Nicole Dyson

Learning can be the catalyst for change - if we are brave.

Profile

Nicole Dyson is one of Australia’s leading voices in future-focused education, youth entrepreneurship, and system-wide innovation. A dynamic educator turned award-winning entrepreneur, Nic is the founder and CEO of Future Anything, a bold organisation reimagining how young people engage with learning — by turning ideas into action.

From frontline teacher to trusted voice across classrooms and systems, Nic has worked with over 75,000 young people across Australia and New Zealand. Through initiatives like YouthX, Australia’s only startup accelerator for school-aged entrepreneurs, and her design thinking tool Catapult Cards, she equips educators and students with the mindset and tools to create meaningful change.

Her influence is global: Nic is an Obama Foundation Leader, a three-peat honouree on The Educator’s Most Influential List, and the driving force behind the only Southern Hemisphere organisation contributing to the IDEEC – Impact-Driven Entrepreneurship Education for Children- Project, a European Union-funded initiative shaping global best practice in entrepreneurship education.

But it’s the stories that matter most — like Tanieka, who turned bullying into a sock brand supporting youth mental health; or Culturehood, a group of Polynesian students who created streetwear to fund domestic violence services in their community; or Aquashield, who reimagined shark deterrents for coastal ecosystems. These aren’t hypotheticals. They’re real students building real solutions for a better world.

Nic’s keynotes are energetic, honest, and full of heart. She blends practical strategy with powerful storytelling — challenging audiences to embrace stretch, rethink success, and believe in the capacity of young people (and themselves) to shape the future.

100% of Nic’s speaking fees go to YouthX; providing micro-grants to school-aged changemakers so they can take their ideas out of the classroom and bring them to life into the real world.

Expertise

Talking Points

Building Capability-Rich Schools

Getting curriculum content right is one thing, but how do we ensure young people are equipped with the skills they need to thrive in life beyond school? Using cutting- edge research on the ‘future of work’, this session will unpack the critical skills and attributes students need to navigate life after school and provide a practical framework to build a whole-school approach to capability-rich curriculum.
During her keynote, Nicole will:
Explore how shifts in industry have created a need for shifts in education.
Identify the key 21st century skills and capabilities that research shows are most critical for young people.
Share a five-step, research-backed framework to help you build and measure these capabilities within any curriculum.

From Ideas to Action

How young people are solving real problems — and what we can learn from them

In a world facing complex challenges, it’s often young people who are leading the charge — not because they have all the answers, but because they ask the boldest questions.

In this inspiring and practical keynote, Nicole Dyson shares the powerful stories of young changemakers who’ve taken issues in their own communities and transformed them into real-world solutions. From a group of Polynesian teens who built a streetwear label to combat domestic violence, to a student who turned the stigma of mental health into a hidden message stitched into a school sock — these are not case studies. These are case-forwards.

Through storytelling that moves hearts and sharpens minds, Nicole explores:
• What we can learn from young people about courage, creativity and compassion
• The conditions that unlock agency and action — in schools, communities and organisations
• Practical strategies we can each take to drive meaningful change where we live, learn and work

From Ideas to Action isn’t just a talk. It’s a challenge — and a roadmap — for anyone who wants to turn inspiration into impact.

The Future of Work is Human

How to build capability, culture, and confidence in a world we can’t predict

The workplace is changing faster than most teams can keep up. AI, automation, and accelerated change are reshaping the way we work — but the real challenge isn’t technological. It’s human.

This keynote reframes the future of work around the capabilities that matter most now: curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, communication, action and agility. These aren’t just nice-to-have; they’re organisational imperatives.

In this high-energy, insight-rich session, audiences will explore:
• The six human capabilities driving relevance and resilience in uncertain times
• Why generational shifts are rewriting expectations around work, leadership, and meaning
• How to build capability-rich teams and cultures — without burning people out
• Practical strategies to future-proof your workforce and culture

This is not a talk about what’s coming.
It’s a call to action for what needs to change now — in how we lead, how we work, and how we show up.

From Problems to Possibility: Unlocking Innovation in your Organisation

Lessons from 75,000 young entrepreneurs on how to build bold, creative teams

What do an 11-year-old who reinvented sustainable packaging, a group of teens tackling domestic violence through streetwear, and a student who reimagined shark deterrents have in common?

They didn’t wait for permission. They saw a problem — and built something better.

This keynote draws on lessons learned from working with over 75,000 young people across Australia and New Zealand through Future Anything and YouthX. It’s a playbook for unlocking innovation at any level of any organisation — from kindergarten to corporate — by shifting culture, building capability, and backing bold ideas.

In this energising and strategy-packed session, audiences will explore:
• What today’s young people can teach us about solving problems with purpose
• The common conditions that spark (and stifle) innovation in any context
• How to turn frustration into fuel — and inertia into action
• Practical frameworks to build innovation mindsets and methods in teams of any size

This isn’t about sticky notes and hackathons.
It’s about embedding creativity, agency and responsiveness in the DNA of your organisation — and turning everyday problems into bold possibilities.