Prior to entering Parliament, Aiv was an artist, composer and producer working across the independent arts community in Australia. Coming from a background in classical trumpet and composition, he trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) receiving a Diploma of Music Theatre, before jumping across the continent to complete a bachelor's degree at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).

Following his graduation, Aiv returned to North-Eastern Melbourne, where he grew up, to work alongside fellow artists to cultivate better industrial conditions and drive new productions on the Australian east coast.

Aiv’s artistic work always had a progressive political bent. However, when the pandemic struck, Aiv saw his community of artists and cultural workers left to fend for themselves after the arts sector closed nearly overnight. The devastating impacts of government refusing to provide adequate structural and social supports to the arts drove him to join the Greens and enter politics.

While Aiv is eager to see urgent action on a range of issues including the climate crisis, social inequality, housing affordability and drug law reform, he has a particular passion for issues affecting young people (a voice he notes is often completely excluded from Parliament).