MC:
Mykel Dixon, MykelDixon.com
Artisanal Thinker and “Breakthrough Australian Speaker of the Year 2018”
Mykel’s forward-thinking approach recognises and celebrates business owners as artisans operating in an often uncomfortable space; one where our innate creativity, when drawn out, can be the edge over our competition and the vital ingredient of a truly meaningful work experience. He’s done it at Tedx, The Future of Leadership, Google, Red Cross Australia and countless others and now with us too. Boom! We are very fortunate to have him with us again this year.
SESSION 1: Doing Business with a Purpose
Mark Daniels, Social Traders
Head of Market & Sector Development
Social Traders has been an authority in the social enterprise field for the last decade. Since 2008, more than 3500 social enterprises have benefitted from the support, guidance and leadership it has provided. Mark is an expert in social enterprise and has advocated strongly for the development of the sector in Australia. Join Mark for a glimpse into the evolution of social enterprise and how it helps to break the cycle of disadvantage.
Jo Barraket, Chair of CERES Environment Park
Director of Center for Social Impact Swinburne
Professor Jo Barraket is a leading researcher of social enterprise and social innovation in Australia. Jo has extensive experience in non-profit governance, social enterprise development, social investment, and measuring social impacts. Based on her expertise in these areas, she has recently been national expert adviser to the OECD on two projects related to the social economy and socio-economic participation. Jo is passionate about the value of diverse societies and community-led approaches to social change.
SESSION 2: Behind the Scenes with CERES
Cinnamon Evans, CERES Environment Park
CEO
Since 2012, Cinnamon has steered CERES to become an award-winning, not-for-profit sustainability centre, collaborative community organisation and leading education provider that maintains financial stability through its successful social enterprises. Cinnamon will discuss how operating not just one, but a whole collection of social enterprises can positively impact the business and the broader community.
SESSION 3: Meet our everyday Heroes
Luz Restrepo, SisterWorks
Founder
Luz arrived in Australia from Colombia in 2010 as a political asylum seeker. She spoke no English, was frightened, isolated and disempowered. But she was not alone. Bringing together 25 other women experiencing similar challenges, SisterWorks began to make and sell crafts around Melbourne. Today, Luz is the founder and CEO of SisterWorks and a dynamic advocate for entrepreneurship, multiculturalism and women working together to empower themselves and change the world.
Jaison Hoernel, Good Cycles
CEO
Jaison Hoernel has over 20 years of professional experience in the bicycle industry in Australia and internationally. He has enjoyed success in establishing one of Australia’s most successful and highly regarded commuter and specialty bicycle retail shops and has held management positions in both Australia and Asia. He has been actively involved in developing sponsorship and funding models for public transport projects internationally.
Chris Ennis, CERES Fair Food
Founder
Chris Ennis began his CERES life coordinating the community gardens before accidentally becoming the Organic Market manager. CERES Market spawned Australia’s first produce swap and lead Chris to bring Joe’s Market Garden into the CERES fold. He has launched social enterprises growing mushrooms, catering, aquaponics and training urban farmers. In 2010 he founded Fair Food, an online grocery which has spun off CERES Microgreens and CERES Fair Wood.
Tahlia Mandie, Kakadu Plum Co
Founder
Tahlia started her working life as a psychotherapist but soon pivoted to tech founder. After building up her tech company for over 18 months, she decided to close her business. Still wanting to pursue her creative side, Tahlia gravitated towards health superfoods and found herself asking if Australia had it’s own native superfood. In 2015 Kakadu Plum Co. was born, a social enterprise that celebrates Indigenous culture everyday through food. Tahlia’s mission is to not only help the Australian Aboriginal communities, but the Australian native food industry as a whole. “Have fun and do what you love”, is Tahlia’s motto.
Kat Skull, STREAT
Event Manager
From co-founding a rooftop beekeeping initiative in Brisbane to managing a farm-to-table restaurant in rural New South Wales, food and community have long been focal points in my life. The opportunity to channel my passion into an ambitious and ever-evolving social enterprise like STREAT is a dream!
Scott Fry, Loving Earth
Founder and Master Chocolatier
Scott founded Loving Earth in 2006 after spending 11 years living in India and Mexico working with several large indigenous cooperatives helping them commercialise their native crops. Loving Earth is committed to long term relationships with several indigenous communities and has worked hand in hand with those communities to make their heirloom products available to people all over the world.
Nick Pearce, HoMie
Co-Founderand CEO
Nick co-founded a streetwear-clothing social enterprise that uses 100% of its profits to combat homelessness. Nick was awarded the 2017 Victorian Young Achiever for Leadership after implementing Australia’s first ever retail training and employment program for young people experiencing homelessness and hardship.
SESSION 4: Storytelling for Impact
Clifford Moss, Goodsmiths & Good Business Matters
Founder
Cliff has always been driven by the possibility for business to thrive while having a positive effect on their communities, society and the environment, believing that the sector can and will be the leaders in making such an impact. Cliff founded Good Business Matters on a single core belief; that business can, and should, be a force for positive social change. Good Business Matters is here to help social enterprises and businesses do well and make a difference. Cliff is also a founder of Goodsmiths, a curated marketing platform, that enables purpose-led businesses to reach more customers and generate greater social impact.
Kim Ingles, Digital Storytellers
Producer and Editor
Kim Ingles is a Melbourne-based Producer and Editor with a background in online film communications and documentary. With a passion for sharing stories with a good message, Kim also facilitates ‘Stories for Impact’ workshops with Digital Storytellers to help build capacity for social and environmental impact. She has a Bachelor of Communications and a Masters degree in Creative Media.
