Tracey Spicer (Emcee)
During her 30-year career, Tracey has reported for, and anchored, national news, current affairs and lifestyle programs for ABC TV, Network Ten, Channel 9 and Sky News. Tracey is the co-founder and national convenor of Women in Media, a nationwide mentoring and networking group. Currently she works as a weekly columnist for Fairfax, presentation trainer for Outspoken Women and the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, and media trainer at Spicer Communications.
Cassandra Goldie
Dr Cassandra Goldie has been CEO of ACOSS since July 2010. With extensive public policy expertise in economic and social issues, civil society, social justice and human rights, she has represented the interests of disadvantaged people, and civil society, in major national and international processes as well as in grassroots communities. Prior to joining ACOSS, Cassandra held senior roles in both the NFP and public sectors.
Michelle Higelin
Michelle Higelin is the Executive Director of ActionAid Australia and has led the organisation's international programs and policy work for the past three and half years. A committed feminist, Michelle has over 20 years of experience working to advance women's rights in Australia and internationally, including as the Deputy General Secretary of the World YWCA, one of the world's largest women's movements.
Kelly O'Shanassy
Kelly O’Shanassy is the Chief Executive Officer at the Australian Conservation Foundation. Kelly has worked in the government, business and community sectors to established world-first environment protection policies, save water, boost recycling, safeguard fragile rivers from overuse and pollution, stop coal mines and kick-start renewable energy, as well as advising business CEOs on their journey towards sustainability.
Kara Keys
Kara Keys is a descendant of the Yiman and Gangulu peoples of central Queensland. She commenced at the ACTU in February 2013 as the ACTU Indigenous Officer and now leads campaigns as an ACTU National Campaign Coordinator. Kara believes that a positive, self-determining future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is fundamentally entwined with a strong, progressive trade union movement.
Claire Mallinson
Claire is the National Director of Amnesty International Australia and has over 30 years of experience in rights-based work and the not-for-profit sector. Claire is a member of Amnesty’s Global Management Team, which oversees the implementation of Amnesty's strategic plan around the world. Over the last decade Claire has achieved significant growth and impact, more than doubling both supporters and turnover.
Nick Moraitis
Nick is the Executive Director of Australian Progress and brings 15 years’ experience driving social change. Previously, Nick co-founded one of the world’s first social networks, TakingITGlobal.org, played a leading role in the growth of GetUp, worked in global strategy at Amnesty’s International Secretariat and managed public engagement for Greenpeace. He has served on numerous boards including the Australian Youth Climate Coalition and the Centre for Policy Development.
Alan Kirkland
Alan Kirkland is CEO of CHOICE, Australia’s largest consumer organisation. Alan’s work in social movements stretches back to his school days, where he organised protests against cuts to public education. His working life has spanned roles in homelessness, social security, disability services and law reform, with the common thread being an interest in redressing disadvantage.
Lyn Morgain
Lyn Morgain is the Chief Executive of cohealth, one of Australia's largest community health organisations. Lyn is a member of the Ministerial Rough Sleeping Response Taskforce, and Chair of the National Complex Needs Alliance of the Public Health Association of Australia. She is also a board member of ACOSS and VCOSS, and Chair of the Footscray Community Arts Centre.
Nadine Flood
Nadine is National Secretary of the CPSU. After studying economics at Macquarie University and being a union delegate in universities and local government, Nadine began as an organiser with the CPSU in 1995. She has also worked with the ACTU, and international unions such as the SIEU in America. In more recent times, Nadine has represented CPSU members in agencies such as DEEWR, ABS and the APSC as well as directing the CPSU’s involvement in the Your Rights at Work campaign.
Tim Lo Surdo
Tim is the Founding Director of Democracy in Colour - Australia's first national racial justice advocacy organisation led by people of colour. Tim is also a founding member of Hospo Voice - a new union in hospitality that organisers young, low-paid, casual workers. Previously, he was the Head of Campaigns at Oaktree, has been an adviser to two Senators and led communications for UN Youth Australia.
Renee Carr
Renee Carr is the Executive Director at Fair Agenda. She was named one of 2015's '100 Women of Influence'. Previously Renee co-directed the 2011 Live Below the Line campaign, helping engage 6,000 Australians to raise more than $1.4 million for projects tackling extreme poverty and was part of the team that led The End of Polio campaign to secure $118 million additional funding for global polio eradication efforts.
Paul Oosting
Paul is the National Director of GetUp and passionate about creating a more fair, flourishing and just Australia by driving campaigns on human rights, economic fairness, environmental justice and democracy. He ranked in the top 10 of the AFR's Power Index of most covertly powerful people in 2017. Before joining GetUp, Paul led the successful campaign to protect over 160,000 hectares of Tasmania's ancient forests from the proposed Gunns' pulp mill.
Karly Warner
Karly Warner is a proud Tasmanian Aboriginal woman with connections to the Cowen and the Lockley families. She is Executive Officer of the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Legal Services and an advisor on the Aboriginal Advisory Council at Lander & Rogers. Previously, Karly was a practicing lawyer at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, with experience working across criminal, civil, children, youth and family law.
Rod Little
Rod Little is from the Yamatji and Nyoongar nations of Geraldton and Perth. He is Co-chair of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples and before that a Director of Congress from 2011-2015. He is an active member of the multicultural alliance opposing changes to the Racial Discrimination Act; as well as a champion for the ACT Human Rights Office ‘Diversity in the Territory’ campaign.
Helen Szoke
Dr Helen Szoke is Chief Executive of Oxfam Australia and a strong advocate for foreign aid and international development, human rights, gender and race equity. Her distinguished career accomplishments includes leadership of the Victorian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission as Commissioner, and the Race Discrimination Commissioner for the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Violet Roumeliotis
Violet is the CEO at Settlement Services International. Violet has an extensive background in the leadership of large not-for-profit organisations with over 30 years’ experience in governance, human resources and financial management. Violet was awarded 2017 Telstra Business Woman of the Year, and also received the title of Community Fellow from Western Sydney University.
Amanda McKenzie
Amanda McKenzie is an environmental leader and CEO of the Climate Council, which was launched following Australia's largest ever crowd-funding campaign. She is on board of the Centre for Australian Progress and on the Board of Plan International Australia. In 2014, Amanda was recognised as one of Westpac’s 100 Women of Influence. Previously, Amanda founded the Australian Youth Climate Coalition.
Lee Strike
Lee Strike is the founder of YOUNG, an organisation dedicated to building the power of young people in national campaigns for representation and economic justice. Lee was most recently Product Lead and Digital Campaigner for The Equality Campaign running two successful YES campaign platforms. They have eight years experience as a Digital Campaigner and Producer working for and alongside organisations including Agency Strategic Creative, Leo Burnett, and Oaktree.
Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a Sudanese-born Australian mechanical engineer, writer and social advocate with over ten years in non-profit governance. Yassmin founded her first organisation, Youth Without Borders, at the age of 16 and published her memoir, Yassmin's Story, at age 24. She has since served on numerous boards and councils, including the Council of Australian-Arab Relations and ChildFund, and also serves as the Gender Ambassador for the Inter-American Development bank.
Luke Hilakari
Luke is Secretary of Victorian Trades Hall Council, the peak body for unions in Victoria, representing over 40 unions and 500,000 members. Under his leadership, Victorian workers are taking grassroots action in unprecedented numbers to improve our working lives. Luke's experience organising some of Victoria's lowest paid workers drives him to fight for wage justice in Victoria. Under the banner of We Are Union, Victorian workers are leading the fight for progressive social change.