Social Startup 48

Applications are now open for for SS48 Brisbane. Apply now!

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Speakers, Mentors & Judges

Emma-Kate Rose

General Happiness Manager, Food Connect

@food_connect

Speaker

I oversee the operations of the Food Connect enterprise in Brisbane, and ensure our financial, social and environmental goals are met. I am passionate about the fair food movement, creating healthier and resilient communities, connecting people to the source of their food and creating opportunities for people to engage with their local food system.

Cameron Burgess

Founder, uncompromise

@uncompromise

Speaker, Judge

 I’m a commercialisation strategist, systems thinker, writer, speaker and agitator – and for the past twenty years have been focused on founding, catalysing and commercialising sustainable ventures with a view to shifting the needle.

I’ve been an innovator in sustainable ventures in Australia and amongst other things:

• setup the first organic restaurant
• setup the first environmental cleaning company
• setup the first dedicated cause marketing consultancy
• was a founding director and current advisor to One Health Organisation
• am a former committee member of the Natural Health Care Alliance (a governing body that worked to bring together 140 disparate professional organizations)
• am a former executive committee member of The Big Issue (Qld).
• have overseen services to over 300 projects – from micro business to multi national – in nine countries in the past four years alone

Read more about Cameron here

Nick Barter

MBA Director, Griffith University
Deputy Director Asia-Pacific Centre for Sustainable Enterprise
Director, UN Global Compact – Australia

@greenstratdoc

Speaker, Judge

Nick is the Director of Griffith’s MBA program, deputy director of the Asia-Pacific Centre for Sustainable Enterprise, a senior lecturer at Griffith Business School in the Department of International Business and Asian Studies, an International Associate of the Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting Research and a director of the UN Global Compact in Australia. His research explores sustainability and business strategy with a particular focus on developing strategy so that it is fit for purpose in the 21st century and can help realise a new ‘future normal’. In particular his research has explored, but is not limited to, the climate change strategies of corporations, organisational leaders’ beliefs and the implications, the development of new strategy models to enable sustainability and the pursuit of eco-efficiencies.

Nick holds a Bachelor of Chemical and Bio Process Engineering from the University of Bath, an MBA (with distinction) from Warwick Business School (UK) and a PhD from the University of St Andrews (UK).

Read more about Nick here

Saba Abraham

Director, Mu’ooz Restaurant & Catering

Speaker

Born in Eritrea, Saba came to Australia at 17 years of age as a refugee from Sudan. Even as a child she fought for female empowerment, standing up against gender roles to become a freedom fighter at 14 in Eritrea’s War for Independence. Since coming to Australia, Saba has built the Mu’ooz Restaurant in Moorooka which provides employment and training opportunities for women from Eritrea and other African countries, and has been a founding member of the Queensland African Communities Council. In 2009, Saba was awarded as the winner of the Fair Go Pride of Australia medal.

Karen Dare

General Manager, Communify

Judge

Karen Dare has a social sciences background and 30 plus  years’ experience working within the community sector. She has a background in community development organisational management, project management, service development and delivery, advocacy, and local area planning.

Karen currently manages a large multi-service organisation that provides a broad range of service to the inner city communities of Brisbane. She has a strong interest in supporting and developing responsive services within the housing, aged service, mental health, family support, emergency relief and refugee support areas. Karen is recipient of the 2001 Centenary Medal and Brisbane Australia Day Award for her contribution to the community sector.

Peta Ellis

General Manager, River City Labs

@rivercitylabs

Mentor

I am a Communications Professional with 10+ years experience in Marketing Communications, Media Relations, Publicity, Social Media Marketing and Public Profile Management. I build great Public Profiles via traditional PR, Media engagement and Social Media. I am very passionate about educating companies on Social Media Policy and reducing risk online via well implemented policies.

I also work closely with Startup Companies and Entrepreneurs in effective media launch campaigns and ongoing strategies to maintain engaging public profiles.

Peter Ball

General Manager, Buffed – Wise Foundation

Mentor

Peter Ball recently joined the Wise Foundation to manage the development, launch and expansion of Buffed. Following a career in investment, banking and finance Peter has dedicated the last few years to using his skills and experience to explore how commercial practise and capital markets can assist in addressing systemic social issues. Peter most recently worked with Foresters Community Finance Ltd focusing on the capacity building of nonprofit organisations, community asset development strategies and mobilising appropriate finance for the social sector.

Peter was a founding member of Social Investment Australia (SIA) Ltd and held the role of Property and Fund Manager. SIA is the first entity to hold an Australian Financial Services License focused on delivering both economic and social returns to investors. Peter’s firm belief is that the creation of impact investment ventures, scalable social business models and the appropriate infrastructure to support these fields will generate significant and lasting social outcomes in our communities.

Robin Dick

Freelance Consultant
Co-founder, RMIT SEEDS

@thecloudchild

Mentor

Robin has been actively and professionally involved in social projects, social entrepreneurship and fundraising for over 12 years, both in the UK and Australia.  In this time he has worked in the areas of dementia care, homelessness, education, community sport and wellbeing, community master-planning, new enterprise creation, and sustainability.  He has extensive experience of bringing together and working with the public, corporate and not-for-profit sectors for community benefit.

In his spare time Robin enjoys golf, proper football (soccer), cooking, fine wines, social issues and travel.  He has worked in the UK, USA, Germany, Greece, and Australia.

Louis De Beer

CEO, TransitCare (B. Comm LLB GAICD)

Judge

Louis de Beer has a background in Law (Corporate and Commercial) and Accounting, with practical experience mostly as solicitor in private practice and in accounting (CFO) and management (CEO) in the area of media (television and radio) in Australia and abroad and is currently engaged in developing and implementing transport and homecare access logistics. TransitCare has now successfully implemented RouteMatch, an SDUE scheduling system using GIS mapping, which is able to download trip manifests to mobile devices in its vehicles, with the further ability to update manifests while in transit.

Steve Williams

Chair, Queensland Social Enterprise Council
Manager, SEED PPM

@stevealbion

Mentor

I have worked in, managed, and owned environmental, community, and social enterprises for a decade. I have a background in social and community work both in Australia and the UK.

I believe the quickest way to lift someone out of poverty is to give them a job, but recognise that for many people who have been long term unemployed, or are from a disadvantaged background that is far easier said than done. Social enterprise is the perfect means to achieve that end; and is an important vehicle for entrepreneurs interested in social value creation.

I currently lead a social enterprise, SEED PPM, where I learn more and more about business everyday. I am the inaugural Chair of the Queensland Social Enterprise Council.

Helen Bird

Founder, CEO, Street Food Australia

Mentor

Helen Bird founded Street Food Australia in February 2012. Following 6 years studying architecture as a mature aged student at QUT, she decided that her ethics, dedication to sustainability, and visionary approach to design needed a more sizeable project than most buildings offer an architect in a lifetime. With this in mind, and a strong history in business, Helen took to the streets with a vision of bringing food to the city streets (mixing a personal passion with a place full of potential, human and otherwise).

Helen was previously a founding director of the entertainment rigging company ‘Riggerous’, responsible for works in circus, theatre and physical theatre, urban-scaled installation art and corporate entertainment. Prior to this Helen worked in retail, which grounded her in the face-face relations so integral in any organisation’s success.

Helen is a mother, a dog lover, and a keen cook. She keeps chickens and designed and built her own house, and the chook house!

James Boreham

General Manager, Human Venutres

Mentor

Born and raised in Brisbane, James is an experienced manager with a background in business and retail banking. His qualifications include a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Queensland and he is a member of the Fundraising Institute of Australia.

Having spent over 18 years in Banking and Financial Services, James has developed broad experience and skills, particularly in finance and strategic business management. He is able to translate business strategy into measurable outcomes, negotiate effectively and engage confidently with diverse groups of stakeholders.

The roles that James performed at Suncorp included Customer Portfolio Management in the Private Banking and Property Finance divisions, Initiative Design and Development for Business Banking, and most recently Product Management for the Business Bank Loan Portfolio.

James has a sister with an intellectual disability, and his deep involvement in her life and needs, has given him a strong sense of social justice and basic human rights.

Read more about James here

Ian Coombe

Managing Director, Know1.com

@IanCoombe

Mentor

Ian has experienced the whole spectrum of startups: conception, funding, staffing, product development, investors, rapid growth and mergers/acquisitions. His teams have ranged from a few to a few hundred. He has been keynote speaker on many business topics throughout Europe, America and Asia Pacific – his specialties include decision making and being investor ready. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors; with board experience including Chairman of a public company aimed at social solutions, Director of a children’s medical charity and Chairman / Member of many committees including Finance and Audit of a significant charity housing those in need. This year, he concluded a stint as CEO of a $10m NFP. Ian established the state operations of a national business coaching firm, helped develop their programs and has been advising business since the last millennium – including over 100 startups! Ian is a firm believer in creativity, thorough planning, flexible implementation and incredible marketing (pitching). Whilst he loves working face to face, his expertise and preferred social enterprise model includes leveraging the marketing opportunities the Internet offers. Qualifications include Masters in Management Economics and Information Science.

Nina Bowbridge

Regional Community Development Coordinator, Brisbane City Council and GTP Training & Consultancy

Mentor

Nina is a community facilitator and development practitioner with more than 15 years experience in program management, evaluation, organisational development and training. Through her work with local government, international agencies, peak bodies and community-based organisations, she has worked with and supported a range of social enterprises, particularly around issues of sustainability and funding. Nina is also currently a member of Brisbane City Council’s social procurement working group.

Facilitators

Tiah Goldstein

I have been involved in sustainable development, community development and organizational capacity building for over ten years. I have developed and implemented strategies, programs and projects for public, private and non-profit sectors. My career so far has enabled me to work in Israel, Africa, Canada and most recently, here in Australia.

My diverse cultural background and experience has honed my ability to grasp complex concepts quickly, understand new and emerging industries and have a broad, well rounded, approach to projects and solutions. My organizational and analytical skills are unparalleled.

I am passionate about creating supporting and nurturing strong, self aware, responsible organizations and communities. Systems thinking, experiential education, inter-connectivity, and sustainability guide the methods with which I work. I strive to create a safe, inclusive and engaging environment that encourages a balance between curiosity and exploration while being grounded in practical applications to the issues at hand.

Cathie Hagen

Senior Consultant, Thoughtworks

Cathie is a senior consultant at Thoughtworks, specialising in business analysis in a agile environment, assisting delivery through the examining of business and user requirements and the facilitation of prioritisation and managing the backlog of stories (functionality) to be developed.

Cathie also runs Hacks for Humanity, a regular event where people use their software building skills to help the community, particularly through contribution to open source projects.