able Minds, Penny shares the experiences that shaped his mission to create fairer employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

The episode dives deep into supported employment wages, why some participants are still being paid only a few dollars an hour, and the challenges providers face trying to create genuine innovation inside an increasingly difficult NDIS system.

Rachel and Penny also unpack entrepreneurship, burnout, work-life balance, provider sustainability, masculinity, family expectations, and the reality of trying to build purpose-driven businesses in today’s climate.

This is one of the most honest conversations yet about the future of disability employment in Australia.