SPEAKERS | NEXUS 2021
NEXUS 2021 featured more than 50 prominent speakers, including key international guests, and dynamic members of the Australian NEXUS community.
DR JANE GOODALL, DBE
Founder, Jane Goodall Institute and United Nations Messenger of Peace
Dr Jane Goodall, DBE, is a world-renowned conservationist, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 1960, Jane Goodall began her landmark study of chimpanzee behaviour in Tanzania. Her work at Gombe Stream would become the foundation of future primatological research and redefine the relationship between humans and animals. Her work at the Jane Goodall Institute continues the Gombe research and is a global leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats. Dr. Goodall’s honors include the French Legion of Honor, the Medal of Tanzania, Japan’s prestigious Kyoto Prize, and in 2003, she was named a Dame of the British Empire.
Dr Bronwyn King AO
founder and CEO, Tobacco Free Portfolios
Dr Bronwyn King AO is a social entrepreneur, movement maker, company director, medical specialist and humanitarian on a mission to inspire and transform organisations into purpose driven, sustainable businesses. Her engagement across the global corporate, finance, health and diplomatic sectors led to the launch of the Tobacco-Free Finance Pledge at United Nations’ Headquarters in 2018. This initiative, backed by President Macron and former Australian Prime Minister Turnbull, now has 150 Signatories with combined AUM of US$11 trillion. A former elite swimmer, Dr King represented Australia and for ten years and worked as Team Doctor for the Australian Swimming Team. In 2019, Dr King was awarded an Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to community health and reigned throughout 2020 as Melburnian of the Year.
CHLOE COCKBURN
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM OFFICER, OPEN PHILANTHROPY
Chloe Cockburn leads Open Philanthropy’s strategy for investing in criminal justice policy and practice reforms to substantially reduce incarceration while maintaining public safety. Open Philanthropy Project is a grantmaking foundation founded by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and his wife Cari Tuna. Since 2014, Open Philanthropy has disbursed a total of $857 million to over 370 organizations. Chloe is particularly interested in movement ecology, and has prioritized movement ecosystem development in her philanthropic work. She serves on the boards of the Bia Echo foundation and the Accountable Justice Action Fund. Chloe graduated from Harvard University with a BA in Classics and Visual Art, and has a JD from Harvard Law School.
ZAK WILLIAMS
CEO and Co-founder, PYM Health
Zak is an entrepreneur, angel investor, mental-health advocate and son of the late, legendary Robin Williams. Zak recently founded PMY Health in the US, a resource for people to learn about emerging mental-health research and improve their own mental health. Zak is a board member of the mental health awareness non-profit, Bring Change 2 Mind; and the Yerba Buena Center of the Arts where he focuses on guiding the organizations’ strategy and business development initiatives. He received an MBA from Columbia Business School and BA from New York University with a double major in Linguistics and Literature.
Shareena Clanton
award-winning film, television and theatre actor (Nexus Australia MC)
Shareena is a Wangkathaa, Yamatji, Noongar and Gitja woman and award-winning film, television and theatre actor. In 2013 Shareena was cast as Doreen Anderson in the Foxtel TV series Wentworth and completed 5 Series in the main cast of the show. Other TV credits include The Cry; Glitch; Rosehaven: True Story With Hamish and Andy; Redfern Now; Ash VS Evil Dead; Nowhere Boys: Two Moons Rising; Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and Ben Elton – Live From Planet Earth. Shareena made her film debut as Sally in the 2015 feature Last Cab To Darwin, directed by Jeremy Sims and made her Directorial debut in 2019 with Ilbijerri Theatre Company, directing Richard Franklin’s Conversations With The Dead.
JESS SCULLY
Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney
Jess Scully uses creativity to engage people in the future economy and with urban life in the twenty-first century, working towards a sustainable and inclusive world. In 2019 she was elected as Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney and has been a councillor since 2016. Previously, Jess founded Vivid Ideas, Australia’s largest creative industries event; supported emerging talent through projects such as the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards; sparked new thinking through TEDxSydney and transformed public space as a public art curator. She has also worked as a policy advisor, radio host and magazine editor. Her first book, Glimpses of Utopia, was published by Pantera Press in August 2020.
Marcus Whitney
Founding Partner, Jumpstart health investors
Marcus Whitney is a Founding Partner of Jumpstart Health Investors, the most active venture capital firm in America focused on innovative, healthcare companies with a portfolio of over 100 companies. From that platform, he recently launched Jumpstart Nova, the first Black healthcare venture fund in America. From college-dropout, waiter to self-taught, successful entrepreneur and venture capitalist. Marcus is also co-founder and minority owner of Major League Soccer team, Nashville Soccer Club and is the author of the best selling book Create and Orchestrate, about claiming your creative power through entrepreneurship. Marcus is a member of the board of the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum, the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation, Instruction Partners and Launch Tennessee.
Clare Ainsworth Herschell
Co-Founder, Groundswell Giving
Clare is a connector and community builder who aims to educate, inspire and activate. Previously, Clare was Next Generation Development Manager for the Art Gallery of NSW, and she is now focussing her energies on the climate crisis. Clare has over 12 years experience in not-for-profit development and philanthropy. Her work promotes the idea that ‘giving’ comes in many currencies, and helps people to harness their own unique power and purpose. Clare is a Director of the Art Gallery of NSW Foundation, and on the Advisory Council for the Sydney Women’s Fund. She is also a member of the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network and the global Climate Reality Leadership Corps. She was also a founding member of New Gen at Philanthropy Australia, and a delegate of the Nexus Global Youth Summit.
RANA NAWAS
Host, When Women Win
Rana is a 17-year corporate veteran turned speaker and podcaster, on a mission to help women win. She does this through inspiring keynotes, strategic advisory and her podcast, When Women Win - a show where female role models from diverse backgrounds share inspirational stories and practical tools for success. She is also an Advisor to Ellevate Dubai ’s Board. Rana left the corporate world after 17 years, a career spanning McKinsey & Company's London Office, the Dubai Government, and GE Capital in a variety of strategy and sales roles. While at GE, she headed the Women’s Network for the Middle East, Africa & Turkey and led the charge in rewriting policies, championing pay parity, and helping women rise in their professional and personal lives. She has spoken at numerous corporations and conferences on topics ranging from gender parity to owning your narrative. Audiences have labelled Rana “thought-provoking”, “fact-driven” and “inspiring”.
Benson Saulo
Australian Consul-General to US
Benson is Australia's first Indigenous consul-general appointed to the United States. In 2011, Benson was appointed the Australian Youth Representative to the UN. He later represented Australian youth at the 66th Session of the UN General Assembly as an accredited member of DFAT. Benson was the founding director of the National Indigenous Youth Leadership Academy (NIYLA), which engages young Indigenous Australians to develop and drive youth-led social action campaigns. Previously, he was the Head of Partnerships - Investments at Australian Unity within their Wealth and Capital Markets business. Benson’s has been recognised as a finalist for Young Australian of the Year (VIC), Human Rights Medal and 2012 NAIDOC Youth of the Year, and a Sustainability Ambassador for City of Melbourne’s Knowledge Week. Benson is also a non-executive director of Innovation Unit ANZ and supports Impact Investing Australia’s Impact Ready Growth Grants and Sidney Myer Family Trust Poverty and Disadvantage Grants.
ELISHA LONDON
Founder, United for Global Mental Health
Elisha London is a social entrepreneur, campaigner, and mental health advocate. She is the Founder of United for Global Mental Health and was the Campaign Director for the Heads Together Campaign spearheaded by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Prior to working on mental health Elisha was the Founding Director of the Global Poverty Project in the UK, and has consulted for a range of multilateral, government and non-profit organizations, including the UK Department for International Development and the World Bank. She holds an MBA from TRIUM (NYU New York, LSE London, HEC Paris), and an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics. She has lived experience of mental ill-health having suffered from PTSD and depression.
ANNA ROSE
CEO, Environmental Leadership Australia
Anna Rose is CEO of Environmental Leadership Australia and a Director of Farmers for Climate Action. She is a Churchill Fellow, a former Myer Foundation Innovation Fellow, an Associate at Melbourne University Sustainable Society Institute and a Visiting Fellow at the ANU Climate Change Centre. Anna is an advisor to the Jewish Climate Network, an advisory board member of the University of Queensland’s Global Change Institute and The Australian Geographic Society, and a former Director of Solar Citizens, Green Music Australia and the Aussie Farmers Foundation. She is a former Australian Geographic Society Conservationist of the Year, was a finalist in the Australian of the Year Awards, and is the recipient of the Sierra Club's Earthcare Award for International Environmental Protection. Anna co-founded the Australian Youth Climate Coalition and was head of Earth Hour for WWF-Australia. She was recently named one of the Australian Financial Review/ Westpac’s 100 Women of Influence for 2019.
APRYL Watson
FOUNDER, THE DHADJOWA FOUNDATION
Apryl Day is a proud Yorta Yorta, Wemba Wemba and Barapa Barapa woman. She is the daughter of Tanya Day – a proud Yorta Yorta mother who died in custody in 2017. She has spent the last three years fighting for justice, a story that is too familiar for hundreds of Aboriginal families who have lost loved ones in police custody without accountability. Apryl has now established the Dhadjowa Foundation to amplify the campaigning of families and raise awareness and finally end black deaths in custody once and for all.
SUPaRNA BHASIN
CO-FOUNDER, MAITRI FOUNDATION
Suparna Bhasin is an inspirational speaker, philanthropist and long time meditator. Her goal is to bring ancient Vedic practices such as meditation, breath-work and yoga, to different communities around the globe. In addition she is committed to educating people on the importance of living a life of service and being in a conscious community. Suparna is co-founder of the MaiTri Foundation along with her life partner, Peter Cooper. MaiTri Foundation is a philanthropic foundation with a focus on helping to solve the mental health crisis as well as spreading the philosophy of individual rights and freedom.
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.
DOHA KHAN
CLIMATE ACTIVIST
18-year old climate activist, based in Adelaide. At 16, Doha was involved in co-founding the South Australian branch of the School Strike 4 Climate movement, inspired by Greta Thunberg. She played a leading role in organising the Adelaide Global #ClimateStrike events in November 2018, March and September 2019 which saw close to 20,000 South Australians take to the streets in support for action on climate change. At the age of 18, Doha ran for the Adelaide City Council in the Central Ward by-election, being one of the youngest candidates to contest the seat in history. She is currently engaged in mentoring and building the capacity of student climate activists in Adelaide, and is working as a campaigner with Fridays For Future SA.
ADAM MILGROM
Venture Partner, Giant Leap Fund
Adam has deep ties to philanthropy and social impact. He is the eldest of the 3rd generation of the Besen Family, a prominent Australian family in Business and Philanthropic communities. In his personal career, he is deeply involved in Impact Investing, working with Giant Leap and leading investments into some of Australia’s most impactful companies. Together with his siblings, he established a family office, Tripple, which has built a 100% Impact Portfolio. Tripple works across all asset classes and incorporates both investing and grant-making to use capital as a force for good. Adam is a Director of Future Super, a superannuation company that exists to create a prosperous future free from climate change and inequality. He is also a Director of StreetSmart and a Director and member of the Investment Committee for Australian Communities Foundation.
ELIZABETH GOLDFINCH
Director, Mutual Trust
Elizabeth Goldfinch is a Director of the Family Office Team of Mutual Trust in Melbourne. Lizzy has worked with significant families and family businesses nationally and internationally over the past decade to help them identify and achieve what’s important to them. Her three non-negotiables are to empower, engage and educate all family members and connect them on a global scale with ideas, people and appropriate support mechanisms. Lizzy believes that flourishing families and individuals make wiser decisions and have greater success in business, investments and the community.
GEORGIA MATHEWS
Philanthropy and Engagement Manager, Australian Communities Foundation
Georgia is Philanthropy and Engagement Manager at Australian Communities Foundation. She brings seven years’ experience in the philanthropic sector, having held positions at philanthropic organisations including Australians Investing in Women, Social Ventures Australia and Inner North Community Foundation. Georgia founded Australia’s first LGBTIQ+ giving circle, GiveOUT. She is a Board Director of GiveOUT and Aurora Group, and has sat on the Board of the Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights Asia and the Pacific. Georgia holds a Master of Social Investment and Philanthropy from Swinburne’s Centre for Social Impact.
Cara PEEK
Co-founder, The Cultural intelligence project; founder, Saltwater country
Cara Peak is a Yawuru/Bunuba woman, social innovator and entrepreneur strongly committed to fostering access and opportunity for rural, remote and regional communities. Cara’s speciality is place-based, people-centred solutions with global reach. She has worked in the government, non-profit and corporate sectors before co-founding The Cultural Intelligence Project and founding non-profit Saltwater Country with a focus on empowering First Nations people to improve their social, emotional and economic well-being. She believes the success of the First Australians is the success of all Australians.
Chris Cooper
Campaigns Director, Purpose
Through his early career in media production and international development, Chris developed a deep interest in the role of culture and storytelling in shaping values, behaviours and systems, and how they can be leveraged to enable change and drive progress. His career now spans strategic communications, advocacy and participatory approaches, having co-designed, built and implemented issue-driven programs and campaigns across numerous continents and issue areas. As Executive Director of Reset Australia, he now leads a team working to tackle digital threats to democracy and the harms caused by unregulated and unaccountable big tech.
Adolfo Aranjuez
Publications and Content Manager, Melbourne International Film Festival
Adolfo is an editor, writer, speaker and dancer. He is currently the Melbourne International Film Festival’s publications and content manager, Liminal’s publication editor and Arts Access Victoria’s specialist projects producer; previously, he edited the magazines Metro and Archer. Adolfo’s essays, criticism and poetry have been published widely, including in Meanjin, Right Now, Screen Education, The Manila Review and Cordite, and he has worked with numerous organisations including The Wheeler Centre, ACMI, Melbourne Writers Festival, Jaipur Literature Festival, ABC TV, Midsumma, Melbourne Queer Film Festival, NIDA, Immigration Museum, Multicultural Arts Victoria, UNESCO City of Literature and Dance Massive.
Sam Turner
Chair, Aurora Group; Director, GiveOut
Sam is the Chair of The Aurora Group and a Director of GiveOUT, both of which are LGBTIQ+ philanthropic organisations. Sam is the former Head of Inclusion & Diversity for the Westpac Group, and a sought after thought leader for her expertise in creating inclusive workplaces and communities. Sam currently works as the Program Director for the Champions of Change Global Tech Group and Microsoft Partners Group. She is also a consultant with Elizabeth Broderick & Co and the Human Rights Commission. Sam has held senior commercial roles at NAB, BHP, and Deloitte. She is the recipient of the 2016 Women of Influence Awards and named one of Australia’s Outstanding 50 LGBTIQ leaders in the Deloitte/Google 2018 list. Sam has recently completed a Churchill Fellowship undertaking global research on enabling greater Cultural Diversity in Australian leadership.
KRYSTIAN SEIBERT
Industry Fellow, Centre for Social Impact Swinburne
Krystian is a researcher, educator and advocate focused on philanthropy and the not-for-profit sector. At the Centre for Social Impact at Swinburne University of Technology, he teaches units in the university’s Graduate Certificate and Master of Social Impact programs. He has also worked with Philanthropy Australia and is currently their Acting Policy and Research Director. He is Deputy Chair of Mental Health First Aid Australia and Australian New Zealand Third Sector Research, and also serves on the Advisory Council of the International Centre for Nonprofit Law, and the Editorial Advisory Boards of Alliance Magazine, Pro Bono Australia News and the Third Sector Review.
LORENA ALLAM
Indigenous affairs editor, gUARDIAN aUSTRALIA
Lorena is from the Gamilaraay and Yuwalaraay nations of the far northwest NSW. She has been a journalist and radio producer for almost 30 years and worked on the Bringing Them Home inquiry into the Stolen Generations. She is the recipient of three Walkley awards and the NSW Premier’s history award for her journalism. Currently, Lorena is the Guardian‘s Indigenous affairs editor.
Mama Alto
JAZZ SINGER, CABARET ARTISTE AND GENDER TRANSCENDENT DIVA
Mama Alto is a transgender & queer person of colour who works with the radical potential of storytelling, strength in softness and power in vulnerability. Best known for her velvet vocals, triumphant cabaret performances and illuminating writing, she is also the co-creator of the highly acclaimed variety cabaret “Gender Euphoria.” Mama has received the 2019 Australian LGBTI Awards Music Artist of the Year, the 2018 City of Yarra Contributions to the Arts Award, the 2017 GLOBE LGBTI Awards Artist of the Year, the 2016 Outstanding Access & Inclusion Award at Melbourne Fringe, and the 2014 Best Cabaret Weekly Award at Adelaide Fringe. She is the recipient of a 2019 Creative Victoria Creators Fund fellowship, and a 2020 Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellowship.
Ant Moorhouse
Co-FOUNDER, EarthTech
Anthony spent a decade in the Australian Army as a Special Forces Counter Terrorism Commander. He led a high performance team who were on a Mission, with a shared purpose. Anthony later started Dynamiq, a 24/7 medical and security emergency management evacuation, technology and consulting firm, and also spent 4 years in Boulder, Colorado investing in tech companies, mentoring start-up and social enterprise entrepreneurs at the Boomtown Accelerator and Watson University. Anthony has started 7 companies, had 3 successful exits, led 2 mergers and an acquisition. He co-founded and currently leads EarthTech, a social enterprise helping young entrepreneurs to have an exponential impact on humanity and our planet.
Gigi Foster
Professor at the School of Economics, UNSW
Gigi is one of Australia’s leading economics communicators. Formally educated at Yale University (BA in Ethics, Politics, and Economics) and the University of Maryland (PhD in Economics), she works in diverse fields including education, social influence, corruption, lab experiments, time use, behavioural economics, and Australian policy. Her research contributions regularly inform public debates and appear in both specialised and cross-disciplinary outlets. Her teaching, featuring strategic innovation and integration with research, was awarded a 2017 Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. Named 2019 Young Economist of the Year by the Economic Society of Australia, Professor Foster has filled numerous roles of service to the profession and engages heavily on economic matters with the Australian community.
JENNIFER ROBINSON
Human Rights Lawyer and Barrister, Doughty Street Chambers
Jennifer is an international philanthropist and Australian human rights lawyer at Doughty Street Chambers in London; specialising in human rights, media, public, and international law. She is best known for her work as a legal advisor to Julian Assange and Wikileaks for almost a decade, placing her at the centre of one of the most important and controversial legal cases of the century. Jennifer was also the legal advisor for the New York Times during its investigation of the Murdoch phone-hacking scandal. She has worked with activists and political prisoners from Syria to West Papua for more than a decade, and conducted international human rights missions for the International Bar Association.
CaItriona Fay
Managing Partner - Community & Social Investments, Perpetual Private
Caitriona is a senior philanthropic leader in Australia. She has more than 18 years of private family and institutional grant-making experience in Australia and Europe. At Perpetual, Caitriona oversees approximately $4B in community funds across Perpetual’s work with philanthropists, non-profits and Native Title groups. Under her management, Perpetual’s clients distribute more than $100 million annually through philanthropic trusts, estates, and endowments. Previously, Caitriona worked in government and philanthropy via The Ian Potter Foundation and The Heritage Lottery fund in both Scotland and England. Caitriona is a leader in gender-wise and LGBTQIA+ philanthropy in Australia. Caitriona is a founding board member of The Channel, Australia’s first sexuality- sex- and gender- diverse giving circle, reflecting her passion for the power of democratised philanthropy.
Jeff Orlowski
Director, The Social Dilemma
Filmmaker Jeff Orlowski served as director, producer, and cinematographer of the Sundance Award-Winning films, Chasing Ice and Chasing Coral. He is a two-time Emmy-Award winning filmmaker, and founder of the award-winning production company Exposure Labs. Orlowski founded Exposure Labs to maximize the impact of film, creating a company dedicated to both quality storytelling and powerful campaigns. His latest film, The Social Dilemma, premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and is now streaming on Netflix. In 2017, Orlowski was the recipient of the Champions of the Earth award, the United Nation’s top honor for spreading powerful environmental messages to a global audience.
Stacey Thomas
CEO, The Wyatt Trust
Stacey is an experienced philanthropic and non-profit specialist who is passionate about empowering others to create the change they want to see. Stacey has been at the helm of The Wyatt Trust (Wyatt) since 2019. Wyatt works across South Australia to provide support to people experiencing poverty. She was previously the CEO of Fay Fuller Foundation and has also worked in management roles for the Myer Family Company, Telstra Foundation and the Trust Company. Stacey regularly works with philanthropists and foundations from around Australia and also lends her expertise to a number of boards and committees with current appointments including Philanthropy Australia.
Berry Liberman
Co-Founder Small Giants and publisher, Dumbo Feather
Berry is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) and former filmmaker who founded Small Giants with her husband, Danny Almagor. Their investing philosophy is to use financial capital in service to create the world they want to leave their children and grandchildren. As the first B Corporation in Australia, they commit to using business as a force for good in the world and are constantly asking the question – can we pivot to a Next Economy model which has us living within the bounds of the ecology and towards human flourishing? She is the editor-in-chief of Dumbo Feather magazine and media platform and creative director of Small Giants Academy, an education platform as well as their sustainable property, renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, impact investing and community development portfolio of businesses that make up Small Giants.
Cassandra Goldie
CEO, ACOSS
Cassandra Goldie has been CEO of ACOSS since 2010. With public policy expertise in economic and social issues, civil society, social justice and human rights, Cassandra has represented the interests of people who are disadvantaged, and civil society, in major national and international processes as well as in grassroots communities. Previously, she held senior roles in both the NFP and public sectors, including with the Australian Human Rights Commission, Darwin Community Legal Service and Legal Aid in Western Australia. Cassandra has a PhD from the University of New South Wales is an Adjunct Professor with the Law Faculty at the University of New South Wales. She serves on the UNSW Law Advisory Committee, the Australian Climate Roundtable, the Pinnacle Foundation Board and the Energy Charter Independent Accountability Panel. She is a member of Chief Executive Women.
Nick Moraitis
CEO, fya
Nick Moraitis is CEO at the Foundation for Young Australians. Nick's passion is creating a more engaged democracy and backing young people leading the way. Prior to joining FYA, Nick spent eight years as Co-Founder and Executive Director of Australian Progress, an organisation building the capacity of civil society. Over the years, Nick has worked in New York, Toronto, London, Sydney and Melbourne on issues ranging from the digital divide and human rights to climate change and education - whether as a non-profit leader, CEO of a consultancy firm, board member, mentor or volunteer. Nick has served in a dozen board roles, including Centre for Policy Development and the Australian Youth Climate Coalition - he is currently a Director of Pride Cup.
Lauren Thurin
Vice President, Business Development at Flat World Partners
Lauren is a Vice President, Business Development at Flat World Partners, an investment advisory firm that focuses 100% of its efforts on impact and sustainability. Previously, Lauren sat on the Advisory team at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors where she worked with a range of individuals, families and corporate donors on Next Generation, Social Enterprise and Impact Investing initiatives. She was also a Senior Analyst at Deloitte in Australia where she had a strong focus on the High Net Worth sector and also designed and developed Deloitte’s Next Generation program for private clients.
Simon Holmes à Court
senior advisor, the Climate and Energy College, Melbourne University
Simon began his career as a software engineer in Silicon Valley during the first dotcom wave, then spent more than a decade in precision farm water management. Simon built the country's first community-owned wind farm, Hepburn Wind, near Daylesford in Central Victoria. He is a director of the Smart Energy Council, senior advisor to the Energy Transition Hub at Melbourne University and writes regularly about the transformation of Australia’s energy sector. Simon is a director and long term member of the Australian Environmental Philanthropy Network with a deep focus on climate and energy.
Joseph Skrzynski AO
Co-Founder, CPE CApital
Joseph has extensive experience in the not-for-profit sector, and in policy and advocacy. He is currently a director of Philanthropy Australia, and chairs its Policy and Research Committee, as well as serving on the international boards of Human Rights Watch, and The Conversation Media Group. Joseph is Chair of the Skrzynski Family Sky Foundation, and a director of The Observership Program. He has previously chaired SBS, The Broadcast Council, The Australian Film, TV and Radio School and the National Capital Development Authority for the Commonwealth and the Sydney Opera House Trust for the State Government. His business career has been in funds management, principally as Co-Founder of CPE Capital, which has invested over $5B in private companies in Australia and overseas, on behalf of institutional investors. He was awarded Member of the Order of Australia in 1993, and in 2008 became an Officer in the Order of Australia for services to the industry and philanthropy.
Lenore Taylor
Editor-in-Chief, Guardian Australia
Lenore Taylor has been the editor-in-chief of Guardian Australia for four years and is the chair of the Walkley Judging Board. Lenore has been with Guardian Australia since its launch in May 2013, when she joined as political editor. Lenore has been honoured with two Walkley Awards and has twice won the Paul Lyneham Award for excellence in press gallery journalism. She is a formidable commentator on the Australian political landscape and has long been a regular guest on radio and television current affairs programs, including the ABC's Insiders.
Jon Myer
Associate Director, Orygen Digital
Jon is Associate Director with Orygen Digital, where he leads the division’s strategy, operations, stakeholder engagement and communications functions. Previously, he was a Principal with Social Ventures Australia (SVA), helping to establish and grow their mental health practice. He led a diverse range of strategic planning, service design and measurement and evaluation projects with organisations such as the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), Lifeline Australia, Flourish Australia and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Jon has held roles with the Victorian Department of Human Services, Australia Post’s Corporate Affairs Division and the Foundation for Young Australians. He has been a member of The Myer Foundation for more than 15 years and currently serves on the Board of Australians for Mental Health and the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network.
Jody Barney
Chair, Koondee Woonga-gat Toor-rong
As a dedicated cultural disability trainer and advocate for over 30 years Jody has developed a very strong relationship with many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with a disability. Jody brings a wealth of knowledge to the various service sectors. Her representation on many boards has provided her with excellent representative and governance skills. Jody’s interests are within the disability, LGBTIQIA+, women, children, justice, education, health and leadership development sectors. Jody’s work has extended not only local and state but also national and international programs. Her philanthropy work in building communication for deaf and non-verbal community members is well known and respected. Jody is also a Senior Fellow with Atlantic Fellows Social Equity Australia and as the first Deaf Aboriginal woman Senior Fellow in Australia, her work continues to strive for social equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be included in their communities.
Daniel Growald
Co-Chair, BANKFWD
Daniel is Co-Chair of BankFWD, a network of individuals and organisations using their collective wealth and public standing to persuade banks to phase out financing for fossil fuels and lead on climate change. He serves as a founder, investor, and partner to organizations working to align the power of capital with the intelligence of nature. Daniel has previously founded startups in digital media and carbon-negative power finance; worked alongside renowned social entrepreneur Paul Polak to commercialize ventures in safe drinking water and village-scale renewable energy in India; designed and co-facilitated a life coaching academy; and conducted scientific fieldwork on the intersection of land use, bioenergy, and climate change in Central America. Daniel is a Trustee of the David Rockefeller Fund, a former trustee of the Growald Family Fund, and a Morris K. Udall Scholar.
Sparks
CEO, Masto Foundation
Sparks values and is deeply committed to promoting equity in the non-profit and for-profit social impact sectors based on her experience as a queer, multi-racial, next-generation, woman in the field of philanthropy. She is currently Executive Director of the Masto Foundation, a US-based family foundation rooted in the Japanese-American community. Prior to taking on the leadership of her family’s foundation, Sparks worked in philanthropy for 12 years and founded Queer Leaders in Philanthropy, a national network of philanthropic professionals focused on changing the culture of philanthropy to be more empowering of LGBTQ communities. Sparks a former Board Member of the San Francisco LGBT Community Center, currently sits on the Board of the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, and is an advisor to Horizons Foundation, ILGA World, the Council on Foundations, and the National Center for Family Philanthropy.
Valerie Rockefeller
Chair, Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Valerie chairs the board of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, a foundation advancing social change that contributes to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. She also co-chairs BankFWD, a network to persuade banks to phase out financing for fossil fuels. Her professional background is as a middle school special education teacher for adolescents with learning differences and emotional disabilities. She serves as a trustee of Achievement First, the Asian Cultural Council, Columbia University Teachers College, Greenwich Academy, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. She was a trustee of Spelman College, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Licia Heath
CEO, Women For Election Australia
Licia is the CEO of Women for Election Australia (WFEA), a non-partisan group committed to increasing the number of women in public office at local, state and federal levels. Licia ran as an Independent candidate in the high-profile Wentworth by-election in October 2018 and helped shape the political debate on a national platform. Her experience of seeding and leading issues-based campaigns, plus her decision to run for public office and her role with WFEA, combine to show the positive effects of engaging in the political process in Australia. Licia worked for 19 years in the finance and asset management sector and worked at Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse in London and Australia. She helped establish, and is a shareholder of, a $5B AUM Australian-based asset management business, Ironbark Asset Management.
Rona Glynn-McDonald
Co-Founder, First Nations Futures & CEO, Common Ground
Rona is a proud Kaytetye woman with a background in economics and a deep curiosity and passion for disruptive ideas. Rona is the founding CEO of Common Ground, an Aboriginal-led not for profit that works to centre First Nations people and knowledge. Common Ground uses digital platforms and cultural storytelling projects to amplify First Nations voices and experiences, and educate wider Australia. Rona is also the co-founder of First Nations Futures, an organisation that will provide a mechanism for all Australians to coinvest in First Nations leadership, wisdom and self-determined futures. Through her work with First Nations communities across Australia, Rona aims to create future systems that centre First Nations people, knowledge and cultures.
Louis Anderson Mokak
Co-Founder, First Nations Futures
Louis Anderson Mokak is a Djugun man from West Kimberley. He is an interdisciplinary designer, who focuses on resetting the narrative and power dynamic between those who benefit from the ongoing colonisation of these lands, and those whose Indigenous sovereign rights be more fully exercised. Louis is the co-founder of First Nations Futures, an organisation that provides a mechanism for all Australians to coinvest in First Nations leadership, wisdom and self-determined futures. He is also a freelance Indigenous Design Consultant, member of the First Nations Advisory Working Group and Cultural Reference Panel at the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA), and Cultural Advisor and Architectural Assistant at Studio Bright.
Louise Walsh
CEO, Future Generation Companies
Louise is the CEO of the Future Generation companies founded by Wilson Asset Management Chairman Geoff Wilson. Louise also works with Wilson Asset Management on its philanthropic initiatives. Louise is a senior executive with a strong mix of experience in the not-for-profit, government and private sectors. A former solicitor at Allens, she has spent most of her career in sport, arts and philanthropy. Louise was previously the CEO of Philanthropy Australia, the peak body for philanthropy in Australia.
Hayley McQuire
National Coordinator & Director, National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition
Hayley is a proud Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman from Rockhampton Central Queensland and a passionate advocate for Indigenous social justice and First Nations lead education. Hayley has a background in youth advocacy and international education development, having served as a member of the Youth Advocacy Group for the UN Secretary General’s Global Education First Initiative. Wanting to support young mob advocate for a self-determined education, she facilitated the first national meeting that established the National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition, where she serves currently National Coordinator and Director. She is also the current Co-Chair of Learning Creates Australia, a growing alliance of people and organisations committed to education change in Australia.
Ben Scott
Executive Director, Reset and Policy & Advocacy Advisor, Luminate
Ben is Executive Director at Reset which focuses on tackling digital threats to democracy, where he leads the strategic direction, oversees the coordination of policy, technology and civic engagement work, and provides expert counsel on policy development and advocacy. Previously, Ben co-led the Stiftung Neue Verantwortung in Berlin, which has grown into a leading tech policy voice in German politics. He also was a senior adviser to New America in Washington DC, where he helped design the Public Interest Technology Initiative. During the 2016 US presidential campaign, Ben led the technology policy advisory group for the Clinton campaign. Ben was also Policy Adviser for Innovation at the US Department of State, where he helped steward the 21st Century Statecraft agenda, with a focus on technology policy, social media, and development. Before this, Ben led the Washington office of Free Press, a public interest organisation expanding affordable access to an open internet and fostering more public service journalism.
Carlina Conrad
Co-Founder and Research & Development Director, OneWonder
Carlina grew up in Duesseldorf, Germany, and moved to New York when she was 21, driven by her fascination with what influences human behaviour. At NYU she conducted research on the neural correlates underlying racial and gender bias, while completing her Masters in Social Neuroscience. This was followed by amassing extensive consumer behaviour insight through her work at Chanel, SuperPhone and at the Neuromarketing company SPARK Neuro. Becoming the youngest Director at SPARK, she led their research for Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organisations. Carlina is also a co-founder at OneWonder—a non-profit focusing on empowering middle-school children from underserved communities through career exploration and research-backed lesson plans on mindfulness and perseverance. She is a PhD candidate at IE University Madrid, researching the power of perception, along with gender and racial bias in organisations.
Renee Carr
Co-Founder and Executive Director, Fair Agenda
Renee is a campaigner and strategist passionate about growing movements for change. At Fair Agenda she has led campaigns that have helped: secure additional funding for domestic violence services, decriminalise abortion in Queensland, and stop cuts to working parents time to care for their newborns. In 2015 she was named as one of '100 Women of Influence'. Before co-founding Fair Agenda, Renee was part of the team that led The End of Polio campaign to secure $118 million additional funding for global polio eradication efforts. Renee has previously served on the Executive of the National Association of Australian University Colleges.
Rachel English
Co-Chair, NEXUS Australia
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 Chair of NEXUS Australia.
Lucinda Steggles
Co-Chair, NEXUS Australia
Lucy is passionate about philanthropy and social change, contributing her time and skills. Lucy has been a member of Philanthropy Australia’s Next Generation of Giving Program since 2014, and is involved in her families philanthropic giving. After 13 years in the legal sector, including managing the charitable initiatives of a prominent Australian law firm, Lucy left the corporate world in early 2019 to head up the partnerships and fundraising team at youth mental health charity, batyr. Lucy is Co-Chair of NEXUS Australia, having served on the Committee since 2015.
Rachel Howard
NEXUS Australia Committee
Rachel is a Senior Agribusiness and Food Adviser for the Australian Trade and Investment Commission. She previously worked for Policy Cures Research, a not-for-profit global health think tank who work with governments and philanthropic groups, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to enable them to make optimal policy and funding decisions for R&D in diseases of the developing world. Rachel has been part of the NEXUS Australia Committee since 2017. Rachel has been a mentor through the FYA Young Social Pioneer program and was a member of the Sydney 10×10 Philanthropy Committee in 2018.
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.
Nicole Seils
NEXUS Australia Committee
Nicole is a senior executive with more than two decades’ experience across the government, public and private sectors. She has high profile achievements for multinational firms, Cabinet Ministers and in the highest levels of federal, state and territory governments. She has expertise in highly sensitive defence, cyber and aerospace sectors. Nicole has proven success in program design and implementation through people empowerment and organisational change ethos.
Sasha Hoffman
NEXUS Australia Committee
Sasha made the full-time jump from film, theatre and fashion into the not for profit sector in 2015 when she joined the JCA Jumpstart Board Sub-Committee as Chair of Millennial and Co-Chair of Shark Tank Innovation Hub. Previously Sasha lived and volunteered in Tanzania, helped to facilitate the international expansion at 10x10 philanthropy and is currently the Corporate Partnerships Manager at Diabetes NSW, ACT & QLD and joined the NEXUS committee at the beginning of 2019 to pursue her passion for social change and philanthropy.
Edwina Floch
NEXUS Australia Committee
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. She heads Strategic Relationships at Documentary Australia Foundation, a not-for-profit that helps important social and environmental stories access philanthropic funding and build strategic impact campaigns that empower audiences to take action. And she is also the Co-Founder of Le Rosé Bleu, a French social-impact wine that raises awareness of ocean plastics and funds education and prevention initiatives in partnership with Plastic Oceans Foundation.
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.
Amanda Miller
co-founder, Impact Generation Partners
Amanda is a co-founder of Impact Generation Partners, which advises, invests in and supports enterprises that deliver financial as well as social and/or environmental returns. She is Deputy Chair of the Federal Government's Social Impact Investing Taskforce’s Expert Panel. She is a committee member of the Impact Investment Forum, an initiative of the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia (RIAA) and is also Co-Chair of Philanthropy Australia, the peak body for philanthropy and social investment in Australia. Previously, Amanda was involved in founding and then chairing Kids in Philanthropy for a number of years, was part of the NEXUS Australia Summit Committee from its inception in 2013 until 2018 and has been a member and Chair of Philanthropy Australia’s New Gen program in Melbourne. A past staff member and Board member of Australians Investing in Women, Amanda is proud to have advised and invested in a number of for-purpose enterprises founded or co-founded by women.
Rosie Thomas OAM
co-founder and CEO, PROJECT ROCKIT
Rosie Thomas OAM has been hungry for creating positive change ever since she can remember. She launched PROJECT ROCKIT with her sister when she was fresh out of high school, and 15 years on it has grown into Australia’s youth-driven movement against bullying, hate and prejudice, impacting half a million young Australians. In her role as CEO, Rosie serves on the Global Safety Advisory Boards of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and is passionate about engineering a kinder digital world and making sure young people’s voices are heard. Rosie is a highly energetic changemaker (brace yourselves) and has been honoured with an Order of Australia Medal, recognising her service to young people and her work against bullying.
Hunter Johnson
Founder & Ceo, Mancave & STUFF™
Hunter is the Founder & CEO of two purpose-driven organisations. Hunter leads The Man Cave, an emotional intelligence charity that has impacted the lives of 20,000 young men across Australia. Hunter also leads STUFF™, an investor-backed, purpose-driven personal care brand for the next generation of men. Alongside his work in the masculinity space, Hunter is an Advisor to The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT), a charity championing young people throughout the Commonwealth alongside Prince Harry, the President of QCT. Hunter has been recognised as a Finalist for the 2020 Young Australian of the Year Awards (VIC), listed as one of Harper's Bazaar's "Visionary Men for 2019", named a 2018 Queen's Young Leader by Her Majesty The Queen, and 2018 Winner of the EY Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Southern Region).
Thomas King
Founder & CEO, Food Frontier
Thomas is a social entrepreneur, international speaker and future food specialist who has been recognised as one of Australia’s most accomplished young pioneers. For the last decade, Thomas has driven food systems, environmental and poverty alleviation initiatives across five continents. He is a former Young Australian of the Year VIC and Myer Innovation Fellow. Realising the limitations of industrial animal agriculture to safely and sustainably feed our global population into coming decades, Thomas founded Food Frontier in 2017. As the nation's think tank on alternative proteins, the DGR1 not-for-profit helps businesses, innovators and policymakers navigate and pursue opportunities in the emerging plant-based meat and cellular agriculture industries. Food Frontier’s reports and events have delivered world-first data and insights on alternative proteins and reached tens-of-millions of people via national and international media.
Teela Reed
Lawyer and Storyteller
Teela is a proud Wiradjuri and Wailwan woman, lawyer and storyteller born and raised in Gilgandra western NSW. She is a fearless advocate for dismantling systemic racism in our society. She is also an organiser for Australia’s Inaugural Rebellious Lawyers Conference coming in September 2021. Teela was awarded the 2020 UNSW Young Alumni Award for her advocacy as a criminal defence lawyer and designer of the NSW Walama Court Proposal. She is also a campaigner for the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Teela believes in the power of First Nations storytelling and is the co-founder of @blackfulla_bookclub and the recipient of the Daisy Utemorrah Award for her manuscript: Our Matriarchs Matter.
Gemma Salteri
Executive Director, CAGES Foundation
Gemma is a senior business strategist with over 12 years experience. Gemma has been an adviser to the trustees of CAGES Foundation since its inception, and was appointed a Director in 2016. She is a director of Sydney Story Factory and a founding member of Philanthropy Australia’s New Generation of Giving program. Gemma is also a graduate of the Australian Companies Institute of Directors and the Chief Executive Women’s Leadership program. Gemma is responsible for the Foundation’s strategy and oversees the investment portfolio and continues to drive the move towards impact investing.
Jackie Huggins AM
Co-Chair, Treaty Advancement Committee Qld
Jackie is a Bidjara (central Queensland) and Birri-Gubba Juru (North Queensland) woman from Queensland who has worked in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs for over forty years. She has made her career, over four decades in areas of reconciliation, history, the arts, environment, leadership, education, prison reform, domestic and family violence, health, housing, literacy, disability, human rights, women’s issues and other social justice initiatives. Jackie is a celebrated author and historian, and was previously Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia, Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, Co-Chair of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples. She is currently Co-Chair of the Treaty Advancement Committee QLD.
Karrina Nolan
Executive Director, Original Power
Karrina is descendant of the Yorta Yorta people in Victoria. She’s worked as an organiser, strategist, campaigner, facilitator, lobbyist and hip hop wrangler alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, young people and communities for over 25 years. She’s led programs and campaigns on women’s rights, globalisation and environmental justice with a focus on First Nations peoples. She has most recently been working with communities fighting for land justice and for the protection of country. Karrina has been building the power of her mob working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities building up capacity for self-determination in the context of mining, economic development and climate change.
Larissa Baldwin
First NAtions Justice Campaign Director, GetUp
Larissa Baldwin is a widjabul woman from the Bundjalung Nations and currently 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.
Leilani Darwin
Head of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lived experience centre, the Black Dog Institute
Leilani is well-known within the sector for her work and leadership in Suicide Prevention and Mental Health. She is a powerful advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led, culturally informed practices within mainstream services and will continue to inform and provide opportunities to not only build the evidence base for the multiple benefits of lived experience but will be working closely with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to develop their skills and ability to participate in key policy reform, program development and advisory roles across both Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. Her leadership extends to participation in several National initiatives including the Prime Minister and Cabinet Suicide Prevention Taskforce, Lifeline Australia National Lived Experience Advisory Group along with several National and State based research projects, policy reform and digital solutions.
Will Morton
Founder, Will Bar Drinks
Will learnt his cocktail making skills at some of Melbourne’s great bars, learning recipes, creating menus and honing his craft. Once he fully grasped how these delicious drinks were developed he soon found himself being the go-to barmen at his friends parties, work events and so on. He a had a lightbulb moment when he realised that most people don’t get a chance to learn these skills if they don’t work in hospitality, but once you know the basics, it’s really easy to replicate and make your own drinks as good as you’d get in a bar! So he’s passionate about spreading his knowledge and teaching you too, so that everyone has their own chance to kick start their cocktail making journey and enjoy good drinks for life. Will’s mission is to democratise good drinks - finding the balance between what’s easy and delicious, using reasonably common ingredients.
Lea d’Auriol
Founder and Executive Director, Oceanic Global
Lea is the Founder and Executive Director of Oceanic Global, an international non-profit that taps into universal passions of art, music and emerge tech to educate individuals on issues impacting our oceans and provide them with solutions for driving positive change. She has extensive experience conceptualising, and producing high-level events around the world, having worked alongside top executives at leading brands including: Ferrari North America, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Maserati North America, Jet Aviation, Hublot and Chanel. As part of our industries solutions initiative, Oceanic Global partnered with NEXUS and Accenture to launch SUPR (single-use plastic reduction), a program to introduce a new status quo around sustainable operations in the world of professional sports. Oceanic Global has also been the production and non-profit partner to United Nations World Oceans Day in 2019, 2020, and again in 2021.
Ron Cordes
Co-Founder, Cordes Foundation
Ron has enjoyed a 30+ year career in the investment industry. He was a co-founder and CEO of AssetMark, a leading U.S. managed account platform with $30+ billion of AUM, co-authored “The Art of Investing” published by McGraw Hill, and was an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Since co-founding the Cordes Foundation in 2006 with his wife, Marty, Ron has focused on impact investing and social entrepreneurship and currently serves on the boards of MicroVest, ImpactAssets, Fair Trade USA and the Social Impact Lab at Lynn University. His work in this area has been profiled in an array of publications including the New York Times, Barron’s, FastCompany, Forbes and FORTUNE.
Steph Stephenson
Co-Chair, Cordes Foundation
Steph is co-chair of the Cordes Foundation, working to advance the Foundation’s ethical fashion and sustainable supply chain initiatives. In addition, Steph is the Brand Marketing Director at ECOfashion Corp, a “greenhouse” of brands at the intersection of transparency, technology, sustainability and innovation. Passionate about fashion and social impact, Steph serves on the board of directors for Indego Africa, a non-profit dedicated to lifting artisan women and their families out of poverty, and advisory boards of Remake, an advocacy group committed to building the conscious consumer movement, and Indigenous Designs, a fair trade fashion company.
Emmanuel Kelly
Artist and Musician
Emmanuel is an artist, musician and producer most known as a contestant on the 2011 season of The X Factor. Emmanuel was born into war torn Iraq and abandoned by his parents as a baby, he was raised at an orphanage ran by the Mother Theresa nuns, before being rescued by his now mum Moira Kelly and brought to Australia for life changing surgery. Emmanuel has melted the hearts of millions around the world and today, he has become a media sensation after his Australian “X-Factor” audition singing “Imagine” went viral, and has captured, inspired, and entertained close to 1 billion people worldwide with his performances.