Hanna Ebeling is CEO at Sefa, working with purpose-driven organisations on capital solutions and capability uplift to suit their needs, helping these organisations build organisational resilience and access finance from a range of impact investors. From traditional banking with HSBC to venture philanthropy in the Philippines, Hanna brings a global practice lens to Sefa.

Her passions include blended finance in partnership with foundations, community-led enterprises, and ground-breaking housing models. She is on the board of disability service provider Woodville Alliance and social enterprise Vanguard Laundry, and as a member of government and sector reference groups contributes to improving for-purpose collaboration between government, philanthropy and the private sector.

Tara is the CEO of Social Traders, a leading industry body for social enterprise and social performance established since 2008. Social Traders certify and support social enterprises to increase trade revenue while also supporting businesses to deliver and report on social performance, the “S” in ESG. Tara has international experience across social enterprise, charities, social innovation and for-purpose intermediaries in the UK, Europe and Australia.

Her career has spanned strategy, business development, innovation, marketing, social impact and cross-sector collaboration at executive and Board level. She holds an MBA and Masters in Social Innovation. She’s passionate about seeing more businesses embed purpose – to create a more equitable and sustainable world, for all of us.

Currently Australian Unity’s Head of Social Impact & Strategy Manager, Siobhan joined the company in 2013 with various roles across Wealth, Banking and Group Operations.

Siobhan leads the continued development of Australian Unity’s social impact work, including the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index and our wellbeing outcomes measurement framework (the Community & Social Value Framework). The framework applies a financial value to the social impact created by the company and is used by Australian Unity to report its social impact, shape strategic and investment decisions and as a tool to advocate for their Members, Customers and the community.

Recently Australian Unity used this reporting to secure one of the world’s first Wellbeing focused Sustainability-Linked Loans with Westpac, demonstrating commitment to increasing and becoming more efficient in efforts to create positive community return and systemic change.

Adele Stowe-Lindner is Executive Director of Institute of Community Directors Australia, which delivers leadership and governance support to over 370,000 people in the for-purpose sector, annually, across Australia.

Adele has worked over two decades across homelessness, refugee support and educational equity in London and Melbourne. She holds a Master’s in Community Work from the University of London and a Master’s in Leadership from Deakin University. Adele’s career centres on scaling for-purpose organisations for innovation and impact and she currently enjoys serving on three community sector boards.

Alime is a youth participant in the Q-SEED Project. She is a young person living in Townsville and has added valuable insights to the co-design process. Alime will be sharing her experience as a youth co-designer in this project.

Nova is a youth participant in the Q-SEED Project. They are a young person living in Townsville and has added valuable insights to the co-design process. Nova will be sharing their experience as a youth co-designer in this project.

Steve Williams is a Program Manager at CQUniversity’s Social Impact Lab, co-leading collaborative, multi-disciplinary place-based projects across regional Queensland. Steve has a career spanning 25 years of experience in social design, community development, youth work, and social enterprises.

He is a co-founder of the Queensland Social Enterprise Council (QSEC) and has been responsible for developing national award winning social enterprises.

Steve specialises in working with communities using trauma informed social design as a method, with current work spanning working with neurodivergent nursing students, renewable energy engagement, and the evaluation of a men’s behaviour change program.

A long-time yoga practitioner and teacher, Steve brings a grounded, relational approach to facilitation that honours people participating in the way that is right for them.

Sara Brown is a Program Manager at CQUniversity’s Social Impact Lab, working with communities to bring their ideas to life through social design.

With a background in public relations across regional and remote communities, Sara made a purposeful career shift to community-centred work — driven by a commitment to elevating the voices of those too often left unheard. She channels her understanding of place and people into meaningful, community-led outcomes.

Sara works across the full spectrum of social design, with a particular passion for co-design as a method of genuine community partnership. Her experience spans non-profit program management, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement — ensuring that the people most affected by decisions are meaningfully involved in shaping them.

Based in Cairns, Sara believes in the transformative potential that emerges when communities are given the space and support to shape their own futures.

Bronwen Clark is a nationally respected policy strategist and advocate with a career dedicated to amplifying the voices of communities often left out of the policy spotlight. As Chief Executive of the National Growth Areas Alliance, she leads advocacy for Australia’s outer suburban councils — the fastest-growing regions in the nation — influencing national debates on housing, infrastructure and economic equity. Previously, Bronwen was Managing Director of Thriving Regions, a consultancy delivering strategic planning and public affairs support across rural and regional Australia. Earlier in her career, she represented Australia at the United Nations and World Trade Organisation in Geneva, working at the intersection of international trade and economic growth for developing countries. Known for her clarity, conviction and collaborative style, Bronwen brings real-world insight to conversations about how to make government policy more effective, inclusive and future-ready.

I’m Laurie Michel, Business Development Operations & Partnerships Lead at Creating Chances, where I work at the intersection of partnerships, funding and systems to help scale the organisation’s impact and long-term growth. Having lived and worked across Australia, the UK, France, Norway, the US and Mauritius, I’ve always been drawn to environments where different cultures, perspectives and stories come together. Moving into social impact work in Australia felt like a natural next step: bringing together my background in stakeholder engagement, strategy and operations with something I deeply care about. I hold a Master’s in Business Development and an MBA in Management & Leadership.

Outside work, you’ll usually find me ocean swimming, trail running, cross-country skiing or planning my next multi-day adventure.

Jo established Strategic Grants in 2009 and later launched GEMS – now Australia and New Zealand’s largest online grant-seeking management platform. She leads a team of 35, dedicated to building the capacity of for-purpose organisations to secure funding to achieve their missions.

With a background in business, marketing, IT and fundraising, Jo is a sought-after presenter at philanthropy and fundraising conferences, known for her engaging training style and strategic facilitation.

Jo is also a Founder of Women & Change, a Brisbane Women’s giving circle, Founding Fifty Member of River North Community Foundation and a member of 100 Women. Jo also sits on the Board of The Project Rockit Foundation.

Assmaah Helal works in sport for social change and youth development across Australia and the Asia-Pacific, specialising in designing robust, transformative pathways that improve wellbeing, education, and employment outcomes for young people.

As COO of Creating Chances, she leads their operations and strategy, ensuring their work is practical, sustainable, and aligned with their values. Her focus is on connecting strategy with day-to-day delivery, developing strong teams, and building systems that help them do good work well.

Driven by social justice, Assmaah brings a background in youth work, program design, and community engagement. Over the years, she has co-created local and international initiatives that enable young people (especially women and girls) to access opportunities, build skills, and lead change in their communities.

Kara Bombell is the co-founder of EthicAI, an Australian consultancy helping small and purpose-led organisations implement AI ethically, sustainably, and with real commercial impact. With 20+ years of experience in enterprise operations, business strategy, and creative technology, she brings a systems-thinking lens to streamlining businesses and scaling innovation without compromising culture.

Kara has built a reputation for designing practical models that align AI integration with long-term value, psychosocial safety, and equitable outcomes. Her work spans automation, workforce design, data readiness, and ethical frameworks for machine learning and generative AI.

A vocal critic of performative ethics in tech, Kara advocates for honest, bold change. She believes technology should amplify human potential—not replace it—and that progress must be measured by its ability to build a fairer, more inclusive society.

At her core, Kara is a mum of 2, an astronomy nerd, and deeply driven by a sense of moral ambition and a belief in better futures.