Registrations are now closed. Please email [email protected] with any questions.
Speakers
Rana Hussain, a pioneer in the realms of inclusion and belonging, has charted an extraordinary journey through the landscape of sports administration, community engagement, Social Work and the media. With a career marked by a relentless pursuit of positive change and a deep commitment to fostering inclusivity, Rana stands as a powerful advocate for social integration and reduction of discrimination.
Continuing her mission to create a bigger impact, Rana started Good.Human, bringing all the facets of her work together in one place: Expertise, Advocacy and Impact. It's a movement focused on changing people's lives, cultures, and leadership all over the country.
Good.Human is an invitation to celebrate our shared humanity, supporting one another through life's ups and downs, aiming to build a world where everyone feels valued and included as they are. Rana's vision is a more inclusive and brighter future for all.
Dr Sandro Demaio is the CEO of VicHealth, a medical doctor and a public health expert and advocate. He previously held the roles of Medical Officer for non-communicable conditions and nutrition at the World Health Organization, and CEO of the EAT Foundation; the science-based, global platform for food systems transformation where he oversaw the global launch of the EAT-Lancet Commission. Sandro is a member of the Nutrition Strategy Advisory Board, for Pictet Group in Switzerland.
In his pro bono work, Dr Demaio co-founded NCDFREE, a global social movement against chronic disease which reached more than 2.5 million young people in its first 18 months. In 2015, he founded festival21, assembling and leading a team of experts in staging an unprecedented free celebration of community, food, culture and the SDGs in his hometown of Melbourne. Then in 2018, he established an independent, not-for-profit foundation focused on improving the health and nutrition of young Australians.
Nornie Bero is an Island girl - from the Komet Tribe of the Meriam people of Mer Island, she was raised in the Torres Strait.
As a professional chef for over 20 years in Melbourne and London, Bero is passionate about sharing the food culture she grew up with on the Islands. She is the owner and executive chef of Mabu Mabu, a hospitality and food business in Melbourne that celebrates the fantastic Indigenous produce and flavours from across this big Island now known as Australia.
Through her retail products, recently published cookbook, and flagship restaurant Big Esso at Federation Square, Bero is on a mission to get native herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables, and sustainable meats in every Australian kitchen pantry.
AJ Kulatunga is a Business Strategist and Global Keynote Speaker who specialises in Business Creativity and Humanising Innovation. Leveraging experiences from a 20-year entrepreneurial career in business and technology, AJ’s unique perspective and Get It Done™ methodology are empowering leaders around the world with clarity and confidence to transcend disruptive change and lead boldly into the future.
As a former Young Achiever of the Year, AJ believes we have the power to make tomorrow better than today. His presentations and programs challenge conventional business-as-usual thinking and inspire leaders and teams to reimagine how things get done inside their organisations. His captivating energy will leave you feeling like you can overcome the toughest challenges and achieve the impossible.
When he’s not on stage, AJ enjoys stand-up comedy, 4WDriving and attempting to play guitar like Ed Sheeran.
Doug is a social impact strategy consultant, with a passion for social justice and addressing structural inequity. He is a Principal consultant with Social Ventures Australia and has been with the team since 2017.
At SVA, Doug supports clients with strategy, outcomes management and evaluations, with a particular focus on the philanthropy sector and First Nations initiatives. Major projects include developing the Blueprint to Grow Structured Giving with Philanthropy Australia (which inspired the recent Productivity Commission Inquiry into giving), and developing a vision to grow the community foundation sector. Doug also supported development of a First Nations-led tertiary education model in Arnhem land; and an evaluation of Marram-Ngala Ganbu, a First Nations-designed initiative in the Children’s Court of Victoria.
Prior to joining SVA, Doug worked at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Federal Department of Education and Training as an education policy adviser, and in community engagement in Central Australia, supporting First Nations communities.
Jessica Christiansen-Franks is an award-winning technology leader, unlocking the power of big data and social analytics to transform cities around the world.
As CEO and Founding Director of urban analytics company Neighbourlytics, Jess has combined cutting-edge data science with decades of experience in urban design, to reimagine the future of city-making and property development.
Matt Walton is the CEO of technology consulting company, Dog and Bone, who provide independent advice to not-for-profit organisations on how to leverage technology. He has been involved in the community sector for 30 years, starting as a volunteer youth worker at the YMCA, working his way up the organisation, which saw him managing IT for YMCA nationally.
For the past 10 years, Matt has been working with the not-for-profit sector to help them with various technology initiatives, all with the underlying goal of making technology work for organisations that improve the world.
Based in Canberra, Paula is responsible for managing the end-to-end delivery of collaborative projects aimed to produce significant impact on national and sub-national economies in Australia. She is currently involved in the delivery of the Raising Ambition project which focuses on the government role accelerating action towards achieving net zero emissions. Paula has also worked alongside businesses' stakeholders (Public and Private), to support Corporates' understanding and commitment to strong, credible action towards net zero emissions and limiting warming to 1.5 C degrees.
Before joining Climateworks centre, Paula was working as government officer for the Spanish Ministry of Environment. However, she developed most of her career internationally, working in sustainability development projects across Latin America and Africa. Her volunteering work for the UN Peacekeeping mission in South Sudan is what brought her to Australia.
Paula holds a Degree in Environmental Sciences and a Master in Environment Engineering, in addition to a Master in International Relations and Diplomacy.
Gill Whelan is the General Manager of DECJUBA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of leading fashion retailer, DECJUBA. Working closely with DECJUBA Owner & CEO, Tania Austin, Gill is establishing and steering partnerships with local and international charity organisations with the aim of positively impacting 25 million lives by 2025. Gill is also GM of TANK Foundation (Tania Austin’s family foundation).
Gill’s previous role was Senior Partnerships & Public Relations Manager at not-for-profit organisation, St Kilda Mums. She brings insights from her experience in fundraising to her approach to philanthropy, with a preference for untied funding, capacity building and longer term partnerships.
Julie Abramson was appointed a part time Commissioner with the Productivity Commission in December 2015 and reappointed for a further 5 years in 2020. She is also currently a Co-Commissioner on the Philanthropy Inquiry.
Julie is a lawyer with over 30 years regulatory experience at both State and Federal levels. She was also a part-time Commissioner with the Victorian Essential Services Commission from August 2014 until August 2016.
Her career in public policy includes working with Government, industry bodies (VECCI, Civil Contractors Federation), the private sector (National Australia Bank) and a Regulatory Agency (Australian Securities and Investments Commission). She has particular expertise in economic related regulatory matters, such as financial services and competition policy. She is also a member of the Higher Education Council and Chair of the Regulatory Compliance Committee of a dual sector Higher Education Provider.
Lyndon believes that no child should go hungry at school in a country as fortunate as Australia. He strives to ensure that children who would otherwise be too hungry to learn are provided a well rounded lunch, and ultimately the opportunity to enjoy their time at school and fully leverage the power of a great education.
As Founder of Eat Up Australia, Lyndon has led the growth of a free national lunch program for disadvantaged school children who would otherwise go without. Starting in his hometown of Shepparton in 2013 on his Mum's kitchen table to help 2 local schools, to today supporting over 650 schools nationally, and having delivered over 3 million lunches.
Lyndon has seen first-hand the generosity of the Australian community to volunteer their time to make a difference in the lives of hungry kids. He is inspired by the possibilities for wide reaching positive change that this enormously powerful contribution brings into view, and is working to facilitate additional opportunities to leverage this massive public potential.
Simon is the lead partner at GoodWolf, an impact advisory team working to align funders, non-profits, and community service organisations to amplify their impact in society. Drawing on his experience in philanthropy, family offices and trustee services, Simon works with a growing network of charitable organisations and community partners dedicated to creating positive change.
An active volunteer himself, Simon currently serves as Trustee of the Reichstein Foundation and Chair of the Australian Outward Bound Development Fund. Being from Zimbabwe, Simon has always been a passionate advocate for more regional and international philanthropy from Australians. In 2018 he co-founded and is inaugural Chair of the Australian International Development Network, fostering stronger collaboration with foundations and philanthropists working abroad.
Simon feeds his ‘good wolf’ as a dad, a musician, and a passionate explorer of Australia’s great wilderness.
Geoff is the recently appointed Chief Executive Officer of Volunteering Victoria, having taken on the role in January 2024. Geoff has been involved with Volunteering Victoria for a number of years as a Board Member, and previously through Volunteering Ballarat and the Victorian Volunteer Support Network (VVSN). He offers over 20 years of experience in senior leadership roles across international Aid and Development, the Philanthropic sector, Volunteering and the Early Years Field.
Most recently Geoff has been specialised in Strategy, Systemic Change and Leadership across the not-for-profit sector, as he has consulted and worked to drive long-term systemic change and collaborative approaches to complex social issues and place-based change.
Geoff has held multiple current and past Directorships, is a member of the Worldwide Institute of Learning Professionals, and takes great joy in his wonderful little farm on Wathaurong Country in Western Victoria.
Hassan is an independent strategic advisor, economist and management consultant who is passionate about helping leaders build inclusive economies and social systems that empower people. He is also the Founder and Director of boutique consulting firm People Economics.
Hassan has 20 years of experience advising ministers, senior officials and CEOs across Australia, South-East Asia & the Pacific, and the Middle East. He has held senior executive roles at the Australian National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and consulting firm McKinsey & Company. He has also worked at the Australian Department of the Treasury and at the World Bank.
Ross is the founder of Think Impact, an organisation leading the way in supporting organisations to achieve better impact over the last decade. He has spent many years advising industry, the community sector and government on impact measurement, strategy, and policy, and has an abiding commitment to supporting organisations to build value and performance through impact-led design.
Ross is a big believer in providing an effective voice to communities in any engagement and likes to ensure human stories sit alongside rigorous data when articulating social impact. He has also led major research projects on the impact of volunteering and factors shaping volunteerism.
Topic: ‘Everyone In! The Revolution in Volunteerism for a Post-Colonial World’.
Christine is the founder of Flutterbye; a consultancy that supports those who work with volunteers by designing, delivering and improving volunteer programs. She has deep experience across all aspects of volunteer engagement and is passionate about supporting the volunteering sector. For over 18 years Christine has been designing, implementing, improving and leading volunteer programs across the not-for-profit, government and private sectors. Christine has a track record of developing and implementing strategies that build and enhance the engagement of volunteers.
Christine has established herself as a leading voice in the volunteering sector and is regularly sought as a speaker, writer and Consultant both locally and internationally. Christine has a strong interest in continuous improvement and has experience and qualifications in Volunteer Administration (CVA), Community and Stakeholder Engagement (IAP2), Lean Six Sigma, Change Management, Training and Communications.
Deborah is a Lawyer at Justice Connect’s Not-for-profit Law and regularly delivers legal training to employees and volunteers at volunteer-involving organisations. She was admitted to legal practice in 1998. Alongside her training role at Justice Connect, Deborah also works as a Consultant Legal Educator at Barwon Health.
She has experience working as a lawyer in both the private and public sector in the areas of health law, commercial law and general litigation and has had roles within the Not-for-profit sector as both a volunteer board member and employee.
Topic: ‘Diversity in Volunteering: Using the Law to Support Best Practice’.
An inspiring leader in the sector, Marg was the Volunteer Program Manager at Zoos Victoria for over 12 years, supporting 850 volunteers across Victoria.
Previously, as an advisor to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), she helped establish programs to decrease social isolation. This led to a network of over 45 clubs across Victoria, all run by volunteers with the assistance of DVA. Marg also worked in aged care for many years, including developing a Cognitive Activity Program resource, designed to provide mentally stimulating activities for aged care residents.
As a member of Rostrum Victoria, she also assists with the organisation’s Voice of Youth competition, promoting the benefits of developing public speaking skills to secondary students.
Alexandra is an autistic woman and a passionate advocate for disability inclusion. As a member of the Volunteering Victoria People with Disability Advisory Group, she promotes the advantages of engaging people with disability in volunteering.
Alex serves on various committees, including the Board of the Autism Self Advocacy Network Australia and New Zealand. She works as a Disability Inclusion Advisor in local government (City of Casey), specialising in policy change, planning, reporting, and outcomes frameworks. As a systems thinker, Alex focuses on systemic advocacy, creating inclusive communities through long-term sustainable change.
Dan is the Executive Officer of GippSport and is serving as a Director on the Boards of Regional Sport Victoria, Gippsland Youth Spaces, and the Foundation for Gippsland Community. He has been in the Sport and Recreation industry so long that he can practically organise a committee meeting in his sleep. As the Executive Officer for GippSport, he's known for his strategic thinking, exceptional stakeholder schmoozing, and juggling more high-level projects than you can shake a stick at.
When he's not managing and working with sports organisations or Government, Dan is volunteering. He’s served as President, Vice President, and Board Member at various clubs and NFP organisations, in all the jobs that no one else wants! Nowadays, his sport is towing his kids around a mountain bike circuit and herding 25 6-7 year old kids as one of the Inverloch Stars Soccer Club Under 8’s Miniroos coordinators.
Rory Sackville has been working in the Corporate Social Responsibility sector for over 12 years. Currently he is a Client Relations Manager at Good2Give – a not-for-profit that makes it easy for businesses, their employees, and customers to support the communities and causes they care about. Good2Give provides innovative technology solutions to help businesses, donors and charities connect. He works with corporates such as Australia Post, Rio Tinto, REA Group, Toyota, and Reece on their corporate giving programs.
Prior to Good2Give, he was a Social Impact Specialist at RACV managing community partnerships, local donations programs and corporate volunteering, as well as leading Social Impact reporting and analysis.
Sarah has expertise in volunteer involvement and not-for-profit strategy and governance. She holds degrees in Arts, Psychology, and Law and is currently completing her Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Clinical Psychology at the University of Western Australia.
Sarah is the National Strategy Advisor at Volunteering Australia and previously served as the Policy Manager for VolunteeringACT for nearly a decade. She is a passionate volunteer as the Deputy Chair of Animals Australia, a Telephone Crisis Supporter for Lifeline, and a Research and Policy Volunteer for the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds.
In her spare time, Sarah is a full-time carer to her rescue greyhound George.
Leesa has twenty years’ experience in professional volunteer management, as well as being a dedicated volunteer herself. She is currently Program Lead for Community Connections at Melbourne Water, engaging volunteers in environment and waterway protection.
Previously Leesa was the Statewide Volunteering Manager at Parks Victoria, where she led the Volunteering in Parks Strategic Plan 2017–2021, delivered the award-winning volunteer management system ParkConnect, and initiated industry-first programs like the Volunteering Innovation Fund. She also spent 11 years at Conservation Volunteers Australia, developing volunteer programs both in Australia and internationally.
Passionate about developing the profession of Volunteer Management, Leesa founded the Environmental Volunteering Collective on Linkedin. She also gained her Certification in Volunteer Administration (CVA) in 2021 and is a Professional Leader of Volunteers (PLV) since 2019.
A familiar face returns as this year’s Great Debate moderator!
Scott is currently the CEO of Freedom Solutions Australia, a not-for-profit organisation that customises, designs, and builds assistive technology solutions for people living with disability. Scott has an extensive background in community services, particularly in the nonprofit sector. His career highlights encompass successful organisational transformation, strategic leadership, and a passion for creating meaningful impact in communities.
Scott’s leadership journey includes pivotal roles such as Chief Executive at Volunteering Victoria and Volunteering New Zealand, where he provided strong leadership for a vibrant volunteering sector. Scott has engaged internationally, serving on committees, and advising governments on democratic processes.
Exhibitors
Interested in exhibiting at the conference?
See more information below.