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We’re co-designing a diverse and impactful program for Social Impact Summit 2025. Each speaker comes ready to share their insights and expertise across our program of keynotes, panels, case studies and workshops.
Interested in speaking? Got a case study you’ll think others will want to hear about? We’re always keen to speak with social impact leaders creating partnerships and impact across sectors.
Register your interest here and explore the 2025 lineup below.
We’re also super excited to have Jamila Rizvi as our 2025 MC!
Jamila is a best-selling author, columnist for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, and co-host of The Briefing podcast. With her extensive experience advising the Australian Government on gender equality, childcare, media, and employment, Jamila brings a wealth of knowledge to help us navigate the complexities of creating a fairer, more inclusive Australia.
We’re honoured to welcome Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert as our keynote speaker for Social Impact Summit 2025!
Few understand courageous and resilient leadership better than Kylie. Her journey, from enduring more than two years in Iran’s Evin prison to becoming a bestselling author and advocate, will set the stage for exploring how each of us can harness these qualities in our own work.
Janna DeVylder is the founder of Orchestrate for Impact, where she helps organisations align purpose, people, systems and services to navigate complexity and create meaningful change. With over 25 years of experience in organisational and service design, including as co-founder of the award-winning design consultancy Meld Studios, Janna partners with organisations to co-design better futures by making the behind-the-scenes work of transformation clear, collaborative and impactful. She also serves on the board of Employee Ownership Australia, supporting the growth of employee-owned businesses. Janna clearly loves the challenge of complexity because she does improv quilting, which is not for the faint of heart.
Nazia Ahmed is an economist and social innovator, renowned for her commitment to enhancing social outcomes through She is the founder and CEO of The Social Outcomes Lab, a boutique consulting practice that works with governments, In 2021, Nazia founded Her Kitchen Table, a Canberra-based, award winning, social enterprise that provides migrant and Doc ID.
Professor Cameron Tonkinwise, Professor of Design Studies, teaches Service Design and researches Sustainable Design at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). His expertise has reshaped traditional thinking around how designers should be educated, and he has established Design Studies programs at the Parsons The New School for Design (New York), Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh) and UTS. Cameron, a dog and coffee person, has been a leading voice in the emerging practice of Transition Design, enabling human-scale designers to facilitate systems-level change toward more equitably sustainable societies.
No stranger to the B Corp movement, Lauren joined B Lab AANZ in 2023 after working at B Lab Global within the Certification and Verification team.
Before joining B Lab, Lauren worked in the educational travel sector, supporting the coordination of overseas experiences for school and university groups. Specialising in procurement and risk, it was her interest in understanding the true impact of these travel experiences that led Lauren to the B Corp community.
Realising that B Lab’s offerings were a wonderful way for businesses to measure, report and improve impact, Lauren transitioned from the travel industry to sustainability.
As Certification and Growth Manager, Lauren looks forward to working with all kinds of businesses as they embark on their B Corp journey.
Sara is a deep-thinker who’s quick to connect with people who share her vision for a brighter future.
As our resident Impact Specialist (and Program Curator for Social Impact Summit), Sara is passionate about finding connections between people, systems and organisations to address the root causes of social challenges.
Sara holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies, a Master’s Degree in International Business and a Graduate Certificate in Social Impact. In her spare time you’ll find Sara FaceTime-ing her family back in Italy, who all miss her (and her chestnut and chocolate tarts) terribly.
Kate Elks loves stories, adventure and leading teams. Integrated brand storytelling is where her skills shine, an arena where she brings together client strategies, campaign execution plans and real-time problem solving.
As Head of Client Services and Senior Account Director, she leads a team of professional storytellers that span multiple disciplines including content marketing, PR, social, digital marketing, brand strategy and design.
Her experience includes work as a journalist, producer and content researcher in Australia and London.
Paula Cowan is a strategic communicator, project manager and capability builder with experience in government, education and community sectors.
She leads the firm’s operations, oversees client engagements and works with senior executives across a range of sectors.
An expert in change management, communications and organisational transformation, she helped establish and maintain the Redesign Network for NSW Health.
Paula has an eye for efficiency and effectiveness, a good sense of what motivates people to perform, and an ability to translate all that into useful policy and processes. She puts all this to good use developing teams and an organisation that support clients’ strategic vision.
Shane spent his early career as a counter-terrorism operative for the Australian Government, finishing service as a Director of Australia’s intelligence agency. He was awarded with a number of commendations based on his work on counter-terrorism capability and operations across the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia.
He provides consulting support to governments and agencies worldwide on homeland security, investigations and intelligence, and volunteers as CEO of global not-for-profit Crime Stoppers International.
In 2022, after a family member attempted suicide due to severe cyberbullying, he turned his attention to online safety. Frustrated at a lack of practical solutions, he built Social Protect, bringing a proven commitment to making the solution accessible to everyone worldwide who needs it.
While he continues to consult on counter-terrorism matters, keeping our communities safe online has become a driving passion and he leads the team and ongoing growth of Social Protect.
Jackie has 15 years of experience in leadership, service delivery and program management focused on youth health and wellbeing. Her commitment to creating a positive and sustainable impact on the mental health and wellbeing of young people is driven by her own lived and living experience of mental health challenges.
Jackie is focused on driving impact and building empowered, accountable teams. As the Deputy CEO, Jackie leads a diverse team across Service Delivery, Finance and People and Culture.
Previously, Jackie worked in skin cancer prevention, leading the growth of the SunSmart Program across NSW and the implementation of the award-winning Sun Sound youth skin cancer prevention campaign. She adopts an evidence-based approach and places a high value on collaboration, creativity and continuous improvement.
Tim is a Co-founder and Principal of Snowmelt, a systemic design firm. Snowmelt specialises in enabling organisations to tackle complex, multi-stakeholder challenges, and works in areas such as international development, education, the built environment, and healthcare.
Tim has unique expertise in employing design-led and systems-based approaches to complex challenges, drawing on his work with several consultancies since 2010 and his educational background. Tim has always been curious about the intersection of design and society – the theme he explored in his PhD in planning and urban development.
He is most excited about his current work coaching cities to enable youth-led climate action, and most proud of the growing and thoughtful team at Snowmelt. Outside of Snowmelt, Tim dedicates time to educating emerging practitioners, he has lectured on design, management, and social policy themes at UTS, UNSW and UCLA. He spends much of his time in Australian bushland, a familiar context from his childhood, where he learned firsthand how systems work.
Rangan Srikhanta is the Research and Development Manager at the Centre for Social Impact at UNSW Sydney (CSI UNSW), where he leverages his extensive experience in strategic research development, technology architecture, and innovative project management to enhance the centre’s research operations and drive impactful outcomes.
Prior to his role at CSI UNSW, Rangan was a Management Consultant, where he contributed to major productivity improvements and business transformations for ASX 100 companies. He also founded and served as CEO of One Education Foundation, a One Laptop per Child spin-off and social enterprise that delivered over 70,000 laptops to schools across Australia, raising over $25 million in funding and earning international recognition. Whilst at One Education, he led the organisation’s investment in evaluations into the impact of its programmes with ACER and later an ARC linkage grant with Swinburne, UoW and USyd.
Rangan holds an MBA with Distinction from the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, where he was a recipient of the prestigious Skoll Scholarship and Dean’s List Prize for academic excellence. Outside of work, Rangan is an avid sports and politics enthusiast who enjoys engaging in spirited discussions on both topics.
Leanne is the Director, Strategic Design at Snowmelt and a casual lecturer at University of Technology Sydney. Leanne is passionate about applying design practices to unpack complex problems. She has developed a unique perspective to address organisational challenges over her 20+ years of practice across agency, consulting, academic and industry positions.
Leanne has completed a PhD in management, exploring the role of design in strategy at the University of Technology Sydney. Leanne holds a Master of Management from Macquarie Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Design from Swinburne University and Billy Blue College of Design. Over her career, Leanne has worked in a variety of roles within design agencies, education and corporate strategy consulting. Leanne also loves spending time in her creative pursuits – enjoys engaging with and creating art, beautiful design, and making music.
Paul is an Associate Professor of Accounting in the Monash Business School and the Director of the Mutual Value Impact Lab. Paul is a global expert in performance measurement and evaluation in member-owned and purpose-led organisations including cooperative and mutual enterprises (CMEs) and social enterprises. Paul has published in top academic accounting journals and is a leading researcher in industry-focused research programs at the Monash Business School.
Paul has brought in over A$1 million in grant income from industry partners for research projects. One of his research projects with industry partner, the Business Council of Cooperatives and Mutuals (BCCM) has resulted in the development of a performance measurement framework, the Mutual Value Measurement (MVM) framework, which has been commercialised and taken up by CMEs in Australia, UK and the US. Paul’s research has received global and Australian awards. Paul has worked in senior roles in industry (banking, insurance and consulting) prior to moving to academia.
Nicole Hunter is a Co-founder and Director at MosaicLab and an IAP2 Fellow with over 30 years’ experience in community engagement and facilitation. She specialises in designing and leading processes that tackle complex issues, including high-emotion public forums and deliberative democracy projects. Nicole is co-author of Facilitating Deliberation – A Practical Guide and is widely respected for her ability to engage participants in meaningful and impactful ways.
Her work includes engagement for major projects across sectors including government, energy and water, and she has facilitated large events across Australia and internationally, including the Advancing Women’s Leadership Victorian Summit and Democracy R&D conferences. A licensed IAP2 trainer and former board member, Nicole brings clarity, energy and movement to every session.
Fun fact: When she’s not facilitating, Nicole sings in a choir and spends much of her week poolside supporting her children’s competitive swimming.
Katrina Brooks is the Social Sustainability Manager at Mirvac, overseeing initiatives that support inclusive communities through strategic investment and social inclusion. She leads Mirvac’s ambitious social procurement commitment to spend $100 million with social suppliers by 2030.
With a strong foundation in the not-for-profit sector, Katrina brings more than two decades of experience in designing and delivering initiatives that drive meaningful social impact. She has led major fundraising campaigns, fostered cross-sector partnerships, and is passionate about creating opportunities for people and communities who are often left behind.
Katrina also serves on the Board of Green Connect, a social enterprise focused on sustainability and employment pathways for former refugees and young people. Known for her practical insights and values-driven approach, she is a strong advocate for using business as a force for good.
Research, Evaluation, and Innovation Manager at Supply Nation, published author of book titled “Indigenous Question, Land Appropriation, and Development”, Board Member at multiple institutions, and PhD graduate in Social Sciences from UTS, Gautam is an experienced leader in social impact and community development.
He has extensive experience planning and executing large-scale projects in a variety of settings, ranging from large multinational corporations to small organisations. Outside of the professional world, Gautam is an endurance athlete having completed Ironman and multiple 50km trail runs.
Richard Evans is the Founder and CEO of Talent Nation. With an executive search and recruitment career spanning more than 25 years, he has specialised in ESG, sustainability and the for-purpose sector for the last 16 years.
Talent Nation is a founding BCorporation in Australia, Climate Active Certified, a UN Global Compact Participant, 1% for the Planet Certified Business Member and One Girl Business Changemaker. The team are driven by the impact that they create through the work that they do on a daily basis, placing changemakers into positions of influence that are helping to shape a sustainable future for Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Richard, and his team, have worked with more than a third of the ASX100, as well as large private entities, and influential NGOs to support the design, establishment and evolution of the impact sector.
Richard holds a Bachelor of Forestry Science, a Master of Engineering, and an MBA from Melbourne Business School.
Tom Foster is the Principal Consultant at EcoProsper Consulting, where he helps organisations navigate the intersection of climate, economics, and strategy. With a background in engineering and business, and currently completing a Master of Economics of Sustainability, Tom brings a systems lens to the emerging—but necessary—21st century business environment, where economic, social, and financial systems must operate within ecological limits.
He is a certified Climate Fresk facilitator and a practitioner of Doughnut Design for Business, supporting clients to redesign business models that are regenerative, distributive, and aligned with long-term purpose. With experience across corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors, Tom is a rare bridge between real-world economics, sustainability, and technology. His work helps businesses move beyond growth for its own sake and respond to the urgent need for economic systems that enable present and future generations to live well within planetary boundaries.
Shamal Dass is a respected leader across the for-purpose and commercial sectors, specialising in governance and strategy for social impact. He is an Adjunct Associate Professor at UNSW’s Centre for Social Impact, where he co-created and teaches the Governance for Social Impact course.
Shamal chairs ARACY, is Deputy Chair of the Two Good Foundation, and serves on several boards and committees including Earthwatch, JBWere’s Charitable Endowment Fund, and the NAB Foundation. At JBWere, he leads Family Advisory and Philanthropic Services, delivering strategic advice and research to clients.
Dr Lyndsey McKee is the National Social Impact Industry Director at the Centre for Social Impact, a collaboration between UNSW, the Flinders University, UWA, and Swinburne. She leads major national programs including SILA and Governance for Social Impact, building leadership and governance capacity across the for-purpose sector.
With over 20 years’ experience in Ireland and Australia, Lyndsey holds a PhD in Corporate Responsibility and previously advised hundreds of businesses through Business in the Community. She also serves on the Board of United Way Australia.
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.
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.
Karen Walsh is a dynamic executive leader with over 30 years of experience driving innovation, policy reform and service delivery across Australia’s housing, homelessness and human services sectors. She is deeply committed to collaboration that delivers lasting social and economic impact and is continually exploring new possibilities for transformative change.
Karen’s career highlights include seven years as General Manager at SGCH during a period of significant growth, leading the Northern Territory Government’s inaugural Community Housing Growth Strategy and four years as CEO of Venture Housing, a Tier 1 community housing provider.
Following her tenure as Interim CEO at National Shelter, Karen was appointed Interim CEO of the Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) in June 2025.
Renowned for her strategic leadership, Karen has advanced systemic housing policy, championed the growth and delivery of community housing and contributed to urban regeneration initiatives. Her work integrates a strong social purpose with commercial acumen, and she has played a pivotal role in shaping government policy and fostering cross-sector partnerships spanning public, private and not-for-profit domains.
Karen holds dual Master’s degrees, is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), and an Honorary Fellow of the UTS Institute for Public Policy and Governance. Her expertise has been recognised through board appointments and national awards, reflecting her enduring commitment to leadership, good governance and creating social and economic value.
Paul Gravett is a highly experienced community development leader with over 25 years’ experience driving change at local and regional levels. As Manager Community at the Town of Victoria Park WA and outgoing Chair of the Community Development Network of WA, Paul has championed the evolution of social impact capability within local government.
His work focuses on building the sector’s ability to plan, evaluate and communicate social impact with clarity and purpose. Paul holds an MBA, a Graduate Certificate in Social Impact (CSI), and a Bachelor of Commerce in Community Development and Management. Outside of work, Paul enjoys making music with his band of colleagues, the Squeaky Wheels.
Alison Cameron is an experienced lawyer and public sector leader with a particular interest in child protection and administrative law and practice. Alison runs the Reportable Conduct Scheme at Ombudsman WA, allowing her to combine her experience working with families and children at risk with her administrative law practice. Look out for Alison in the People & Communities stream session on cross-sector strategies for protecting vulnerable populations.
Laura Breslin is the Head of Social Innovation at Uniting NSW. ACT where she has had the pleasure of standing up and Laura is an experienced social impact leader, having worked in the human services sector for over 20 years in various Laura’s thrives when immersed in complex problems. She enjoys leading teams and developing innovation capability When not immersed in wicked problems, Laura loves walking her two dogs and camping with her family.
Kathryn brings an analytical mind and a warm heart to partnerships for purpose.
As a team leader, Kathryn sets strategic direction, builds capability and drives process efficiency across marketing and events management. As a client lead, she provides clear insights based on credible data and gives the advice you need to hear.
Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Science (Molecular Biology) and a Master of Science (Medicine) and an MBA. Outside of work, she’s a spirited adventurer. We’ve seen photos of Kathryn hiking up mountains, getting up close to some grizzlies and even crossing the finish line of a half marathon.
Julia Keady is a strategist, speaker, and advocate for deep reform in Australia’s social impact ecosystem. She is the CEO and Founder of Benefolk, a certified social enterprise and Certified B Corp that supports not-for-profit leaders, boards, and funders to build sustainable, human-centred organisations. Benefolk brings together a collective of advisors, specialists, and practitioners who offer the expertise and resources to support projects large and small — from grassroots initiatives to major systems change efforts.
With a career spanning 15+ years across philanthropy, social enterprise, corporate social impact, and community development, Julia brings a unique systems lens to sector challenges — and a fierce commitment to wellbeing as a strategic imperative, not a soft issue.
Julia holds a Master of Social Impact and is known for her courageous, practical and values-led approach to leadership and reform. Originally from regional Victoria and now based in regional NSW, she brings a strong regional lens to all her work and is a powerful voice for equity, inclusion, and long-term sector sustainability.
Fun fact: Julia spent 3 years working on superyachts and travelling the world – a distant memory – but one that spurred her into joining the social impact sector.
Paris Brooke is the Executive Officer and Co-Founder of the Wilderness Collective, a community-led initiative transforming Mallacoota, far east Gippsland. With over 25 years of experience in strategic communications, investor relations, and advocacy, Paris has been instrumental in securing vital investments and partnerships across the agricultural, biotechnology and medical device industries. She co-founded the Wilderness Collective as a driver for entrepreneurship and innovation in the region following the Black Summer Bushfires.
Paris recently completed the acquisition of a main street property for the benefit of the community, establishing an ‘Innovation, Education and Employment Hub’ to help Mallacoota thrive. A passionate advocate for rural development, Paris continues to champion innovative solutions to complex social and economic challenges.
Matt Pfahlert is the Co-founder and CEO of the Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship (ACRE) and a globally recognised leader in social enterprise. A Young Australian of the Year recipient in 1996, Matt has spent over three decades championing rural communities and youth empowerment.
He led the $2.7M community buy-back of the Old Beechworth Gaol, transforming it into a hub for social innovation, and played a founding role in Social Enterprise Australia. Matt’s work has shaped national policy and global initiatives, including the Rural Manifesto for Social Enterprise, now endorsed by the OECD and UN.
Adam is a proud collaboration and systems nerd and has dedicated the last 2 decades to exploring how participatory design approaches can help to solve complex problems and support sustainable change. Initially within the corporate consulting world, he enabled transformation in large corporations and governments, learning that by including people at all levels in strategy and design, change becomes much stickier, more human, and more fun.
For the last 5 years, Adam’s focus has been in enabling multi-sector collectives to address complex social and environmental challenges, together. Today he leads the work of The Possibility Partnership, catalysing change in the social services sector. Alongside this, he consults with a range of other organisations as a facilitator in purpose-led strategy, through his business Cocreate Catalyst.
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.
Kathleen Blair (PhD, Research and Evaluation Manager) has extensive experience designing and managing evaluations, from complex state-wide government programs to local community initiatives. She specialises in collaborative frameworks, working seamlessly with diverse stakeholders, from government, academia, industry and community, to foster inclusive and equitable outcomes. Katie excels at embedding evaluation practices, developing innovative methodologies aligned with strategic goals, and building organisational capacity. Passionate about community empowerment, she brings a deep commitment to fostering shared decision-making and driving impactful, evidence-based solutions that respond to evolving community needs.
Hannah Morgan (she/her) is a Social Worker and evaluator with over 15 years’ experience across health, government, community, and non-profit sectors. Hannah completed a Master of Evaluation, driven by a curiosity to understand how best to measure and demonstrate impact. Hannah’s evaluation work emphasises codesign, participatory research, and trauma-informed practice especially when working alongside marginalised communities. Hannah brings a strong social justice lens to evaluation, advocating that evaluation offers a way to demonstrate accountability, uplift community voices and increase ownership and use of evaluation findings.
Royden is a big picture thinker who believes we all have a role to play in shaping a better, fairer world.
As Head of Advisory, Royden is exceptionally skilled at bringing together people, data and insights to drive better decision making and unlock meaningful impact in communities.
Royden holds a Masters Degree in public health and spends his free time planning his next cycling adventure across some of the most remote and spectacular countryside in Australia.
A strategic thinker with a passion for driving high-performing teams, Niall oversees client engagement, campaigns and team capability building to deliver impactful work.
He brings over 17 years of international PR & Comms experience in execute effective, award winning campaigns for clients across industries. Niall is an award-winning practitioner, holding the PRIA’s (now CPRA) Golden Target Awards: PR Professional of the Year (silver). He is also a CPRA NSW Council Member and an Assisterhood mentor.
Niall’s strengths lie in his futuristic vision and strategic thinking to develop long-term integrated campaigns that drive real-world impacts.
Simon Vaughan leads our team who deliver social impact measurement projects across the world, working with organisations across the government, corporate and not-for-profit sectors.
Simon’s experience includes working in international development fundraising for over a decade across a broad swathe of fundraising areas, raising millions for the organisations he worked for. He is also a theatre maker and has created and performed works for, among others, Sydney Festival, Festival of Dangerous Ideas, and Malthouse Theatre.
He loves when his work with Huber leads to practical positive outcomes for our clients, such as when one of our clients received a multi-million dollar grant from the State Government thanks in part to Huber’s finding.
Following a 10-year career across international law and the military, Georgina transitioned to Community Development to address social issues at their root cause. Having experienced both ends of the ‘problem solving’ spectrum, Georgina recognised wellbeing measurement holds the key to get all parts of the system working together to make progress on social issues. This realisation led to the development of social enterprise, Huber Social, and fostered a lifelong commitment to the integrity of how we measure social progress in terms of wellbeing.
Georgina holds a Master of Development, Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts (Politics and International Relations). Georgina was recognised in the 2019 Australian Financial Review’s top 100 Women of Influence. Georgina is a co-convenor of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Australia hub.
Min Seto is the driving force behind the development and delivery of the Australian Social Value Bank, under the not-for-profit social enterprise, Alliance Social Enterprises. With a background in Community Services Management, Min now brings over nine years of hands-on experience supporting government, community, and corporate organisations to navigate and strengthen their social impact measurement practices.
A recognised expert in social value and the wellbeing valuation methodology, Min is passionate about embedding wellbeing outcomes at the core of decision-making. She is a strong advocate for transitioning to a wellbeing economy—one that prioritises what truly matters to people and the planet.