Leyla Acaroglu
Leyla Acaroglu (PhD) is award-winning designer, sustainability provocateur, social scientist and entrepreneur. As an impact entrepreneur, Leyla founded the UnSchool, Disrupt Design, the CO Project Farm, and Circular Futures. She's a mainstage TED speaker, LinkedIn Changemaker and was named UNEP Champion of the Earth in 2016 for her work in advancing science and innovation for sustainability. Leyla works with Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and not-for-profits around the world, supporting the transition to a sustainable and circular economy through design, circular solutions and systems thinking.
Alice Blackwood
Alice Blackwood is a strategic storyteller and experienced public speaker. For more than 20 years she’s passionately advocated for the Australian architecture and design industry, her roles spanning that of design editor, journalist, communications strategist, and program director. She has been integral in establishing numerous major platforms that recognise and celebrate the region’s most exciting architecture and design, elevating its industry leaders into the global spotlight. Alice served as Editor on Indesign magazine and until 2023. She has contributed in a programming and strategic communications capacity on major international design festivals, the INDE.Awards, and the Artedomus and The Local Project’s (Emerging) Designer Awards. In 2024 she was MC for the ULI Australian Conference and, in 2023, an MC and Host for the INDE.Awards. She is currently Editorial Director at Artedomus, and a member of the Open House Melbourne Building Council.