A structured networking opportunity to connect with other event attendees.

Akii (they/them) is an international multi-award-winning disability, gender equity advocate & activist, trainer and educator who is dedicated to and deeply passionate about human rights, accessibility, intersectionality, inclusion, survivor-advocacy, non-tokenistic representation and co-design. Akii is a qualified public health, policy, community engagement/development and health promotion practitioner with almost 14 years of extensive experience. Most recently they worked as the inaugural Sydney WorldPride Accessibility Manager and Senior Co-design & Engagement Advisor for the NDIA, focusing on the LGBTIQA+ strategy. They are also a Councillor on the Victorian Disability Council, the Federal Government’s Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission Lived Experience Council and on the National Autism Strategy’s Economic Inclusion Committee, working to improve employment outcomes for fellow Autistic and disabled people. They are also on many other diverse advisory groups, boards, steering committees and lived experienced panels for numerous projects/campaigns nationwide.

Allyship in the Workplace: Building Collaborative Networks for Impact

Allies play an important role in advancing inclusion in our workplaces and communities by supporting people or groups who are underrepresented, marginalised, or experiencing discrimination. As leaders, engaging allies and collaborating with other supporters is key to increasing our impact. Our diverse panel will share their real-world experiences of allyship in action: what it looks like, what the challenges are, and what can be achieved. We’ll explore practical tips for being a better ally, how we can work with allies to advance change, and how we can all take small actions every day to drive lasting change.

	Stacey Ong (She/Her) Executive Director, One Red Step; Board Member, Melbourne City Mission  Stacey leads large systems change and believes that we can achieve more equitable and just public policy by listening to, and co-creating with, communities. An economist by training, Stacey has more than 17 years as a senior advisor and project director at top levels of government and supporting government in driving change across gender equality, family violence and economic policy. Stacey is the founder and executive director of One Red Step, a leading consultancy bringing my deep experience in strategy, policy, co-design and consultation – the key drivers of transformational change – to address gender inequality, family violence, homelessness, disability, disadvantage and marginalisation. She is also on the Board of Melbourne City Mission and a Fellow with the Women’s Leadership Institute of Australia.
	Cameron Cahill (He/Him) Director, Gov Insights  Cameron Cahill is all about shattering norms and spicing up the public sector with a dash of boldness and a passion for blowing minds. Battling a chronic low boredom threshold, Cam rides the thrilling roller coaster of work life. Imagine orchestrating culture revamps, leading belonging initiatives, or transforming organisations. As a proud feminist and Gender Equity champion, he’s led and contributed to numerous initiatives, taking immense pride in his work with groups like Women’s Health Goulburn Northeast and WLA. Continually reflecting on his role as a man in this space, Cam is critical of undue praise for men just doing what’s right and just in this space. Expect Cam to shatter dull corporate stereotypes, but remember, he’s always learning and striving to be better – so be sure to hold him to account.
	Dr Bree Gorman (They/Them) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion coach, consultant and trainer Dr Bree Gorman is an established consultant in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space. They have been leading Bree Gorman Consulting for 4 years and over that time have worked with a variety of clients from primary schools to national accounting firms to Universities. After working for more than 8 years as a DEI professional, Bree has created a unique training format that has helped people implement more inclusive practices in their workplaces and homes. Bree has a background in project management, science and research management. They are an experienced educator delivering workshops on Inclusive Leadership, LGBTIQ+ inclusion and diversity, equity and inclusion more broadly. Bree has a PhD in Analytical Chemistry, is a graduate of the Australian Institute for Company Directors, has a coaching qualification from the School of Positive Transformation and leads a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion network for professionals.
	Professor Louise Purton (She/Her)  Head, Stem Cell Regulation Unit, St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research; Professor, Department of Medicine at St. Vincent’s Hospital, The University of Melbourne    Professor Louise Purton received her PhD from The University of Melbourne in 1995 and undertook post-doctoral studies at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Louise returned to Melbourne in 2008 to establish and head the Stem Cell Regulation Unit at St. Vincent’s Institute. She was an Associate Director there from 2010 to 2019. She is the 2024 Donald Metcalf orator for her contributions to leukaemia research in Australia. In 2021 she founded Equity in Australian STEMM, which is a grassroots organisation comprising Australian academic researchers (women, men and non-binary people) who recognise the inequities that currently exist that contribute to the lack of retention of people in underrepresented groups in Australian STEMM. In 2023 she was awarded the ISEH Award for Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion. Louise has had a profound bilateral hearing impairment since she was a child, became a cochlear implant recipient in 2018.

Build your Personal Board: Cultivating Strategic Relationships

As leaders, our relationships with others can be one of our greatest assets. Even the most casual lunch-room conversation can lead to a new idea or opportunity. And with research showing that women feel less safe in the workplace than men, having a trusted group of supporters can be an important step towards improved psychological safety. So, how can we leverage our existing contacts, identify gaps in our professional network, and initiate new connections to help us achieve our strategic and career goals? In this practical session we’ll explore the power of strategic alliances and develop an authentic approach to building a personal ‘board’ of trusted advisors and supporters, at any stage of our career.

Winner of The VIC Award for Excellence in Women’s Leadership

Georgie Stone is an advocate for trans and gender diverse children and youth and an actress.  She is best known for her work as Mackenzie Hargreaves on the long running television drama Neighbours, as the first trans actor in a trans role on the show and was nominated for Best Daytime Soap Star at the Inside Soap Awards. Georgie has also contributed to the series as a writer and has been invited to participate in other script developments for drama projects.  

At just 20 years of age, Georgie was recognised nationally and globally for her activism. In the past four years she has been awarded the GLOBE GLBTI Person of the Year, the Young People’s Human Rights Medal, the Young Voltaire Award, the Victorian Young Australian of the Year, the Australian LGBTI Hero of the Year, the Medal of the Order of Australia OAM and most recently was awarded as 2023 Young Melburnian of the Year award

Winner of The VIC Award for Excellence in Women’s Leadership 

Professor Dr Marcia Langton AO, BA (Hons), ANU, PhD Macq. U, D. Litt. ANU, FASSA   

Associate Provost; Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor; Foundation Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies, Indigenous Studies Unit, Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health , The University of Melbourne.

Professor Langton, a proud descendent of the Yiman people of Queensland is an anthropologist, geographer and award-winning author, with a doctorate from Macquarie University and a number of honorary doctorates. She is the Director of the Indigenous Studies Unit in the Onemda Centre in the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. She established the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Curricula Project and expanded the project in 2020 in partnership with the Melbourne Graduate School of Education where it is now based with a new title – Ngarrnga. The Indigenous Knowledge Institute which she assisted in founding is also a partner. 

Her current research concerns alcohol management and domestic and family violence in Aboriginal settings, and Indigenous data governance and community data projects. She co-chaired the Voice Codesign Senior Advisory Group with Prof Tom Calma AO. In addition to her many academic publications, she is an award-winning author; her most popular book is Welcome to Country. A Travel Guide to Indigenous Australia (Hardie Grant 2018, 2021) and more recently Law. The Way of the Ancestors with Prof Aaron Corn (Thames & Hudson 2023).

Danielle Wood commenced a 5-year term as Chair of the Productivity Commission on 13 November 2023. Prior to joining the Commission, she was CEO of the Grattan Institute and Head of its Budgets and Government Program. During her time at Grattan, Danielle also held roles as member of the Australian Government’s Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce, the Parliamentary Budget Office Expert Advisory Committee, the Jobs and Skills Australia Consultative Forum and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government Research Committee. 

Jan Fran is a Walkley-winning journalist, TV Presenter and social commentator. She is the co-host of ABC’s Question Everything and is well known for her work on Channel 10’s The Project and SBS’s The Feed and as host of Listnr’s flagship new podcast, The Briefing. Jan is the creator, writer and presenter of the online opinion segment, The Frant, which has been viewed more than 25 million times on social media and earned Jan a 2019 Walkley Award for Best Commentary, Analysis, Opinion and Critique. Jan is an ambassador for Plan International Australia where she advocates for women and girls and her strong reporting on women’s issues also earned her a 2018 Walkley nomination for Women’s Leadership in Media.