We know you’re always on the lookout for bold, fresh perspectives and storytellers, so we’ve uncovered a number of exciting voices on the following topics: Leadership, Business, Diversity, Entrepreneurship, Technology, Sustainability, Mental Health and Wellbeing.
You can keep up to date on the most exciting new voices via the New & Upcoming Speakers page on our website.
Luc Longley is a trailblazer whose inherent sense of curiosity led him to become the first-ever Australian to play in the NBA and a key component of one of the best teams of all time, the Chicago Bulls, who he won 3 back to back championships with from 1995 to 1998.
Luc will share the story of his journey to the NBA and the lessons and insights he gained on leadership, resilience, high performance and teambuilding as a member of one of the most iconic teams of all time in conversation with Holly Ransom.
Luc is a disarmingly authentic and gifted storyteller, and audiences will leave these sessions with renewed insight into an iconic moment in history along with valuable lessons and takeaways that translate into their work and personal endeavours.
Dr Michelle Dickinson (MNZM) is a Nanotechnologist and Materials Engineer. She has spent the last two decades contributing to cutting-edge technologies, researching solutions for medical and technology applications for clients who range from small start-ups to large corporates.m
Michelle established and ran New Zealand’s only nanomechanical testing laboratory that specialises in making and breaking tiny things (nano and micro) and now spends her time helping companies with board advisory around science and technology commercialisation including technical consulting for investors and VC’s looking for ROI advice for high-tech start-ups. Her experience spans academia, government labs and large-scale R&D departments. She says the key to success is not necessarily how great the technology is, but how well the science is communicated and how diverse the engineering team is.
Nick Bracks has spent the last decade as a passionate advocate for mental health issues, speaking at some of Australia’s largest organisations. In his presentation, Nick candidly recounts the mental health he's faced since childhood, including a particularly difficult period when injury forced an early end to his dream career as a professional athlete.
Nick’s message has been delivered to some of the world’s largest employers, government organisations, schools and universities as well as many charitable organisations, such as Beyond Blue, Movember and Headspace. Nick has helped to launch mental health-related programs and technology solutions in a tireless campaign for better mental health conditions in Australia and around the world.
Yemi Penn is a global thought leader on empowerment and resilience. An Engineer by profession, Yemi is a champion and tireless advocate for equality and equity in STEM fields. As an Entrepreneur and Mindset Coach, she is an advocate for self-empowerment and resilience as tools to get organisations back on track with wellness and productivity.
Yemi is a sought-after speaker and facilitator on the topic of turning Trauma into Power and she recently delivered a powerful presentation on the subject at TEDx Ocala. Yemi focuses on traditional and more modern neuro linguistic methods of transformation to achieve goals.
Julie Hirsch is Co-Founder and COO of Eloments Natural Vitamin Tea, a world-first 100% natural vitamin tea and overnight success securing shelf space in 2000 stores across the globe in just over a year.
Julie was named Telstra’s Victorian Business Woman of the Year and listed in Forbes 30 Under 30; she has an exciting vision for the future: of ethical business practice through innovation. It is her passion and her mission to realise that vision by building companies with innovation, disruption, and fair trade at their core.
Emilie Sydney-Smith is CEO of ExO Works, a corporate transformation consultancy which helps large organizations like Visa, HP, BHP and Procter & Gamble; protect themselves against disruption, incorporate the attributes shared by the world’s fastest-growing companies; and build new business lines that could grow exponentially.
Emilie has previously led some of the company’s biggest client projects. In her presentations Emilie shares practical, easy processes that she has successfully used with her Fortune 500 and smaller clients to prepare them to survive and thrive in the era of accelerating change.
Nyadol Nyuon was born in a refugee camp in Itang, Ethiopia, and raised in Kakuma Refugee camp, Kenya. In 2005, at the age of eighteen, she moved to Australia as a refugee.
Since then, Nyadol has completed a Bachelor of Arts from Victoria University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Melbourne. She now works as a commercial litigator with Arnold Bloch Leibler.
Nyadol is a vocal advocate for human rights, multiculturalism, the settlement of people with refugee experiences and those seeking asylum. She has worked and volunteered extensively in these areas with a range of organisations.
Dr Anika Molesworth is a thought-leader of food systems resilience, a researcher in international agricultural development and a sought-after keynote speaker. Anika’s interest in agricultural resilience was prompted by witnessing a decade-long drought on her family’s sheep farm in New South Wales, Australia. From this point, she began a career in seeking how to build resilience in fragile farming systems and has worked hard at promoting and advocating for sustainable agriculture and vibrant rural communities.
As a young, female farmer tackling the world’s biggest challenges, Anika is smashing the status-quo and inspiring thousands through engaging and empowering conversations and actions. Her infectious optimism and inspiring message have led her to meet royalty and global political leaders, taking her around the globe, including to Antarctica.
Amanda Johnstone is the CEO and Co-Founder of social health innovations company Transhuman. She is a technologist, inventor and investor, primarily in emerging technologies and a standout change-maker of her generation. Amanda is an energetic, charismatic and forward-thinking technologist who founded the mental health app ‘Be A Looper’, preventing suicides in over 87 countries.
In 2019, Amanda was recognised as 1 of 10 “Next Generation Leaders” under 35 globally by Time Magazine and in 2020 Amanda was named The CEO Magazine's Startup Executive of the Year.
Dan Monheit is cofounder of Hardhat, Australia's foremost creative agency built around Behavioural Science. Founded in 2005 with childhood friend Justin Kabbani, Hardhat has grown to become one of Australia’s most in-demand creative shops, with clients including the Victorian Government, Mattel, Lion Dairy and Drinks, Victoria University, Zip and Simply Energy.
Dan is on a mission to help more business leaders, marketers and brands understand why people do the things that they do. His expertise in this space have seen him present on the topic to thousands of people, both locally, and at major international events including SXSW in Austin Texas.
Lilian Kikuvi is a Kenyan born Australian with a rich cross-cultural experience in Australia spanning over two decades. She has discovered significant barriers and opportunities in Australia in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion and is passionate about flipping the narrative that diversity is not only an ethical or social decision but an economic one.
Lilian is the founder of a consultancy with a focus on bridging the gap between the role of organisational diversity today and the possibilities for what it could look like tomorrow. Lilian focuses on decoding the intersection between diversity and the role it plays in propelling an individual and organisations into a future that supercharges the power of inclusivity.
Dr Gemma Munro is a thought leader, an entrepreneur and an uplifting and award-winning speaker, with a PhD in performance psychology and a flair for helping people live radically vibrant lives.
Winner of the Duncan Prize for speaking and a two-time Telstra Businesswoman of the Year finalist, Gemma is known as a catalyst for tears, laughter, and a-ha moments. Gemma has the unique ability to encourage an audience to make radical changes (yes, even in 45 minutes). She has spoken to audiences at Google, PayPal, Qantas, Vodafone, and the NHS in London. Gemma is a performance coach, spiritual mentor and emerging author. She also cofounded Inkling Group and was the founder of Inkling Women, known for its work across Australia, Asia and the UK in rapidly lifting the percentage of women at leadership level.
