2022 Summit Speakers
The NEXUS 2022 Australia Summit featured more than 50 prominent speakers, including key international guests, and dynamic members of the Australian NEXUS community.
JIRRA LULLA HARVEY
Founder, KALINYA
(NEXUS AUSTRALIA MC)
Jirra Lulla Harvey is founder of Kalinya, a profit-for-purpose company that exists to contribute to the economic freedom of Indigenous peoples, in reciprocity with nature. A Koorie woman, passionate about entrepreneurship and adventure, Jirra has travelled to 20+ countries learning from First Nations people. A National Scholar at the University of Melbourne and inaugural Indigenous Leadership Fellow at the National Gallery of Australia, Jirra is a lifelong learner. She has studied sustainable business practises, venture capital and impact investing, and lived in the USA where she learned from entrepreneurs and investors with lived experience of breaking economic barriers. She founded Kalinya a decade ago to share positive stories from her community and today works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses across Australia on strategy, traceable supply chain, and access to capital.
ADAM BRIGGS
Briggs is a Yorta Yorta man and Australian rapper, lyricist, hip hop artist, writer, presenter, author and actor. Briggs became well known as a solo rapper before co-founding the hip hop duo A.B. Original in 2016. He has worked with The Hilltop Hoods, Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly and Henry Rollins. Briggs is the chair of the Adam Briggs Foundation, a First Nations-led charity organisation that plays a vital role in filling the gap of representation and skills-based development in the creative industries, for First Nations people. The foundation’s inaugural Barpirdhila grant initiative aims to help First Nations artists who have been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In 2017, Briggs was named the GQ Agenda Setter of the Year. Briggs released his first children’s book, Our Home, Our Heartbeat in 2020.
OSHER GUNSBERG
Osher Günsberg is one of Australia’s most recognisable media personalities and has been a guest in the living rooms of Australian’s for nearly 2 decades. From his work on Channel [V] in the early 2000’s to seven seasons on Australian Idol, Osher was the first Australian to host live network prime time TV in the USA on Live To Dance (CBS). Currently, Osher hosts three formats within The Bachelor franchise – The Bachelor Australia, The Bachelorette Australia and Bachelor in Paradise, and is the narrator of Bondi Rescue (all Network 10). The release of his memoir, Back, After the Break (HarperCollins Australia) became an instant best-seller and detailed Osher’s powerful, dark, funny and heart wrenching story about life, love and living with mental illness.
emma pocock
ceo, frontrunners
Emma is the CEO of FrontRunners, an organisation that supports athletes in engaging with the climate and environmental challenges facing all of us. In her role at FrontRunners, she engineered The Cool Down - an open letter from over 460 athletes from 40+ sports calling on Australia to increase its climate ambition. She is also an inaugural board member of AFL Players for Climate Action. Emma has more than a decade of experience working alongside her partner, former Wallaby Captain, and now Senator for the ACT, David Pocock, on various projects and building a public profile for good through sport. Their shared work has included; the establishment of Rangelands Regeneration Trust - working to manage 70,000 ha in the Zimbabwean Lowveld for biodiversity and improved rural livelihoods; co-authoring a book, In Our Nature, about their work in Zimbabwe, as well as stories about rugby, conservation, climate change, and belonging, and; a successful Senate campaign, as well as advocacy on climate action, conservation and marriage equality.
SENATOR DAVID POCOCK
Having migrated from Zimbabwe with his family as a teenager, David went on to captain the Wallabies and Vice-Captain the Brumbies as part of a stellar rugby career in which he has been awarded for leadership on and off the field. With a Masters in Sustainable Agriculture, David also has a track record as a powerful advocate on issues ranging from climate to marriage equality. He is involved in multiple small businesses and has co-founded numerous not-for-profit community initiatives in Australia and overseas, including with his wife Emma. In 2021, David attended the COP26 climate summit and led The Cool Down campaign that saw over 470 Australian athletes from 40+ sports call on the Australian Government to lift its ambition on climate change. Upon returning home, he announced his run as the community-endorsed Independent Senate candidate for the ACT. After campaigning on a platform of integrity, doing politics differently and making Canberra count, David was successfully elected at the 21 May 2022 Federal Election.
MONICA CORDOVA (USA)
Executive Director, Funders' Collaborative on Youth Organizing (FCYO)
Mónica Córdova is the Executive Director of the Funders’ Collaborative on Youth Organizing, a US-based collective of philanthropic leaders and youth organizers working to ensure young people have the resources and tools they need to fight for a more just and democratic society. She honed her vision and practice for more than a decade as the youth organizer and then Co-Director of the SouthWest Organizing Project, a local grassroots organization in New Mexico. She’s a proud mama, Chicana, and certified professional coach
LARISSA BALDWIN
CEO, GETUP
Larissa Baldwin is a Widjabul woman from the Bundjalung Nations and the newly appointed CEO of GetUp. She was previously the First Nations Justice Lead at GetUp. She dedicates her life to fighting for First Nations justice and Self-Determination. From staunch grassroots resistance, to building the Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network, to starting First Nations Justice campaigning at GetUp. Larissa has a passion for mentoring young people, and crafting brilliant campaign strategies.
jojo ferris
Head of the Olympic Refuge Foundation
Jojo is Head of the Olympic Refuge Foundation, driving towards a goal for one million young people affected by displacement to access safe sport by 2024. From 2018 - 2021 Jojo led the design of the International Olympic Committee’s new strategy Olympism 365 to build a better world through sport. Jojo previously managed the Australian Government’s $35 million Sport for Development program – the Pacific Sports Partnerships and was Continental Manager at the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. She was also the Founding Manager of the Sports Training and Outreach Program (STOP HIV) with UNAIDS and ONOC in Fiji and the Pacific and has held various Board positions including with Sportanddev, Documentary Australia Foundation and her own Family Foundation.
Nidala Barker
MUSICIAN AND ACTIVIST
Nidala is a singer-songwriter, activist and outdoor educator. Born of the Aboriginal Djugun people of the Kimberley, her music is an anthem for open hearts and raised fists. Driven by her relentless hope in humanity, her work dedicates itself to creating reconciliation; of ourselves with our emotions, of our bodies with our natural environments, and of Indigenous wisdom with innovative ideas. Nidala will be performing work that dedicates itself to creating reconciliation; of ourselves with our emotions, of our daily lives with our natural environment, and of Indigenous wisdom with innovative ideas.
VARSHA YAJMAN
climate justice and mental health advocate
Varsha Yajman is an Indian-Australian climate justice and mental health advocate and has been an organiser for School Strike for Climate and the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. Varsha is currently studying law and politics at the University of Sydney and is a coordinator at Sapna South Asian Climate Solidarity and paralegal at Equity Generation Lawyers, which conducts climate change ligation. Her work and her podcast, Not to be Controversial, aim to create a community for young South Asians to feel represented and empowered.
Rona Glynn-McDonald
Founding CEO of Common Ground and Co-Founder of First Nations Futures
Rona is a Kaytetye woman who grew up in Mparntwe on Arrernte Country. With ties to storytelling, economics and narrative change, Rona works with First Nations organisations to shape future systems that centre First Nations people, knowledge and solutions. Rona is the founding CEO of Common Ground and co-founder of First Nations Futures. Rona works as an advisor to companies and organisations across the not for profit, retail, sport and philanthropy sectors. Through her work across philanthropy she is shaping futures grounded in reciprocity and economic justice.
LITTLE GREEN (PERFORMER)
SINGER-SONGWRITER
Nomadic singer songwriter, Little Green, delivers her new single ‘iridescent ghosts’, a spellbinding cautionary tale of how fragile our existence on earth is. Growing up in the Blue Mountains, Little Green developed a sense of storytelling and musicality inspired by the nature around her. Self-taught on flute, sax, guitar, piano, bass, and voice, she has used her talents to create a charmingly childlike musical world. ‘iridescent ghosts‘ is the follow up single to her 2021 releases ‘The Night' EP, ‘dreambird' EP, lo-fi collaboration 'feather light' and the book soundtrack to Lisa Leong's 'This Working Life'. Little Green is also making a name for herself on the live stage. Having supported Charlie Collins, Budjerah, John Floreani and Wafia, 2022 is set to be a breakout year for this songwriter on the rise.
rathana chea
co-founder, Multicultural Leadership Initiative; ceo, Rathana.org
Rathana is a global leader and bridge builder working for the last 20 years in environmental sustainability and human rights across Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Oceania, Australia and the Americas. Serving in national, regional and international project leadership and executive management roles for Greenpeace, Amnesty International, Sunrise Project and other leading change agents Rathana also co-founded a number of not-for-profits and social enterprises in both the Global North and South. In late 2022, he co-founded a new climate organisation uniquely focusing on growing and transforming the climate movement in a way that involves and reflects more racially, culturally and linguistically diverse voices and interests, the Multicultural Leadership Initiative (MLI). He has served on serveral boards including as Chair and Vice Chair of the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby and peak multicultural body, ECC, respectively. He is currently on the board of two change-maker training organisations, USA based Mobilisation Lab and Asia based AktivAsia.
CLAIRE O’ROURKE
Australia Energy Transformation Program
Co-Director, The Sunrise Project
Claire O’Rourke is an author, environmentalist and advocate, with two decades working in journalism, communications and campaigns across Australia and around the world. Claire helps others take action on climate change, currently as Australia Energy Transformation Program Co-Director at The Sunrise Project. Claire's first book, Together We Can, was published by Allen & Unwin in 2022. Previously Claire was National Director of Solar Citizens, a community-led renewable energy advocacy organisation. A former journalist, Claire has extensive experience advocating for social impact, including driving communications for the Every Australian Counts campaign for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and as a senior leader at Amnesty International Australia. Claire’s father worked at coal fired power stations all his career, and now she spends her days working on how we can replace them in time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, and how we can ensure workers, communities and First Nations peoples share the benefits as the world quickly moves to clean, renewable energy.
RACHEL GERROL
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, NEXUS
Rachel is Co-Founder & CEO of NEXUS, the leading international network of next gen philanthropists & impact investors, with 6000+ members from over 70 countries with a combined net worth of over $650 billion. Rachel has organised 40 NEXUS summits across 5 continents. She co-chaired the G8 Young Summit and worked with Vice President Biden to create the “It’s On Us” campaign to stop sexual assault on campus. She is currently collaborating with the UN Office of Global Communications and WHO on campaigns to address the spread of misinformation around COVID in Latin America & Africa. Rachel co-founded The Survivor Initiative to raise awareness for Holocaust survivors living below the poverty line, and has raised over $15 million dollars. Rachel was recognised with the Beacon Award from the Ellis Island Honors society in 2019, received the Jewish Women’s Archive ‘Making Change/Making History’ Award and was named in the “Top 99 Foreign Policy Leader Under 33” by the Diplomatic Courier.
STUART COOK
Chairman of Forpurpose Co (OzHavest Ventures)
Stuart Cook, is an experienced founder and investor in early-stage ventures through his investment vehicle, turned corporate advisory firm TWIYO Capital. For the last decade, Stuart and TWIYO Capital has been working with and investing in early-stage companies across Australia and the US. TWIYO’s primary focus is across three main verticals of health and wellness, food and environmental technology. He became CEO of Mexican restaurant chain Zambrero aged 23 and oversaw its meteoric growth from $1m to over $75m of sales in only 6 years and expanded the business into three countries. Today Stuart is the Co-CEO of Flave, a business focusing on building a sustainable world through introducing people to amazing food that just happens to be plant-based. He is also the Chairman of Forpurpose Co - the for-profit arm of the Ozharvest charity, which invests and helps build companies focusing on more sustainable food systems.
L-FRESH THE LION
Hip Hop artist and Advocate
Born & raised in South West Sydney, L-FRESH The LION is one of Australia's most important Hip Hop artists. From live music venues, stadiums & arenas, to the United Nations Headquarters in New York, his music is a powerful statement which speaks of purpose. In the time since his ARIA nominated album BECOME was released (2016), L-FRESH The LION has taken his music to the world. He addressed the United Nations Headquarters in New York in late 2018 & was selected as an ambassador for YouTube's Creators for Change global initiative, with his resulting video 'RACI$T / Our World' premiering at the Tribeca TV Festival in New York. Breaking ground & exceeding expectations is a recurring theme of this South West Sydney artist, having performed alongside Hip Hop icons such as Nas, Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, & even the legendary Sir Elton John.
Victoria Yim
Grantmaking Partnerships Manager (APAC), zoom cares
Victoria leads Zoom Cares’ philanthropic grantmaking partnerships in APAC. In this role, she works closely with non profit organizations and the larger social impact community to foster equity, democratize opportunity, and address some of humanity's biggest challenges through funding, technology and volunteers. Prior to joining Zoom, she was at Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, leading their grantmaking operations for the region. Victoria started her career in Public Relations and Communication, before pursuing a career in social impact as Programme Manager where she led Singapore’s largest free digital literacy initiative supporting children from disadvantaged backgrounds
betty barkha
Co-chair, international women’s development agency (iwda)
Betty Barkha is a professional researcher with over a decade of experience in research, advocacy and development across the Pacific and Asia. She has been involved with various development organisations in Asia and the Pacific region since 2009 and is currently a Technical Advisor on Environment and Climate Change with FHI 360. Betty also serves as an advisor to FRIDA Young Feminist Fund and the Global Resilience Fund. She holds a Bachelor's and Master’s degrees in Arts and is currently pursuing her PhD at Monash University with the Centre for Gender, Peace and Security (Monash GPS). She is currently the co-chair of the International Women’s Development Agency (IWDA) and is on the board of the CIVICUS Alliance (a world alliance for citizen participation).
kerry gardner am
Co-chair, international women’s development agency (iwda)
Kerry Gardner AM is the Co-Chair, The International Women’s Development Agency, and a member of The Myer Foundation, as well as the Co-Founder of her own Private Ancillary Fund, The Andyinc Foundation. Ms Gardner has championed the rights of women and girls for 25 years through contributions to the arts, environment, and social justice. Her focus is shaped by an understanding that a more global and interconnected approach is essential to realise freedom from violence, reproductive and sexual health and rights, political and economic pathways to empowerment and the systems that deliver these for diverse women. In 2018 Ms Gardner was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for contributions to the culture, environment and equality sectors and became a member of Women Moving Millions (New York).
CHRISTINA CHUN
COO, Social Enterprise Australia
Christina works to combat inequality by optimising solutions, and leveraging data and strategic partnerships for continuous improvement and growth. She has built social enterprises that have been recognised by Westpac’s Top 200 Businesses of Tomorrow, Forbes30U30 in Asia, and in Marie Claire’s Glass Ceiling Awards. Christina has been in leadership positions across social enterprise and government, and currently holds chair and advisory positions across The Social Enterprise Council of NSW and ACT, Consent Labs, and the UNSW Business Advisory Council. Alongside being the COO of Social Enterprise Australia, the national peak for social enterprises across Australia, she is also a mum to three bubbly girls under 5 - the hardest but most rewarding role of all.
ling ang
visual artist
Ling Ang is a multimedia artist based in Melbourne. She supports RMIT University, including being one of the lead supporters in resurrecting The Capitol Theatre. Ling is a major supporter of Melbourne International Film Festival, helping to develop their first ever XR platform that encompasses Virtual and Augmented reality. Exploring the future of storytelling through education and emerging technology. She is also on the board of Philanthropy Australia and the advisory council of Asia Society Australia.
Viv Benjamin
founder, Global & Collective,
Viv is the founder of Global & Collective, an immigrant-women-led social impact agency bringing people together to co-create change in every region of the world. Viv is a facilitator, campaigner, social entrepreneur, and trust-based philanthropist. Viv is a Director of MobLab Collective, and former CEO of Oaktree. With roots in the Philippine islands and Australia, Viv lives in New York with her partner, pet and plant jungle.
Michelle Lin
CEO, Vermilion Foundation
Michelle is a Management Consultant at KPMG and CEO of her family foundation, Vermilion Foundation, which supports the areas of Diversity and Inclusion, Mental Health, Lifelong Learning and Climate Action. She is very passionate about New Gen philanthropy and shifting capital towards purpose, and sits on Philanthropy Australia's New Gen committee. A champion for diversity from a gender, minority and disability lens, she has many passions including multicultural youth empowerment, increasing representation of women of colour in leadership roles and youth mental health.
Martin Green
director, pantera press
Martin is a director and publisher at Pantera Press, Australia's fastest growing independent book publishing company, a social purpose business publishing books that matter. He is also a director of the Pantera Press Foundation, which primarily invests in education, literacy and equity.
ali green
ceo & co-founder, pantera press
Social entrepreneur, Ali Green, is CEO and co-founder of #1 fastest growing independent Australian book publisher, Pantera Press. Green is the 2020 Sydney Young Entrepreneur of the Year (Arts & Culture) and the 2019 Sydney Entrepreneur of the Year (PR/Media) and was named one of Australia’s 100 Most Influential Women by the Australian Financial Review for exemplifying, through Pantera Press, the trend towards integrating business and social good. Ali is a Harvard Business School Alumna and sits on a number of industry committees and boards including Story Factory (Deputy Chair), Writing NSW (Director) and the Pantera Press Foundation (Director).
rachel english
senior foundation manager, mutual trust
Rachel has worked on many sides of the social, in fundraising, service delivery and granting. She now works in Philanthropy at Mutual Trust, assisting families with their giving and strategies. Whilst at the same time formulating her own strategies as a trustee of the English Family Foundation which focuses on driving transformational change through partnerships with early stage social enterprises in Australia and South East Asia. Rachel is also a member of Philanthropy Australia’s New Gen program and was previously Co-Chair of NEXUS Australia.
ARIELLE GAMBLE
DIRECTOR, GROUNDSWELL
As a storyteller and community builder, Arielle aims to harness the powers of creativity and collaboration to create meaningful change. As Groundswell Director, Arielle is passionate about bringing new people and communities into the climate conversation, focussing on narratives around climate justice and climate solutions. Prior to Groundswell, Arielle co-founded and curated a group exhibition with some of Australia’s leading contemporary artists, All We Can’t See: Illustrating the Nauru Files. This national exhibition and impact campaign shed light on the unacceptable human cost of offshore detention. The project toured Australia in 2018, raising funds for legal and advocacy support for asylum seekers and refugees. Arielle’s former career was as an award winning book designer and illustrator, and she maintains an art practise in embroidery and tapestry. Arielle is a Fellow of Australian Progress.
SAFFRON ZOMER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AUSTRALIAN DEMOCRACY NETWORK
Saffron is a lawyer, campaigner and political strategist with more than a decade of experience leading law reform campaigns. She is the founding Executive Director of the Australian Democracy Network (ADN), which brings together a diverse group of social change organisations and individuals to campaign for the changes which make our democracy more fair, open, transparent and accountable. Prior to founding ADN, Saffron was the Government Relations Manager at the Australian Conservation Foundation, and has spent several years working in the US. In 2017 Saffron co-founded and co-led the Hands Off Our Charities Alliance which protects the right of civil society organisations to advocate for our causes and communities.
Georgia Mathews
Director of Philanthropic Services, australian communities foundation
Georgia is Director of Philanthropic Services at Australian Communities Foundation, where she leads the philanthropy and donor services teams, and supports more than 450 fund holders and private clients with philanthropic strategy and compliance. She founded GiveOUT in 2016, a collective giving organisation for LGBTIQ+ communities, and holds board positions at several philanthropic organisations. She has previously worked at Inner North Community Foundation, Social Ventures Australia and Australians Investing in Women, and holds a Master of Social Investment and Philanthropy from Swinburne University of Technology’s Centre for Social Impact, a Bachelor of Arts from Melbourne University (History; Gender Studies), and a certificate in not-for-profit governance from the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Georgia is passionate about the redistribution of resources to achieve progressive, systemic change that’s community-led.
Alicia Hodges
NEXUS Australia Committee
Alicia is a Waanji Garawa/Kaurareg, Erub Bam Le’ woman. Alicia is a seasoned public servant working in the ACT Government, where she contributes to the development and provision of strategic policy, governance, and advice to the ACT Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs. Alicia has previously served as a Board Director on the ACT Torres Strait Islander Corporation, promoting and encouraging Torres Strait Islander heritage and culture through economic, social, and educational activities such as celebrating Mabo Day and Coming of the Light. She is passionate about driving systemic change to improve equitable outcomes for First Nations communities in Australia.
Lucinda Steggles
Chair, NEXUS Australia
Lucy is the Chair of NEXUS Australia and a member of the NEXUS Global Mental Health Council, having been involved with NEXUS since 2015. Lucy has been a delegate and speaker at several NEXUS Global Summits, including as an official delegate to the United Nations Population Fund brains trust on Youth Creating a Resilient World. Passionate about philanthropy and social entrepreneurship, Lucy has used her time and skills to passionately drive social change. After working in professional services for 13 years both within Australia and the UK, in 2019 Lucy moved into not-for-profit and sits on the executive leadership team at youth mental health organisation, batyr. Lucy has been an active member of Philanthropy Australia’s Next Generation of Giving Program since 2014, and is also involved in her families philanthropic giving.
Edwina Floch
ENVIRONMENTAL MUSIC PRIZE
In this time of exponential change, Edwina is interested in identifying catalysts that will rapidly shift attitudes and behaviour affecting the world’s big global problems. Launched during COP26, the Environmental Music Price is a global first that amplifies the voices of artists who inspire action for climate and conservation. It incentivises them to create powerful music videos that connect us to nature. Through its Impact Partner Network, Climate Leadership Training and media opportunities, it empowers influential cultural icons to become advocates for change. The inaugural prize saw: 200+ entries, 24 Finalists (Paul Kelly, Jack River, King Stingray, Briggs, Lime Cordiale), 50+ media stories, 58 countries voting, the $20,000 prize being donated to The Wilderness Society by the winner (King Gizzard), a prize for ‘Emerging Environmental Songwriter’ awarded to indigenous artist (Nidala Barker).
Kirsty Albion
NEXUS Australia Committee
Kirsty is Executive Director at Australian Progress, the leading organisation building the capacity of civil society to drive systemic change. Kirsty was previously the National Director of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, running high-impact campaigns and growing the organisation three-fold to the largest team focused on climate campaigning in the country. Kirsty is the recipient of numerous awards including Young Tasmanian of the Year 2010 and the Prime Minister’s Young Environmentalist of the Year.
GRACE MATHEW
MANAGING DIRECTOR, WETHINK & NEXUS Australia Committee
Selected as one of Australia’s 100 Brightest Young Minds, Grace Mathew has applied her strengths in communications, leadership and relationship management to roles in the corporate and non-profit sectors, regularly presenting to audiences of up to 60,000 since age 15. As Managing Director of WeThink, Grace consults on impact investment, growth strategy and market engagement, with recent clients ranging from significant impact investment funds to global firms including Google and DLA Piper. Grace sits on the Board of the Healthcare Impact Foundation and co-leads the Global Family Office BioForum, into which she personally introduced over 150 international family offices. She sits on the advisory board of Healthcare Ventures, Australia’s first digital health venture capital fund.
Cat Fay
Managing Partner, Community & Social Investment and ESG, Perpetual
Cat is a passionate social investment specialist who works between the for-purpose and for-profit sectors. One of Australia’s most senior philanthropic leaders, she holds nearly two decades of experience working in philanthropy and social investment globally. Cat oversees $4.5bn in community investments and more than $100M in community grants annually. She is a driver of thinking on the potential role of social investors within a digital age, and leader on gender-wise and LGBTQIA+ philanthropy.
Mundundara Bayles
Managing Director & Facilitator, BlackCard
Mundanara’s cultural heritage is connected to the Wonnarua and Bunjalung people on her mother’s side and the Birri-Gubba and Gungalu on her father’s side. Mundanara grew up in Redfern NSW with her 8 sisters and moved to her father’s country in the early 90’s. Coming from a family that has been active in the Aboriginal movement since the 60s and 70s she continues to follow their example. As a proud advocate for her people, she follows in her father’s footsteps and aims to make a positive contribution. Mundanara is the Managing Director and co-founder of the BlackCard Pty Ltd, which is a 100% Aboriginal owned business certified with Supply Nation. Mundanara co-founded BlackCard with Dr Lilla Watson, who is a respected Aboriginal elder, artist, educator and long-time course developer. BlackCard is a specialist consultancy providing cultural capability training and consultancy services to enable people and organisations to work effectively with members of the Aboriginal community. BlackCard’s purpose is working with people, not for people, with the genius of Aboriginal Knowledge.
Anna Brown
CEO, Equality Australia
Anna Brown is Chief Executive Officer at Equality Australia. Prior to s She played a critical role in the campaign for marriage equality co-chairing the Equality Campaign and running the challenge to the postal plebiscite in the High Court. Anna has been instrumental in hard fought battles to secure federal LGBTI discrimination protections, remove discriminatory laws across the country and right historical wrongs by establishing schemes to erase historical homosexual offences. Anna’s legal work has helped to ensure that young trans people can access vital hormone treatment without the cost and delay of going to court, advanced marriage equality and furthered recognition of sex and gender diversity.
Sorrel Ashby
Founder and CEO, Guumali
Sorrell Ashby is on a mission to dismantle systems that exclude First Nations peoples. She is the Founder and CEO of Guumali, a gathering place for First Nations voices, aspirations and ideas. A Gamilaroi woman with connection to country and family extending along the Namoi river in Walgett NSW, Sorrell has worked with remote communities across the Northern Territory since 2014. Sorrell was named a 2021 AMP Tomorrow Maker for her creation of “The Shed”: a co-working and start-up studio in Darwin. Sorrell leads a new wave of Indigenous-led social innovators unapologetically doing things differently to benefit all Australians.
Lisa Wade
CEO, DigitalX
Lisa Wade is the CEO of DigitalX, a company that believes in a more open, transparent and efficient world through blockchain technologies. She has more than 30 years’ experience in finance and financial markets, and a strong background in blockchain project development and funds management.
Sam Joel
Founder, GiveTree
Sam Joel is the founder of GiveTree, Australia's first NFT marketplace for good. GiveTree makes it easy to support the charities and causes you love with direct donations of cryptocurrency and NFT fundraisers, harnessing the epic power of web3 technology for the purpose of impact. Sam started GiveTree as a simple charity directory in 2018 while he was homeless and living in an internet cafe. He hopes that GiveTree can help to ensure that problems such as homelessness can be solved permanently in his lifetime. Sam believes that web3 technology has the power to raise more money for charity than all of the other fundraising mechanisms combined.
Dhakshayini Sooriyakumaran
Tech Policy Director, Reset Australia
Dhakshayini (she/they) is a proud Tamil whose ancestral lands are in the north and east of Illankai (known as Sri Lanka). They are the tech policy director at Reset Australia, a think-tank focused on digital threats to democracy. Dhakshayini is a PhD candidate at the Australian National University School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) exploring race, surveillance and digital identification systems. She is a former civil engineer who has founded and led several non-profit organisations and projects focused on communities of colour in Australia and the Pacific. They have worked on migration (as the former Director of Human Rights and Racial Justice at the ACCR), climate change (with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction in Fiji), and with young people (as the founder of YLab).
DANIEL PETRE AO
Founder & Chair of StartGiving
StartGiving was founded in 2022, and is focused on inspiring tech founders and executives to start their philanthropic journey now by establishing their own foundations. The goal of StartGiving is to establish a culture of giving in the innovation community so that giving becomes the norm in Australia, not the exception. Daniel is a leading player and investor in the technology industry and has been for more than 35 years, including time working for Bill Gates at Microsoft’s headquarters in the US. He founded AirTree Ventures, Ecorp and Netus, producing outstanding returns and establishing many (now) mainstream technology and media companies. In addition to fully funding StartGiving, Daniel and his wife Carolyn established the Petre Foundation which has donated more than $25m to a range of charities over the years. Daniel has served on a range of corporate and not-for-profit boards, and currently sits on the NSW Government’s Innovation Advisory Board and is the author of a number of books across a range of topics.
Katerina Kimmorley
Head of Commercial and Investments, Boundless Earth
Katerina is a member of the NSW Net Zero Emissions and Clean Economy Board, on the Investment Committee of Investible’s Climate-tech Venture Capital Fund and the board of climate-tech business, Allume Energy. She was part of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation’s Venture Capital Innovation Fund, and a founder of award-winning Pollinate Energy (the largest provider of solar lighting to slum communities across India and Nepal). Katerina is an international advocate for climate finance and was recognised in the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence. She was the London School of Economics Entrepreneur of the Year and was awarded the Prince of Wales Young Sustainability Entrepreneur Prize. Katerina was a Chevening Scholar at the London School of Economics where she studied Environmental Economics and Climate Change.
Neeraj Aggarwal
Associate Director, Australian Impact Investments
Neeraj is an Associate Director with Australian Impact Investments (Aii) – a leading impact asset consultant that has mobilised over $300 million capital to date to create positive environmental and social impact alongside financial value. Prior to joining Aii, Neeraj worked in impact investing internationally for ten years, including leading $60 million in impact investments for the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation in the United States. Neeraj also led the $130 million Rebuild Texas Fund, a disaster relief fund setup in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Prior to transitioning his career into impact investment, Neeraj spent five years in investment banking. Neeraj holds an MBA from London Business School and Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Law (Honours) degrees from the University of Sydney.
Hanna Ebeling
CEO, Sefa
Hanna Ebeling is CEO at Sefa, working with purpose-driven organisations on developing capital solutions and capability support to suit their needs, and helping these organisations build organisational resilience and access resources 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 social enterprise Vanguard Laundry, and as a member of government and sector reference groups contributes to improving collaboration between government, private sector and philanthropy.
Melanie Tran
User Experience (UX) Designer
Named one of the Top 100 Women of Influence 2019 by the Australian Financial Review, Melanie Tran is a designer, an innovator, an activist, and a public speaker. Melanie’s work as a User Experience (UX) Designer and her impact in the social enterprise sector has been recognised internationally, including being named the winner of the Laureate International Universities Global Here for Good Award 2018. Melanie’s lived-experience, developed skills and knowledge allow for her work to span the disability, health and technology sectors. With over eight years’ experience, and through her role as a UX Designer at Hireup, Melanie specialises in bringing together the worlds of business, design and social impact. Melanie is currently a Board of Director at the International Youth Foundation and completing a PhD in design innovations in healthcare at Torrens University Australia.
Vanessa Farrelly
Arrernte Language Project Officer, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
Vanessa Ngala Farrelly is a Pertame (Southern Arrernte) young person living in Alice Springs (Mparntwe) on Central Arrernte Country. Vanessa has six years experience coordinating the Pertame Language Revival School, working with her Elders and community to organise on-country language camps, school holiday programs, in-school classes and community language lessons. Vanessa is a partial speaker of Pertame, and has been coordinating the only active Master-Apprentice Program (MAP) in Australia after training in language immersion from the Global Indigenous Language Caucus in New York. She is a passionate advocate for linguistic self-determination to maintain our First Nations languages as the living breathing voice of our community through breath-to-breath language immersion with Elders, over academic study of our languages. Vanessa won the Alice Springs NAIDOC Youth of the year in 2019, and was chosen as an AMP Tomorrow Marker, as one of the 27 Australians chosen to share $1 Million for projects benefiting the Australian community.
Apryl Day
Founder, Dhadjowa Foundation
Apryl Day is a proud Yorta Yorta, Wemba Wemba and Barapa Barapa woman. She is a community organiser and campaigner, and a member of both WAR VIC (warriors of Aboriginal Resistance) and Pay the Rent. She is the daughter of Aunty Tanya Day – a proud Yorta Yorta woman who died in custody in 2017. Apryl and her family successfully led the campaign to end the criminalisation of public drunkenness in Victoria and is at the forefront of the fight for police accountability and justice matters. Apryl is the Executive Officer and Founder of the Dhadjowa Foundation, a national grassroots organisation that provides strategic guidance and support to amplify the campaigning of families, and to fight for justice for all families of Aboriginal and Torres Strait people who’ve died in custody.
Bec Milgrom
Co-Executive Director, Tripple
Bec Milgrom is co-executive director of Tripple, a family office/private investment company that seeks to use capital as a force for good. Through a combined effort of ethical investments and grant making, Tripple seeks to create real change in response to our greatest environmental and social challenges. Bec also has extensive experience in product development and marketing, primarily in the start-up and not for profit sectors. She earned a double degree in Marketing and Economics from Monash University and completed Seth Godins Alt. MBA in 2016.
Amelia Telford
First Nations Justice Director, Australian Progress
Amelia (Millie) Telford is a Bundjalung and South Sea Islander woman. As First Nations Justice Director at Australian Progress, her role aims to build capacity of First Nations-led movements and advocacy across the country. Prior to joining Australian Progress, Millie co-founded and led Seed, Australia’s first Indigenous Youth Climate Network. Since Seed’s launch in 2014, the organisation expanded rapidly, becoming a national grassroots network of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to protect country, culture and communities from the causes and impacts of climate change.
Sarah Matthee
General Manager - Partnerships & Services at the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR)
Sarah is the General Manager - Partnerships & Services at the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR). She works closely with FRRR’s partners across government, philanthropy and business to facilitate ~$20M of annual support to remote, rural and regional Australian communities. A trained engineer and lawyer, Sarah has previously worked at a global commercial law firm, and at Engineers Without Borders Australia. She lives on Wurundjeri Country in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges, volunteers as a Director of her local Community Bank, and ‘helps out’ unhelpfully at her partner’s sourdough farmers market stalls.
Laurence Marshbaum OAM
Founder & Chair of 10x10 Philanthropy
Laurie Marshbaum OAM is Founder & Chair of 10x10 Philanthropy. A speaker at the Nexus Global Summit in 2016 Laurie has helped 10x10 grow from its roots here in Sydney Australia to existing in 13 cities globally. 10x10 has run over raised in excess of 115 events globally and raised over $4.5M for 330+ grassroots Social Purpose Organisations around the world. 10x10 is a product of Sydney, Nexus and the broader community and many Nexus members have been closely involved in its growth. At Nexus Laurie is proud to announce the formal launch of Community Capital at Nexus 2022. Community Capital is a $300M for-purpose impact fund which will make $10-20M of grants to early stage social purpose organisations in Australia over the next 5 years. Community Capital is being supported and funded by some of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, universities and philanthropic foundations. Laurie is a social entrepreneur passionate about backing early stage Social Purpose Organisations in Australia and is proud to announce the launch of the fund on the Nexus stage in November.
Malinda Wink
Global Director, Good Pitch at DOC SOCIETY
Malinda’s professional experience spans senior roles within the corporate, political, philanthropic and NGO sectors. Before joining the Doc Society team, Malinda was Executive Director of Good Pitch Australia and Shark Island Institute from 2013-2019. During her time as Executive Director of Good Pitch Australia, Malinda raised more than $AUD14 million in philanthropic grants and built over 400 strategic partnerships for 19 social impact documentaries including: That Sugar Film, The Hunting Ground, Frackman, Gayby Baby, The Opposition, and In My Blood It Runs. Malinda’s work in Australia transformed the social impact documentary landscape, proving the case that documentary film can serve as a key strategic tool to shift consciousness, change behaviour and influence policy. Her contribution has been formally recognised in a number of awards including the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence in 2016, and the B&T Women in Media Award for Social Impact in 2019. In 2018 Malinda delivered a TEDx talk on the role that social impact documentary and campaigns can serve as a tool to strengthen democracy.
Nooky
Yuin artist, producer and radio host, We Are Warriors
Nooky’s a vital voice in the Australian music landscape, known for his no-holds-barred, hyperactive brand of rap. He’s worked with brands from G-Shock to Geedup while also making beats and producing. In 2021, he started hosting triple j’s ‘Blak Out’, showcasing Indigenous excellence on one of Australia’s biggest radio stations.
Harriet McCallum
Executive Officer, MAnnifera
Harriet is the Executive Officer of Mannifera, a growing Australian philanthropic collective who invests in and partners with civil society to build public trust, transparency and fairness in democracy, and create a more inclusive economy. Harriet is a social worker with 16 years experience leading multi-disciplinary teams, cross-sector collaborations and advocacy projects in public health, NGO sectors in Australia and South East Asia, local government and philanthropy. Harriet joined the philanthropic sector seeing its power in supporting a strong and effective civil society, and its role in convening diverse groups of collaborators to achieve systems change.
Lille Madden
First Nations Consultant, Groundswell
Lille is a proud Arrernte, Bundjalung and Kalkadoon woman from Gadigal country, and a First Nations consultant for Groundswell. After working at Taronga Conservation Society in the Australian Fauna Precinct, Lille worked as the Natural Areas Aboriginal Heritage Officer with the Sutherland Shire Council. For the past year she has also been the Sydney coordinator for Indigenous Youth Climate Coalition Seed Mob, Australia’s first Indigenous climate organisation. Lille has worked on a number of community projects and feels a deep sense of responsibility towards the preservation and protection of our natural and cultural heritage.
Nick Molnar
Afterpay Co-Founder and Afterpay Co-Lead, Block
Nick Molnar is the co-founder of Afterpay. As a young serial-entrepreneur, Nick’s vision for Afterpay was to create a global payment solution that would allow consumers to pay for things they want and need over time, using their own money. As a millennial himself, he recognized that his generation has an aversion to credit cards and compounding debt. Nick launched Afterpay with his co-founder, Anthony Eisen, in Australia in October 2014 and listed the company on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2016. The company expanded into the U.S. in May 2018 and soon after, expanded into Canada, France, Italy, Spain and the UK. As of June 2021, Afterpay had more than 20 million customer accounts in the United States alone and was offered by more than 100,000 merchants globally. Earlier in his career, Nick worked as an Investment Analyst at venture capital fund M. H. Carnegie & Co., where he was primarily responsible for growth stage investments.
Nicole Engelman
Philanthropy Manager, Cooper Investors & Senior Program Manager, MaiTri Foundation
Nicole has nearly 20 years’ experience in the philanthropic sector and has a deep understanding of impactful philanthropy and the importance of the good investment stewardship and management of philanthropic capital. Nicole brings her passion for philanthropy to the Cooper Family Office where she heads up the MaiTri Foundation (Private Ancillary Fund) and Cooper Investors’ Corporate Philanthropy Program. Nicole’s career has included providing expert advice to support private philanthropists and Trusts and Foundations to fund innovative initiatives that build capacity within the charitable sector, in turn promoting more and better philanthropy. Nicole supports the MaiTri Foundation to allocate capital to much-needed services and supports, in particular to mental health charities which we know experience a significant increase in demand year on year.
Rebecca Huntley
Director of Research, 89 degrees east
Dr Rebecca Huntley is one of Australians foremost researchers on social trends. She is an author and researcher and holds degrees in law and film studies and a PhD in Gender Studies. For nearly 9 years Rebecca was the Director of The Mind & Mood Report, Australia's longest running social trends report. She has lead research at Essential Media and Vox Populi, part of the CIRCA research group, before starting her own research and consultancy business. She works closely with The Sunrise Movement on the Climate Compass Project as well as with many other climate and environment NGOs. Under her own climate research and consultancy business, Rebecca published a report for Aware Super in early 2021 outlining how Australia can recover from the COVID-19 pandemic by focusing on the intersections of climate action, health and wellbeing and thriving communities. She is the author of numerous books, most recently 'How to Talk About Climate Change in a Way that Makes a Difference' (Murdoch books, 2020). Rebecca is on the board of The Bell Shakespeare Company and on the Executive Board of the NSW branch of the ALP. She is the Chair of the Advisory Board of Australian Parents for Climate Action and has held board positions on The Whitlam Institute and The Dusseldorp Forum.