SPEAKER PROFILES

Aaron Tait
Founder and CEO Spark* Aaron is co-founder and CEO of Spark* International. He has led and worked in some of the worlds most challenging environments. Following seven years of service as a military officer including operations in Iraq as an 18 year old, he spent two years running grassroots humanitarian projects in East Africa before co-founding Spark* International, an organisation that finds and enables local social entrepreneurs in very poor communities.

Alex Scott
Secretary Together

Alex Scott is the Secretary of Together, the public sector union for Queensland (formerly known as the Queensland Public Sector Union). Alex has worked for the union and its predecessors since 1989, overseeing Together through a period of extraordinary change.

Allison Henry
Founding Director Millwood Consulting

Allison is the founding Director of Millwood Consulting, a niche agency focused on improving the effectiveness and impact of NGOs and NFPs in their engagement with Government. Millwood Consulting works with organisations on research, policy development, submission and report writing projects, as well as providing strategic advice on advocacy campaigns and stakeholder engagement. Allison served for almost five years as a Ministerial Advisor in the Federal Parliament, as a senior advisor to the Prime Minister and advisor to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, the Shadow Attorney-General and the Shadow Minister for Health. She is the former National Director of the Australian Republican Movement and a graduate of the Sydney Leadership Program. She holds undergraduate degrees in Arts and Law, and Masters degrees in International Studies and International Law. Amanda Tattersall is the Founding Director of the Sydney Alliance, a diverse coalition of schools, unions, religious organisations and community organisations working to make Sydney a better place to live. She is also the author of Power in Coalition, a book that compares coalitions across Australia, the US and Canada and was based on her PhD.

Amanda Tattersall
Founder Sydney Alliance

Amanda McKenzie
CEO Climate Council

Amanda McKenzie is the incoming CEO of the Climate Council, a new independent replacement for the Climate Commission which was axed by the federal government. Amanda has been instrumental in setting up the new Climate Council which was funded through crowdsourcing public donations. Previously, Amanda worked as a senior communications advisor to the Commission. She is also the Chair of the Centre for Australian Progress, and previously spent four years as National Director of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, building a non-partisan movement of tens of thousands of young Australians to tackle the climate crisis. For this work, she was acknowledged as the 2009 Environment Ministers Young Environmentalist of the Year and 2009 Rotary Young Achiever of the Year. Anat Shenker-Osorio is a messaging and framing guru and author. She combines attentive language research with practical communication savvy to offer advice on how to make yourself heard, believed and understood. Anat has presented to gatherings at the U.S. Congress, and White House and has helped craft winning words for paid family leave, immigration policy, reproductive health and economic justice.

Anat ShenkerOsorio
Researcher, Communications Consultant and Author ASO Communications (US)

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Andrew Bradley
Communications Coordinator (Australia) European Climate Foundation

Andrew Bradley is a senior communications specialist who has worked at the political and departmental level and in the communications consultancy setting with extensive experience across federal, state and local governments, politicians, departments and agencies, listed companies, not-for-profits and individuals.

Andrew Marcus
Professor, Jewish Civilisation Monash University

Andrew Markus is the Pratt Foundation Research Professor of Jewish Civilisation at Monash University and a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. He has published extensively on Australian immigration and race relations and heads the Scanlon Foundation social cohesion research program.

Angela Ferguson
Managing Director, Australia ThoughtWorks

Angela Ferguson is Managing Director of ThoughtWorks Australia. ThoughtWorks is a software company and community of passionate individuals with an objective to revolutionise software delivery while advocating for positive social change. In addition to working in senior leadership roles, Angela has led delivery and change programs within multiple domains in several countries.

Anita Tang
Policy and Advocacy Manager Cancer Council NSW

Anita Tang is Policy and Advocacy Manager of Cancer Council NSW and one of Australias most respected public health campaigners. She has played a leading role in securing federal and state government support around tobacco control, cancer screening, and support for cancer survivors.

Anna Brown
Convenor Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby

Anna is the Director of Advocacy and Strategic Litigation at the Human Rights Law Centre, Convenor of the Victorian Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby and national spokesperson for the groundbreaking No to Homophobia campaign. Anna works across a range human rights issues and was previously a ministerial adviser, senior lawyer at the Victorian Government Solicitors Office, senior associate at Allens Linklaters and Federal Court associate. In 2013, she was named as one of Australias LGBTI people to watch. Anna is co-founder and former Chair of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. She is a former campaigner at GetUp! and a Director of the Bob Brown Foundation and Green Music Australia. Anna is also the author of Change, loss, power and sacrifice, a recent essay in the Griffith Review that explores the nature of social change in Australia and asks what it will take to make Australians more open to progressive social change.

Anna Rose
Environmentalist, Lecturer, Author and Campaigner

Anne Hollonds
CEO The Benevolent Society

Anne Hollonds is the CEO of The Benevolent Society, Australias first and longest-running not-for-profit organisation, celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. She has over 15 years experience as a Chief Executive Officer in the notfor-profit sector including as former CEO of Relationships Australia NSW and is also a child and family psychologist.

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Speaker Profiles

Anne Coombs
Executive Director Becher Foundation

Anne Coombs is a writer and social activist. She is the Executive Director of the Becher Foundation, and was one of the founders of Rural Australians for Refugees. She has had a long-term commitment to supporting a range of progressive organisations including GetUp, Per Capita and the Centre of Australian Progress.

Archie Law
Executive Director ActionAid Australia

Archie Law is the Executive Director of ActionAid Australia, taking on the position in April 2008. Previously, he spent 20 years working with the UN and within the NGO sector across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the US. In a past life, Archie was a drummer for the 1980s rock band, the Huxton Creepers.

Barry Traill
Director, Outback to Oceans Program Pew Charitable Trusts

Barry Traill is a a wildlife ecologist by training and a leading Australian conservationist. He is currently Director of the Outback to Oceans Program with the Pew Environment Group in Australia. Pew works with partners to obtain protection for large wilderness areas in Australia both in the outback and in remote Australian seascapes.

Ben McGowan
Co-Founder Voice for Indi

Ben McGowan is co-founder of Voice for Indi, a grassroots movement for political change in the (formerly) safe rural seat of Indi. The Voice for Indi supported candidate Cathy McGowan who was elected with a campaign that revitalised rural politics.

Carl Harris
Campaigns Director GetUp!

Carl is a Campaigns Director at GetUp! He is passionate about finding ways for everyone to participate in politics and take action on the issues they care about. Carl most recently led GetUps 2013 election field campaign.

Cassandra Goldie
CEO ACOSS

Dr Cassandra Goldie is CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS), the peak body for the community sector in Australia and the national voice for people experiencing poverty and inequality. She is a leading advocate on economic and social policy, a regular media and public commentator, and a highly respected human rights lawyer.

Chris Tanti
CEO Headspace

Chris Tanti is CEO of Headspace, the national youth mental health foundation. Chris graduated from social work at the University of Melbourne. He worked as a social worker in both the private and public sectors in many different areas before moving into management roles. As CEO of Headspace, Chris is responsible for over 30 mental health centres around Australia.

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Speaker Profiles

Daniel HaileMichael
Co-Founder African Australian Voice

Daniel Haile-Michael is co-founder of African Australian Voice, a weekly radio show. He is completing a BA in Engineering from Victoria University and was an applicant in a recent high profile racial harassment case with Victoria Police.

Dan Spencer
Campaign Manager Repower Port Augusta/AYCC

Dan is a community organiser and campaign manager with the Repower Port Augusta Alliance and the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. For the last year, Dan has been working on a campaign to replace Port Augustas ageing coal-fired power stations with concentrated solar thermal. Dan received the inaugural Bob Brown Young Environmentalist of the Year Award in 2012.

Danny Almagor
CEO Small Giants

Danny is the co-founder and CEO of Small Giants, Australias first certified B-Corporation. Prior to Small Giants, Danny was the founding CEO of Engineers Without Borders Australia and CEO of Medivax. He has done some other cool stuff including being part of the team that broke the record for racing a solar car across Australia from Darwin to Adelaide.

David Hetherington
Executive Director Per Capita

David Hetherington is the founding Executive Director of Per Capita, a progressive think tank. He previously worked at the Institute for Public Policy Research in London and for L.E.K. Consulting in Sydney, Munich and Auckland. David appears regularly in the Sydney Morning Herald , AFR, and The Australian.

David Ritter
CEO Greenpeace Australia Pacific/ Co-Chair of Progress 2013

David Ritter is the Chief Executive Officer of Greenpeace Australia Pacific and a Co-Chair of Progress 2013. David returned to Australia to take up this role at Greenpeace in August 2012 after five years working in a senior campaigns position with Greenpeace in London. A former lawyer and academic, David is a widely published political commentator.

Dermot OGorman
CEO WWF Australia

Since becoming Chief Executive Officer in 2010, Dermot OGorman has steered WWF-Australia in developing a new strategy, focused on six high impact initiatives. He also led the organisation through recent big conservation wins, including WWFs contribution to carbon price laws and plans for a national network of marine parks.

Ellen Sandell
Climate Change Campaigner

Ellen was National Director of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) from late 2010 to November 2012. She has become one of Australias leading commentators and campaigners on the issue of climate change. Under Ellens stewardship AYCC grew from a handful of friends wanting to change the world, to a huge organisation with over 80,000 members, a national media profile and the ear of politicians due to its high impact, creative campaigns. Ellen has won several awards for her work as a campaigner and non-profit leader. She was awarded joint winner of Australias most prestigious environment award for young people the Banksia Young Environmentalist of the Year award in 2009, and won the Melbourne Award for Individual Contribution to Environment in 2009.

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Speaker Profiles

Evan Thornley
Business and Social Entreprenuer

Evan Thornley is a business and social entrepreneur. He was CEO of Looksmart and Better Place and is a former director of GetUp, Per Capita and the Brotherhood of St Laurence. Evan was also a driving force behind the establishment of Goodstart Early Learning.

Fiona Sharkie
Executive Director QUIT Vitcoria

Fiona Sharkie is Executive Director of Quit Victoria and Co-Chair of Progress 2013. Fionas career has spanned the private, public and non-profit sectors in the health and publishing industries as well as womens affairs, and overseas aid. Currently Fiona leads an organisation fighting an issue that continues to claim the lives of 15,000 Australians a year.

Freddy Sharpe
CEO Climate Friendly

Freddy Sharpe is CEO of Climate Friendly, Australias leading carbon management business. He has worked in sustainability and on climate change solutions in Australia and internationally for over 20 years and grown Climate Friendly into a global business. Previously, Freddy was Chief Operating Officer of Australias largest residential energy efficiency company. Freddy speaks regularly on climate change and related topics and was included in the inaugural ABC Carbon 50, a list of the 50 most influential people in Australia who are committed to the environment, the planet and the future of life on earth. Gavin is the Director of Empowerment Programs at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC). He oversees the ASRCs social enterprises as well as its employment, education and social and community development programs. Gavin is recognised for his innovative approaches to working with asylum seekers. He is the founder of WORCs, a world first e-Mentoring program for asylum seekers and refugees, and the creator of Australias only government funded asylum seeker vocational education and training program. His latest endeavour is the Asylum Seeker Innovation Hub for which Gavin was featured in The Age newspapers The Zone. While still in its early stages, The Hub is changing the way Australians support and connect with disadvantaged groups. Geoff is Director of Social Leadership Australia at The Benevolent Society. He has a rare combination of hands on experience in senior leadership roles and a deep understanding of change and leadership theory and practice. Geoff is responsible for providing strategic direction for Social Leadership Australia.

Gavin Ackerley
Director of Empowerment Programs Asylum Seeker Resource Centre

Geoff Aigner
Director Social Leadership Australia, The Benevolent Society

Geraldine Chin
Group Executive, People, Culture and Sustainability Virgin Australia

Geraldine Chin Moody is Group Executive, People, Culture and Sustainability at Virgin Australia. She has previously held senior executive positions at Baker & McKenzie (Australia) and the Australian Stock Exchange. She is a board member of UN Women, and a recipient of the NSW Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year award.

Glen Berman
General Manager Centre for Australian Progress

Glen Berman is General Manager of Centre for Australian Progress and one of Australias leading campaigners. Formerly, Glen was General Manager of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition where he oversaw numerous projects including Powershift 2011 two youth conferences with more than 1400 delegates in Brisbane and Perth. He has also been Chief Financial Officer at The Oaktree, a fast-growing aid and development organisation. Prior to joining the Centre for Australian Progress, Glen spent six months with Make Believe as a Senior Strategist advising clients on fundraising and digital campaigning.

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Speaker Profiles

Glen Klatovsky
National Campaigner The Wilderness Society

For the last three years Glen has been National Kimberley Campaigner for The Wilderness Society with a primary focus on the campaign to oppose a gas hub development at James Price Point. Previously, Glen was Carbon Business Manager for Greening Australia and Conservation Director for WWF-Australia.

Hayley Conway
Campaign Manager AllOut.org

Hayley Conway is a campaigner with experience spanning the labor union movement, politics, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy. She currently serves as Campaign Manager for All Out, a global LGBT movement of more than 1.8 million people. Hayley is leading All Outs efforts for LGBT rights in Uganda, on updating Australias anti-discrimination laws to include LGBTI people, and to have Google and Apple remove an app offering to cure gayness. She also led the online strategy for four marriage ballot initiatives in the 2012 United States election (TheFour.com) and ran a successful campaign against Ukraines gay gag law. Helen Szoke joined as Oxfam Australia as Chief Executive in January 2013. Prior to this appointment, Helen served as Australias Federal Race Discrimination Commissioner, following seven years as the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner.

Helen Szoke
Cheif Executive Oxfam Australia

Hugh de Kretser
Executive Director Human Rights Law Centre

Hugh de Kretser is the Executive Director of the Human Rights Law Centre. Hugh was previously the Executive Officer of the Victorian Federation of Community Legal Centres and Manager of the Brimbank Melton Community Legal Centre after starting his career in corporate law. He is a Director of the Victorian Sentencing Advisory Council and was a Commissioner of the Victorian Law Reform Commission from 2008 to 2012.

Ian McAuley
Adjunct Lecturer, Public Sector Finance University of Canberra

Ian McAuley is an Adjunct Lecturer in Public Sector Finance at the University of Canberra. His research interests are in public policy, with a specialisation in fiscal and economic policy. His academic qualifications are in engineering and business management from Adelaide University and public administration from Harvard University.

Jamila Rizvi
Editor Mamamia

Jamila is the editor of Mamamia.com.au and a columnist for Cosmopolitan magazine. She previously worked for both the Rudd and Gillard Governments in policy and media.

Jane Caro
Emcee of Progress 2013

Jane Caro is the emcee of Progress 2013 and the wearer of many hats; including author, lecturer, mentor, social commentator, columnist, workshop facilitator, speaker, broadcaster and award winning advertising writer. The common thread running through her career is a delight in words and a talent for using them to connect with other people. A skill she developed and honed during her very successful 30 years as an advertising writer.

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Speaker Profiles

Jarrod McKenna
Founder First Home Project

Jarrod McKenna is a refugee activist, teaching pastor and National Advisor to World Vision Australia. Jarrods peace award winning work has engaged over 12,000 young activists in nine countries across four continents. He lives in Perth with his amazing wife Teresa, son Tyson and 14 recently arrived refugees at First Home Project an innovative community modelling empowering welcome as an alternative to detention.

Jason Glanville
CEO National Centre for Indigenous Excellence/CoChair of Progress 2013

Jason Glanville is a member of the Wiradjuri peoples from south-western New South Wales. He is the inaugural CEO of the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence and a Co-Chair of Progress 2013. Jason is Chair of the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute and on the boards of Reconciliation Australia, and the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre.

Jeremy Bird
Founder 270 Strategies (US)

Jeremy was National Field Director for the 2012 re-election campaign of President Barack Obama and is a founding partner at 270 Strategies. At Progress 2013, Jeremy will share the story of the brick by brick organising work that turned out Obamas coalition.

Jess Kutch
Co-Founder and Campaign Director Coworker.org

Jess Kutch is a digital strategist and social change entrepreneur. In 2013, she co-founded Coworker.org an online platform for people to advocate for improvements in the workplace. Jess has directed digital campaigns for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and Change.org. She is also a Senior Fellow at the New Organizing Institute.

John Falzon
CEO St Vincent de Paul

Dr John Falzon is an activist and political sociologist. He is Chief Executive Officer of the St Vincent de Paul Society National Council of Australia. Johns first book, The Language of the Unheard (Garratt) was published in 2012.

John Hepburn
Executive Director The Sunrise Project

John Hepburn is Executive Director of The Sunrise Project. For the past ten years, John has played a key strategic role with Greenpeace Australia Pacific, where he has performed a wide variety of roles including managing the climate and energy campaign, the genetic engineering campaign, and the outreach and mobilisation department. He has also worked for Greenpeace International as an advisor to campaign teams in India, China and Japan.

Karen Skinner
Campaigns Director, Australia Change.org

Karen leads the Australian team at Change.org - an international online platform that supports individuals and organisations to create the change they want to see. For the last 15 years, Karen has led and advised on union, political and environmental campaigns in Australia and New Zealand. This includes working at the ACTU Organising Centre in 2009 and coordinating the Say Yes Australia carbon price campaign in 2011.

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Speaker Profiles

Karina Brisby
Partner Core Collaboration

Karina Brisby is a Partner at Core Collaboration. For a decade, she was head of digital campaigning at Oxfam GB. Most recently, as a consultant, she has advised the World Wide Web Foundation on an international coalition for a free, open and accessible web. She also runs Blog Action Day.

Kate Walsh
Strategist and Campaign Consultant

As a senior strategist for a number of high profile organisations and agencies including Blue State Digital, Slow Food USA, Essential Media Communications and GetUp, Kate has provided advice to many prominent non-profits, movements and social enterprises both in Australia and internationally. Her skills are focused around building integrated communications strategies both online and offline that re-imagine brands, build communities and create campaigns that win. Her clients are wide ranging and have included; Vogue Magazine, Tribeca Film Festival, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, the Jewish Federations of North America, NYU Alumni, Caritas International and The Australian Council of Trade Unions. Kathe is Executive Director of the Asialink Centre of The University of Melbourne and of the Asia Education Foundation. Kathe has a background in school education with a focus on innovation in education. She is a Board member of the Foundation for Young Australians and the Australia Malaysia Institute.

Kathe Kirby
Executive Director Asialink Centre of The University of Melbourne and of the Asia Education Foundation

Kelly Craighead
Senior Advisor Democracy Alliance (US)

Kelly Craighead is the immediate past President and Managing Director of the Democracy Alliance (DA) and currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the Board and Management team. Kelly came to the Washington-based Democracy Alliance with extensive experience in politics, and also the private and nonprofit sectors. Prior to joining the DA full-time, she was a strategic consultant to progressive non-profits, including the DA and Media Matters for America, helping to secure essential start-up capital and providing operations, communications and fundraising expertise. Kelly served eight years in the Clinton Administration with the rank of Deputy Assistant advising both President and First Lady Clinton on a range of domestic and international activities and initiatives. Kirsty Albion is one of Australian Youth Climate Coalitions National Co-Directors and has been part of the team for over five years. She has led many major campaigns including Meet Your Member where young people met 215 of our Federal politicians and a 328km Walk for Solar thermal in Port Augusta. In 2013 she was awarded Prime Ministers Young Environmentalist of the Year with CoDirector Lucy Manne.

Kirsty Albion
Co-Director Australian Youth Climate Coalition

Lachlan McDaniel
Community Liaison Manager Recognise

Lachlan McDaniel is a Wiradjuri man who grew up in South-West Sydney. He attended Macquarie University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws. During his studies, he attended the University of Calgary in Canada where he spent 6 months studying Canadian Indigenous Studies, History and the Treaty system. More recently, Lachlan pursued his interest in Indigenous self-governance by spending January of 2013 at the University of Arizona studying a Continuing Education Certificate in Indigenous Studies. Following graduation, Lachlan worked as an Indigenous Student Support Officer in the Tertiary Education sector before moving to Recognise, the peoples movement for Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution.

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Speaker Profiles

Laura Eadie
Sustainable Economy Research Director Centre for Policy Development

Laura Eadie is the Sustainable Economy Research Director at the Centre for Policy Development. Her experience spans corporate strategy consulting, management experience in green finance and natural resources policy advice. She is a UTS Business School Associate, and has qualifications in environmental management, finance and investment, and industrial chemistry.

Leah Ginnivan
Voice for Indi

Leah Ginnivan took leave from working as a researcher at the Grattan Institute to help direct Cathy McGowans campaign in Indi. She organised events to fire up the campaign, shaped policy based on community conversations, and was a key contributor to the media and digital strategy team. The majestic north-east Victoria/grassroots politics/abundant cheese and wine recaptured this local girl, and shes now working with McGowan MP until the end of 2013.

Libby Lenkinski
Director, Strategic Initiatives New Israel Fund (IL)

Libby Lenkinski is Director of Strategic Initiatives at the New Israel Fund (NIF) a fund dedicated to religious pluralism and civil rights in Israel. She previously worked as Director of International Relations at the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, the countrys leading human rights organisation. Libby is in Australia as a guest of NIF Australia.

Lindsay Soutar
National Coordinator 100% Renewables

Lindsay Soutar is the founder of 100% Renewables, and the campaign platform Solar Citizens. In the past, Lindsay divided her time between Australia and the countries of the Mekong region, working as a researcher and educator on environment and development issues. In 2011 Lindsay was named the Environment Ministers Young Environmentalist of the Year.

Louise Tarrant
National Secretary United Voice/CoChair of Progress 2013

Louise Tarrant is a lifelong unionist who is now National Secretary of United Voice, one of Australias largest unions representing workers in diverse industries such as childcare, hospitality, aged care and security. Louise is passionate about the issues that affect her members, such as low pay, insecurity and lack of respect at work. She is a Co-Chair of Progress 2013.

Lucy Larkins
Trustee The Reichstein Foundation

Lucy Larkins is a Trustee of The Reichstein Foundation and a Senior Policy Adviser at the Federation of Community Legal Centres, where she works on civil law and human rights policy. She recently returned to Australia after five years working on death penalty cases in the United States.

Luke Hilakari
Secretary Elect Victorian Trades Hall Council

Luke is campaigning to improve the lives of workers. A former United Voice organiser and ministerial advisor, Luke is changing the way workers organise to win campaigns for Victorias 500,000 strong union members.

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Speaker Profiles

Madeleine Hinchy
Producer and Content and Communications Specialist Wildwon Projects

Madeleine is a producer on Progress 2013 and a content and communications specialist. She has a background in the arts, publishing and content marketing, and is dedicated to helping individuals and organisations to engage audiences and communicate more effectively.

Margaret Gardiner
Elder Wurendjeri Tribe

Mark Davis
Investigative TV Journalist Dateline, SBS

Mark Davis is one of Australias foremost video journalists and in his career has won a Logie and five Walkley Awards. During 2010, as a co-presenter and video journalist for SBS Dateline, he gained unprecedented access to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Mark Zirnsak
Director, Justice and International Mission Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, Uniting Church in Australia

Dr Mark Zirnsak is Director, Justice and International Mission, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, Uniting Church in Australia. The Uniting Church acts as the Secretariat for the Tax Justice Network in Australia. He was a member of the Assistant Treasurers Special Reference Group and consulted on measures to curb tax dodging by multinational enterprises.

Marshall Ganz
Senior Lecturer Kennedy School of Government

Marshall Ganz is a Senior Lecturer at Harvards Kennedy School of Government. In a career spanning six decades, Marshall has worked with grassroots groups to develop new organising programs and designed voter mobilisation strategies for local, state, and national electoral campaigns.

Matthew Bowden
Co-CEO People With Disability Australia

Matthew Bowden is Co-CEO of the national peak organisation People with Disability Australia (PWDA). Matthew has worked for 10 years on advocacy and membership engagement for PWDA. Hes passionate about effecting positive individual and collective change for people with disability.

Matthew Levey
Director, Campaigns and Communications CHOICE

Matthew Levey is Director of Campaigns and Communications at CHOICE. Completely self-funded and independent, CHOICE was founded in 1959 and is the number-one advocate of consumer rights in Australia. Matthew leads CHOICEs advocacy and campaigning across a range of consumer issues, including banking, energy, digital rights and food policy.

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Michael OMeara
Facilitator and Founder MOHOW

Michael OMeara, of MOHOW, speaks the languages of young people locally and internationally. Michael has been the Australian Governments preferred lead facilitator of most major youth consultation and engagement services for the past decade.vMichael has twice led the facilitation of the National Youth Roundtable for FACISA and DEEWR, led the facilitation of the Youth 2020 Summit in Canberra, and was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Australian Youth Forum. Michelle Deshong is a Kulka Yulangi woman from north Queensland. in 2013 she was a member of the Australian Government Delegation to CSW 57 and was previously an NGO representative to the United Nations CEDAW. She is passionate about womens rights and gender equality and actively campaigns for the elimination of violence against women and Indigenous womens rights. She is currently completing her PhD at James Cook University.

Michelle Deshong
Director Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre

Miriam Lyons
Executive Director Centre for Policy Development

Miriam Lyon is Executive Director at the Centre for Policy Development. She is a regular guest on the ABC TV shows Q&A and The Drum and co-edited the book More Than Luck: Ideas Australia Needs Now with Mark Davis. She is currently editing CPDs forthcoming book, Pushing our Luck. Miriam was a delegate to the 2020 Summit and was profiled in the Thinkers category of The Australians Emerging Leaders series.

Missy Higgins
Singer and Songwriter

Missy Higgins has struck a profound chord with Australian music fans with her irresistible melodies, arrow through the heart lyrics and a voice that clearly means it. Alongside her music career, Missy pursues interests in animal rights and the environment. Missy has worked with PeTA, is an Animals Australia ambassador, and is a strong voice against the industrialisation of the Kimberley.

Nadine Flood
National Secretary Community & Public Sector Union

Nadine Flood is National Secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union. Nadine studied economics at Macquarie University and was a union delegate in universities and local government. She began as an organiser with the CPSU in 1995 representing members across government agencies and in Telstra. Nadine has also worked with the ACTU and with international unions such as the SIEU in America.

Nareen Young
CEO Diversity Council of Australia

Nareen Young is CEO of the Diversity Council of Australia, an independent, not-for-profit workplace diversity advisor to business. She serves on the board of Netball Australia, Indigenous Business Australia and was named one of the Twenty Most Influential Female Voices of 2012 by Daily Life

Nick Allardice
Managing Director, Asia Pacific Change.org

Nick Allardice is a social change entrepreneur and advocate, with a history of creating and leading high impact campaigns, movements and organisations on national and global issues. Nick is the founder of Change.org Australia and now the Managing Director, Asia Pacific, supporting Change.orgs growth in Asia.

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Nick Moraitis
Executive Director Centre for Australian Progress

Nick Moraitis is Executive Director of Centre for Australian Progress. Nick has more than 15 years experience driving social change in New York, Toronto, London and Sydney. He co-founded one of the worlds first social networks, TakingITGlobal.org, played a leading role in the growth of Australias foremost campaigning organisation GetUp, worked in global strategy at Amnestys International Secretariat and managed public engagement for Greenpeace. As founder of Sydney-based consultancy Make Believe, Nick developed winning campaigns and internal innovation projects for more than seventy non-profits. He currently serves on the boards of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition and the Centre for Policy Development. Onur Ekinici co-initiated Ballarat Co-lab, a co-working space that aims to pioneer a new model for regional renewal by transforming communities through collaboration. Onur also plays an active role in connecting social and environmental organisations to Commonground, a remarkable place that helps sustain and nurture changemakers

Onur Ekinici
Co-Initiator Ballarat Co-lab

Pablo Fracchia
LGBT Human Rights Activist (AR)

Pablo Fracchia is an Argentinean LGBT and human rights activist who was actively involved in the successful Argentinean Marriage Equality and Gender Identity Laws. He has a masters in social work, and currently coordinates the volunteer program of the Argentinean LGBT Federation

Paul Ferris
Campaign Manager SumOfUs.org

Paul is Campaign Manager with international corporate accountability group SumOfUs.org. From Sydney but based in New York, he previously worked for Avaaz.org, consulted on corporate campaigning in Sweden, and got his start at the Australian Youth Climate Coalition.

Peter Cashman
Director Social Justice Program, University of Sydney

Professor Peter Cashman is a barrister, Director of the Social Justice Program at the University of Sydney, and Chair of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. He was previously with national law firm Maurice Blackburn Cashman (now Maurice Blackburn).

Phoebe Knowles
Administrative and Human Rights Law Barrister

Phoebe Knowles is a barrister practising in administrative and human rights law. She has been involved in both small and large public interest cases, including Haile-Michael v Victoria Police and Eatock v Andrew Bolt & HWT (racial discrimination) and Environment East Gippsland v VicForests (environmental law).

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Rachel Lowry
Director, Wildlife Conservation and Science Zoos Victoria

Rachel Lowry is Director of Wildlife Conservation and Science at Zoos Victoria and leads a team of highly skilled conservationists and wildlife specialists. She is also President of the International Zoo Educations Association and has developed award-winning programs that have tackled conservation and sustainability issues both locally and globally.

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Rachel Perkins
Director, Filmmaker and Writer Blackfella Films

Rachel Perkins is a festival director and filmmaker whose work, including First Australians, Radiance, Mabo and Redfern Now, draws upon her Arrernte and Kalkadoon Australian heritage. She has served on the boards of the Australian Film Commission, the National Indigenous Television Service, the Indigenous Media Association and currently Screen Australia.

Rebecca Wilson
Chief of Staff GetUp!

Rebecca Wilson is Chief of Staff at GetUp! Previously, Rebecca spent eight years as as an advisor to the independent Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, broken by a stints as Campaigns Director for GetUp in 2010, and for Obama for America in South Carolina and Ohio in 2008. When she left Clovers office in early 2012 she was Policy Manager.

Rebecca Scott
Founding CEO STREAT

Rebecca Scott is the founding CEO of STREAT, a social enterprise providing homeless and disadvantaged youth with a pathway from the street to employment in the hospitality industry. STREAT has now offered over 30,000 hours of training across its five businesses.

Regina Schwartz
Deputy Director Analyst Institute (US)

Regina Schwartz is a world leader in research driven campaigning at the Analyst Institute. At the Analyst Institute, Regina has designed and implemented hundreds of randomised field experiments. She has also developed an outreach program that has conducted hundreds of trainings across the US. The program is focused on scientifically-proven methods for increasing voter turnout and improving the effectiveness of political communication.

Renee Carr
Campaigner Fair Agenda

Renee Carr is a campaigner and strategist with a passion for growing movements for positive change. Before joining the team at Fair Agenda, Renee worked at the Global Poverty Project where she served as the Australian Communications and Marketing Manager and then international supporter engagement lead. She has played a key role in a number of campaigns and projects: helping deliver the first ever Live Below the Line campaign in 2010, and Co-Directing the 2011 Australian campaign to raise more than $1.4 million. Renee also played a key role in The End of Polio campaign and concert, which secured $118 million in pledges for global polio eradication efforts. Renee currently serves as Chair of the Board at the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Melbourne. An economist by training, Richard has worked for the past 20 years in a variety of policy and political roles. In recent years he has been at the forefront of the national policy debates surrounding climate change policy and the Australian mining boom. He is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Crawford School of Economics and Government.

Richard Denniss
Executive Director The Australia Institute

Richard Wilkinson
Co-author, The Spirit Level (UK)

Richard Wilkinson is an author and expert on the societal effects of inequality. He has played a formative role in international research on the social determinants of health and on the societal effects of income inequality. Richard co-wrote The Spirit Level with Kate Pickett, a book that won the 2011 Political Studies Association Publication of the Year Award and the 2010 Bristol Festival of Ideas Prize. Richard is also a co-founder of The Equality Trust.

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Speaker Profiles

Rob Purves
Founder Purves Environmental Fund

Robert Purves is a businessman and an environmentalist. After a long career in public companies, he established the Purves Environmental Fund in 2004. He is the President of WWF-Australia and also a founding member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists.

Rob Moodie
Professor of Public Health Melbourne School of Population Health, Melbourne University

Rob Moodie is Professor of Public Health at the Melbourne School of Population Health. Previously, he was the inaugural Chair of Global Health at the Nossal Institute. He was CEO of VicHealth from 1998 to 2007 and chaired the National Preventative Health Taskforce from 2008 to 2011.

Robert Manne
Author and Emeritus Professor of Politics Latrobe University

Robert Manne is Emeritus Professor of Politics and Vice-Chancellors Fellow at La Trobe University. He is the author or editor of twenty books including Do Not Disturb: Is the Media Failing Australia? and Bad News: Murdochs Australian and the Shaping of the Nation.

Rodney Croome
National Director Australian Marriage Equality

Rodney Croome AM is National Director of Australian Marriage Equality and spokesperson for the Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his LGBT human rights advocacy in 2003.

Sally McManus
NSW Branch Secretary Australian Services Union

Sally McManus is NSW Branch Secretary of the Australian Services Union. The Australian Services Union is the union for non-government community and disability workers and is one of the fastest growing unions in the country. Sally has been instrumental in the establishment of Destroy the Joint and the success of the Equal Pay campaign for community sector workers.

Sally Hill
Impact Strategist Wildwon

Sally Hill is the co-founder of Wildwon Projects, a creative partnership that design experiences to influence behaviour, attitudes and outcomes on major environmental and social issues. She is an alumni of the Centre for Sustainability Leadership and is a current World Economic Forum Global Shaper

Sam Mclean
National Director GetUp!/Co-Chair of Progress 2013

Sam Mclean is National Director of GetUp, Australias leading community campaigning organisation, with more than 600,000 online members. Sam has worked with GetUp for five years, spearheading key campaigns on issues such as mental health, renewable energy, human rights, pokies reform and international aid. He is also a Co-Chair of Progress 2013.

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Speaker Profiles

Scott Rankin
Co-founder and Creative Director Big hART

Scott Rankin is Creative Director and Co-Founder of Big hART. He is also a multiaward winning theatre writer and director and leader in the field of social and cultural Innovation. He has created such works as Box the Pony, Namatjira, Ngapartji Ngapartji and StickybrickS. Big hART assist individuals, communities and policy makers to develop and change as a result of the processes involved in cultural activity and art-making.

Scott Ludlam
Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia

Scott Ludlam is an Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia. He has been a leading voice on digital rights including internet censorship and mandatory data retention, as well as other policy areas such as energy market reform, nuclear waste, and housing affordability.

Sue PietersHawke
Speaker, Writer and Aged Care Advocate

Sue Pieters-Hawke is a speaker, writer and advisor and a well-known advocate for issues surrounding dementia, healthy aging, aged care reform, carer support and innovative social engagement. Sue co-chairs the Federal Ministers Dementia Advisory Group, and works throughout the community to promote fresh thinking and reform regarding dementia, aging and aged care.

Suelette Dreyfus
Principal Researcher University of Melbourne

Suelette Dreyfus is an Australian-American technology journalist and researcher, and author of the 1997 cult classic Underground: Hacking, Madness and Obsession on the Electronic Frontier. She is a Principal Researcher at the University of Melbourne, where she leads an international study on the impact of digital technologies on whistleblowing.

Tim Costello
CEO World Vision Australia/CoChair of Progress 2013

Tim Costello is CEO of World Vision Australia and Co-Chair of Progress 2013. Tim is one of Australias most sought after voices on social justice issues, leadership and ethics, having spearheaded public debates on gambling, urban poverty, homelessness, reconciliation and substance abuse. He has also been instrumental in ensuring that the issues surrounding global poverty are placed on the national agenda.

Tim Goodwin
Board Member Centre for Australian Progress

Tim Goodwin is a member of the Yuin people of the South East Coast of New South Wales. Tim is a board member of Centre for Australian Progress and currently a lawyer in Melbourne, having graduated from Harvard Law School with a Master of Laws in 2012. He is a Board Member of the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth and a Trustee of the Reichstein Foundation. He also serves on the Editorial Board of the Australian Indigenous Law Review. Tim was a member of the Steering Committee for the establishment of a National Indigenous Representative Body from 2008-2010. This work led to the creation of the National Congress of Australias First Peoples. Tim is founder of Green Music Australia. He is a musician and environmentalist who left his position as Communications Director to Christine Milne to achieve his dream of making Green Music Australia a reality. With FourPlay String Quartet, Tim has recorded four albums, toured internationally and played backing strings with some of Australias best known and loved musicians.

Tim Hollo
Founder Green Music Australia

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Speaker Profiles

Tim Flannery
Chair Climate Council

Professor Tim Flannery is chair of the non-profit Climate Council. He was previously chief of the Australian Governments Climate Commission. He is the author of The Weather Makers (2005), and The Future Eaters (1994) and was Australian of the Year in 2007.

Tim Dixon
Senior Strategist Purpose

Tim works with Purpose in New York City and London developing and launching social and consumer movements. He has worked as a speechwriter and senior economic adviser for two Australian prime ministers and an opposition leader, founded an education organisation, and also co-authored Australias best-selling economics textbook.

Tony Burke (MP)

Federal Member for Watson

Tony Burke is Federal Labor member for Watson, Shadow Minister for Finance, and Manager of Opposition Business. Between 2007 and 2013, he served as Minister in a variety of portfolios including Immigration, Multicultural Affairs, Environment and the Arts.

Trudy Wyse
Director Australian Communities Foundation, Philanthropy Consulting Service

Trudy has worked in the philanthropic sector for over 15 years, initially with the Stegley Foundation and more recently the Australian Communities Foundation. Trudy was a founding member of Changemakers Australia.

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Virginia Gordon
Public Affairs Specialist

Virginia Gordon is a public affairs specialist with two decades building successful campaigns for clients working in the non-profit, arts and media sectors. She will present a case study of a successful campaign which led to funding cuts being reversed, as well as provide insights into how to work effectively and achieve results with the current federal government.

Viv Benjamin
CEO The Oaktree

Viv is passionate about young people leading social change, and is CEO of the Oaktree Australias largest youth aid organisation. Vivs work has taken her across the Asia-Pacific region, from the city slums of India and Bangladesh, to the mountainous villages of East Timor and Nepal.

Wayne Swan (MP)

Federal Member for Lilley

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and the Deputy Leader of the Labor Party from 2010 to 2013, and the Treasurer of Australia from 2007 to 2013. Wayne Swan was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1993 for Lilley in Queensland. He regained the seat in 1998 and has represented it ever since. Following Labors victory in 2007, Swan was appointed Treasurer.

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Speaker Profiles

Will Steffen
Executive Director ANU Climate Change Institute

Will Steffen is a researcher, writer and communicator who explores the evolving relationship between human societies and the natural world we inhabit. Currently based at the Australian National University in Canberra, he has had a long career in global change research, policy and communication at an international level, including a six year stint as CEO of the worlds largest global change research program, based in Stockholm, Sweden.

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