Founder's Story
Meet Sami Abubaker
Sami’s experience, combined with his belief that every child deserves to feel understood, inspired him to create Sensory Funzone.
After arriving in Australia as a refugee, Sami built a career focused on helping others. He worked in advocacy and fundraising with the United Nations Refugee Agency, World Vision Australia and UNICEF Australia before moving into healthcare. With a background in psychology and neuroscience, he later worked as a Sleep Scientist across adult and paediatric health services.
Supporting children and families strengthened Sami’s understanding of how the environment, experiences and human connection can support comfort, confidence and wellbeing. His studies focused on psychology and neuroscience, strengthening his understanding of behaviour, emotional regulation and person-centred support.
Sami created Sensory Funzone because children and families deserve a space where they can enjoy themselves without feeling judged, rushed or expected to fit in. It is a non-clinical space where children can explore sensory activities, play, connect and participate at their own pace.
His vision is to build more than a sensory play centre: a community where children feel accepted, parents feel understood and meaningful connections can grow.
“I wanted families to walk in and feel that they belong—a space that understands.”
Business Development & Operations
Meet Anna Petrova
Anna Petrova brings extensive experience in business development, customer service, relationship management and project coordination to the Sensory Funzone team. Throughout her career, she has built strong client partnerships, managed projects from initial planning through to delivery, and supported organisations to grow through professional communication and reliable service.
At Sensory Funzone, Anna focuses on building relationships with families, support workers, referral partners and community organisations. Her strong organisational skills, attention to quality and commitment to helping others, support our goal of creating a welcoming, inclusive space where children can feel comfortable, explore and have fun.
Team Introduction
At Sensory Funzone, our team is committed to creating a supportive, engaging, and inclusive environment for all participants. We value compassion, patience, creativity, and respect, and we work together to ensure every child feels safe, welcomed, and encouraged to explore activities at their own pace.
Our team focuses on building positive relationships with participants and families while supporting emotional regulation, social interaction, confidence, and personal growth through play-based and sensory-focused experiences.
