Our people

Director

Alex has extensive experience in sustainable development, social enterprise, and innovation. His current focus is to better understand systems change and the infrastructures needed for regenerative futures. He is Director at Pocketknife and Co-Chair of B Lab Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Previous roles include Executive in Residence at Griffith Centre for Systems Innovation, Co-Director and Professor of Practice at The Yunus Centre Griffith, CEO of the Ākina Foundation in New Zealand, and Head of Partnerships at the Climate and Development Knowledge Network in the UK.

Chair

Alexie is CEO of Impact North. As an internationally recognised social entrepreneur, she is motivated to empower Australia’s remote Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities to thrive in business. Alexie returned to Australian shores in 2019 after co-founding, scaling and handing-over an award-winning organisation, Pollinate Group, which equips women to lead their communities out of poverty and has reached over half a million people in just seven years. Her unique approach to community development is fuelled by her desire to see a more just and equitable world in her lifetime.

Deputy Chair

Belinda is passionate about philanthropy being catalytic capital to develop the social enterprise sector and drive social change. She is CEO of the English Family Foundation, Chair of ActionAid Australia and was part of the team that brought the Social Enterprise World Forum to Australia. She has an extensive leadership background in both corporate and not-for-profit organisations, and in Australian and international grantmaking.

Director & Company Secretary

David is a Director at the Social Enterprise Network of Victoria and is the former Managing Director at Social Traders. He was an inaugural Director of the Social Enterprise World Forum. David came into social enterprise from a background in corporate relations, and has extensive senior management experience in the Australian corporate sector, having held roles at Rio Tinto, Toyota and Amcor. He also has economic development and policy experience having worked for a major industry association and in local government.

Head of Collaboration

Athanasia has a deeply held belief everyone deserves dignity and the opportunity to thrive, and is driven by the notion that her luck of birth and privilege lands on her a responsibility to imagine and act towards that future. She is energised by exploring where communication, community, convening, imagination and governance intersect for regenerative futures. Her experience spans communication roles and community management for everything from government to impact organisations and multinationals. Athanasia was most recently the Communication Lead at Griffith Centre for Systems Innovation.

Business Manager

Bree is passionate about the role that social enterprises play in creating a better world. She began her career in finance and operations, managing a portfolio of startups at Pollenizer, Australia’s first startup incubator. Since then, Bree has worked across a range of industries, focusing on business operations and stepping into chief of staff roles. She has also served as company secretary for both for-profit and not-for-profit organisations. Driven by a belief in the power of people, Bree is committed to creating environments where teams can thrive. She holds qualifications in economics and marketing and is completing a postgraduate law degree.

Finance & Systems Officer

Caragh is passionate about caring for people and the planet and sharing skills and knowledge. Her goal is to contribute to the positive change of social enterprises by helping the people who help change the world. She is a finance, training and system implementation specialist working in community development and social enterprise. She was Finance Officer at Community Resources. She has also worked to support Tender Funerals, refugee and Latin American community organisations, and neighbourhood centres. She holds qualifications in bookkeeping, accounting and small business management, and is currently studying training and assessment.

Chief Operating Officer

Christina is dedicated to combating inequity by optimising solutions, and leveraging data and strategic partnerships for continuous improvement and growth. She has founded and built social enterprises recognised by Westpac’s Top 200 Businesses of Tomorrow, Forbes 30u30 (Asia), and Marie Claire’s Glass Ceiling Awards. With deep leadership experience in social enterprise and government, Christina combines her passion for systems thinking and meaningful change to drive sustainable impact. More recently, she has chaired the boards of the Environmental Music Prize, Consent Labs, and the Social Enterprise Council of NSW & ACT.

Chief Executive Officer

Jess is passionate about social and environmental wellbeing, and people working together to create change. Her work has always been in social innovation, in peak organisations, social enterprise and people-centred services. She was a Director at the Social Enterprise Council of NSW & ACT. She was CEO at Community Resources, one of Australia’s largest jobs focussed social enterprises, employing over 650 people. Prior to this, she led social enterprise Green Connect through startup and scaleup. Jess came into social enterprise from a background in public policy, advocacy and community development, and has led collaborations that changed government policy and decisions.

Head of Policy

Judi began her working life as a community social worker in family and children’s services. She then joined the Federal Government, helping to shape policies to reduce violence against women and children and protect children, especially those in out-of-home care. Starting in 2017 as the Director of Social Impact Investing Policy in the Department of Social Services, Judi led the Federal Government initiatives to strengthen the social enterprise sector and grow social impact investing in Australia. This included social impact investing trials and the Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI). With Treasury, she designed and led the start of the Commonwealth Outcomes Fund.

Membership & Engagement Lead

Kate has diverse experience in inclusive community engagement in roles with Black Dog Institute, Oz Harvest, and most recently as Community Engagement Manager at Wayside Chapel. She started her career in hospitality, events and advertising, and as a young restaurateur in Melbourne grew an interest in the challenges that social entrepreneurs tackle and solve. Kate has completed tertiary studies in social anthropology, group psychotherapy and counselling. She volunteers with The Happy Hens Social Enterprise. Kate is passionate about social justice and meaningful collaboration, and brings her trademark enthusiasm for creative problem solving to this role. 

Head of Communications

Liz is a former journalist who uses her strategic communications skills to help organisations achieve better social and environmental outcomes. She brings a passion for social justice and the environment, and an enthusiasm for working with stakeholders in complex settings. Liz was Strategic Fundraising Manager and Media Manager at The Australian Conservation Foundation. She’s worked as a news reporter, and held communications leadership roles in higher education, not-for-profit organisations and social enterprise. Her experience in government ranges from working as a Ministerial media adviser, to leading crisis and emergency communications.

Operations Officer

Megan is dedicated to empowering individuals, optimising logistical efficiencies, and leveraging data and digital systems to drive continuous improvement. As the former Digital and Data Manager at Generation Australia, Megan has supported learners from diverse backgrounds, including culturally and racially marginalised (CARM) individuals, women entering the tech industry, First Nations people, and neurodivergent learners, helping them secure employment. Megan also has a background in event management operations and holds qualifications in event management, business and community services.

Head of Governance & Legal

Raylee is an experienced senior legal counsel, risk and governance professional, director, and company secretary who has supported social enterprises and held senior roles in financial and community services, aged care, education, and local government in Australia, Ireland, and the UK. She holds degrees in Commerce and Law, a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, and has completed studies in International Social Justice. She is a graduate of the AICD company director course, a director of All Sustainable Futures, Girls Coordinator for Scarborough Boardriders Club, a volunteer for Red Cross and holds an unrestricted NSW legal practising certificate.

Network Lead

Sherryl is energised by impact ecosystems that shift and share power differently; ones that lift marginalised voices and perspectives in self-determined, empowering ways, and centre equity and wellbeing for people, place and the planet. Her background is in human rights and community development. She has extensive experience working with communities, government, non-government organisations and the United Nations in inter-agency coordination and community partnership roles. Sherryl led Scarf before taking up diversity and inclusion strategy development roles with various government agencies and as an independent consultant.