Impact Economy Forum 2024

Innovation meets impact at the inaugural Impact Economy Forum 2024, a one-day event spotlighting WA's impact economy at the iconic Fraser's State Reception Centre, Kings Park, Perth. Connect with 200 local and national leaders and changemakers, including investors, corporates, community sector, government, early stage to established First Nations and non-Indigenous impact enterprises, and industry experts. Together we'll explore what it takes grow an impact economy that tackles some of our most pressing social and environmental challenges.

With over 20 speakers and through a dynamic mix of panels, workshops, and an impact enterprise showcase, we’ll tackle the big questions, like:

• How can we invest strategically in innovation towards truly sustainable, inclusive economy?
• What are the levers for systems-change to unlock these outcomes and what innovators and enterprises can we learn from? 
• How do we move beyond ESG to impact-led value creation? 
• What's the true systems level value of generating positive social and environmental impact, and how do we measure this?

This is your chance to connect with leaders and shape the Western Australian impact and innovation landscape. Don’t miss out!

Keynote Speaker: 

• Kado Muir, First Nations entrepreneur, anthropologist, Indigenous rights activist, and a global authority on responsible investment and ESG. As a serial impact entrepreneur, he advocates for First Nations equity and sustainable livelihoods, this year launching Indigenous Ed Tech company Dilji Labs.

Speakers and special guests include:

• The Hon. Stephen Dawson MLC, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Innovation and the Digital Economy, Minister for Medical Research, Science, Minister assisting the Minister for State and Industry Development, Jobs and Trade
• The Hon. Patrick Gorman MP, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Assistant Minister for the Public Service, and Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General
• Keith Rovers, Partner, Social Impact & Sustainable Finance MinterEllison | Chair, White Box Enterprises
  
• Emilie Ottervanger, Impact Investing Manager, Paul Ramsay Foundation
• Kylie Hansen, Founding Director, Impact Seed
• Chandra Sundareswaran, Director, Centre for Learning Enterprise and Partnerships, Curtin University

The inaugural Impact Economy Forum will feature over 20 speakers and guests. Book now, and stay tuned for more announcements. The Forum is proudly hosted by Impact Seed, WA's premier impact advisory. Speaker and panellist profiles:

The Hon. Stephen Dawson MLC- Stephen Dawson has served as the Minister for Electoral Affairs, Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Volunteering in the WA State Government prior to being appointed to his current roles as Minister for Emergency Services; Innovation and the Digital Economy; Science; Medical Research; and Minister assisting the Minister for State and Industry Development; Jobs and Trade in June 2023

The Hon. Patrick Gorman MP - Patrick Gorman is the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Assistant Minister for the Public Service, and Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General. Prior to entering Federal Parliament in 2018, he was an advisor to former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd from 2010-2013, and was also State Secretary of WA Labor from 2015-2017, leading the Western Australian state election campaign for Labor, where Mark McGowan became Premier of Western Australia.

Kado Muir - Keynote Speaker - Kado Muir is a cultural leader and senior knowledge holder from the Ngalia dialect family of the Mantjiltjara language group, with traditional territorial ties in the Western Deserts of Western Australia. He is a First Nations Australian entrepreneur, artist, anthropologist and indigenous rights activist, a fierce advocate for preservation and maintenance of First Nations languages, protection of cultural heritage and the pursuit of environmental and land justice in Australia.

Kado is Chair of the National Native Title Council, Co-Chair of the First National Heritage Protection Alliance and a steering group member of the First Nations Clean Energy Network. He is also Chair of the Wakamurru Aboriginal Corporation Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate (RNTBC), the Prescribed Body Corporate (PBC) for Manta Rirrtinya Native Title Determination and a director of Tjiwarl Aboriginal Corporation Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate (RNTBC) for the Tjiwarl Determination.

Frequently sought after by Australian and international media, he regularly consults and speaks on responsible investment, meaningful Environmental Social Governance and Sustainable Development Goal actions, and adoption of technology, including fintech and other methodologies, for recognising natural, social and cultural capital.

Kado is a renowned expert in negotiating First Nations equity in projects on traditional country and actively promotes alternative community based enterprises and sustainable livelihoods, through his culturally grounded economic model, Wealth in First Nations. He is a business founder with interests in technology, flavours & fragrances and ecosystem based natural capital.

Keith Rovers - Keith is the leader of MinterEllison's Social Impact Practice, including the Pro Bono and Community Investment programs. His 30-year career spans the financial capital spectrum - for sponsors, intermediaries and funders in many industry sectors, including real estate, infrastructure, technology and the social sector and he was awarded the Individual Outstanding Achievement Award at the 2023 Australian Impact Investment Awards. Keith also holds board positions at Westpac Foundation, White Box Enterprises, MothersBabies, Constellation Project, Humanitix, Xceptional Academy, Certified Sustainable, Plus One.

Emilie Ottervanger - Emilie is Paul Ramsay Foundation's Impact Investment Manager and works on the origination and management of a portfolio of impact investments that aim to produce positive social and economic change. Before joining the Foundation, Emilie worked in finance in Amsterdam, London and Singapore. She co-founded an impact banking team at a leading Dutch bank. She also managed the rollout of an innovative lending product to smallholder farmers in developing countries with the aim of having a positive social impact. Her specialties are blended finance transactions, public and private partnerships and evaluating investment opportunities based on a matrix of impact, risk and acceptable returns.

Chandra Sundareswaran (MC and opening panel moderator) - Chandra is the Director, Centre for Learning Enterprise and Partnerships at Curtin University. He is a post-graduate engineer and entrepreneur with experience in diverse sectors across higher education, renewable energy and manufacturing in India and Australia. He has led innovation and economic development projects in regional WA which supported establishment of innovation hubs in the Pilbara, Peel and the Southwest. He is passionate about social impact investment and innovation in education and health, and a non executive director for Impact Seed, as well as advisor for IDEA Academy, Hola Health and All Saints College.

Kylie Hansen - Kylie is a Founding Director of Impact Seed, and over her 20 year career journey has traversed academic, corporate, not for profit, social enterprise and impact investment sectors, deep diving into myriad specialisations and developing systems knowledge as a practioner. Her qualifications span commerce, politics, international development, community development, project management and law. As a founder of Impact Seed she has been instrumental in developing the impact measurement, evaluation, learning and ESG practice which advises numerous corporates, and passionate about supporting First Nations empowerment. She is also a board member of WASEC, WWF Governor and Meshpoints steward.

Tim Bray - Tim is the CEO of the Gascoyne Development Commission. He has a 20-year career in the finance and banking industry across the government and corporate sectors, product, process and project management. He is a co-author of the Regional Investment Blueprint, the Kimberley's first ever long term plan for aspirational, inclusive and sustainable economic development, and an experienced practitioner in strategic regional development, having led, designed, managed or contributed to dozens of strategic projects and initiatives in areas as diverse as housing, manufacturing, Aboriginal economic development, aviation, construction, agriculture and education.

Kate Chaney - Kate is WA’s first female Independent Federal MP in the House of Representatives, representing the community of Curtin, which stretches from the edge of Perth west to the Indian Ocean. In January 2022 Kate was approached by a grassroots community group - Curtin Independent - to run as an independent candidate in Curtin. Frustrated with the divisive culture of politics - particularly the lack of sound, long-term decisions being made for Australia’s future, she ran in a community-driven campaign, on a platform of real climate action, integrity and transparency in politics, future-focused economic management and a commitment to building more connected, compassionate communities.

Tom Dawkins - Tom is Co Founder of StartSomeGood, an innovation agency and global social enterprise ecosystem builder, in 2011, and is a Co-Founder and Chief Impact Officer of LendForGood, a platform that connects social enterprises with impact investors. Our mission is to grow the business for good movement by deomcratising impact investment, letting everyone invest in their values and unlocking the impact potential in small and emerging businesses globally. He has been a speaker at SXSW, SOCAP, The Social Enterprise World Forum, and Nexus Summit, and is a non-executive director of the Centre for Social Impact.

Taliah Payne - Talia is a Nimanbur woman and the Chief Operating Officer of Nyamba Buru Yawuru Limited (NBY). NBY is Yawuru’s development and investment company and is charged with the responsibility to generate long term income for the Yawuru community. The not-for-profit company has interests in a range of areas including property development, pastoral and agricultural, hospitality and construction. Prior to this she was heavily involved in her own family’s Native Title claim, worked as a Native Title Trust Manager in Perpetual’s Perth office, and held a number of leadership roles, including with WALGA (Western Australian Local Government Association), as an AIME, Speaker & Contributor, as well as being a Leadership WA, Alumni. Taliah holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Industrial Relations and Anthropology (UWA)

Elise Parups - Elise is CEO at Impact Club, a network of engaged investors, seeking to create catalytic change through responsible and sustainable investment in high impact businesses. Prior to this she served as the inaugural CEO at Queensland Social Enterprise Council Ltd for four years to 2023. She has a wealth of experience leading communities in non-profit, government and commercial business and across multiple sectors and industries and has devoted her recent work to supporting efforts to amplify the quadruple bottom line; culture, society, environment and economics.  She holds a Masters of Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts, Graduate Diploma in Teaching and in Workplace Training and Development, and a Diploma of Project Management.

Natalie Egleton - Natalie is the CEO of FRRR (Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal) and has 25-years experience in the non-profit and philanthropic sector in consulting, fundraising and partnerships, and organisation development roles. She is passionate about facilitating effective and enduring responses to issues facing rural communities and since joining FRRR in 2015, has facilitated over $80m in funding to remote, rural, and regional communities through hundreds of partnerships and collaborations. Before joining FRRR, Natalie supported numerous organisations in an evaluation, research, financial, strategic and business planning capacity.  She has also held inhouse roles at Evolve (Typo Station) and at ANZ Banking Group, implementing projects that made a tangible difference to the lives of people living in rural, regional and remote Australia. 

Dr. Cindy Reese Mitchell - Cindy has over 15 years of experience in social entrepreneurship, social impact investment, and regional economic development. She is currently the Program Director for Indigenous Women’s Entrepreneurship at Good Return, where she collaborates with philanthropic partners and Kimberley Jiyigas to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander female business leaders. Cindy is a passionate advocate for social enterprise and social impact investment globally, drawing on her past experiences as venture capital investment manager in Australia and the US, Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Canberra, and various senior positions in the Australian government. Cindy also founded Mill House Ventures, a social enterprise consultancy, and No Sweat Fashions, which provides employment opportunities for migrants and refugees in Canberra. In 2020, she was recognised as the ACT Woman of the Year for her contributions.

Heidi Mippy - Heidi is the Founder & CEO of Impact Dreaming. A Noongar & Thiin- Mah-Warriyangka woman, she was born in Carnarvon and in a career spanning over 25 years has worked across Western Australia including in the Kimberley, Pilbara, Gascoyne and the South-West with organisations such as the Kimberley Land Council, South West Aboriginal Land & Sea Council, WA Police, Dept Child Protection, DFES, AIME, Wunan Foundation and Noongar Land Enterprise Group. Beyond Impact Dreaming, she also works as Indigenous Liaison Manager with Curtin University, and with ARC Training Centre for Healing Country. Heidi holds various boards roles including with RRR (Rural, Regional, Remote Women's Network of WA) and Forestry Stewardship Council. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Adult Education & Community Management from the University of Technology Sydney and Graduate Certificate in Business Administration (Leadership, Strategy and Innovation) and an Executive Masters in Leadership, Strategy and Innovation from Murdoch University.

Cronje Wolvaardt - Cronje is the Director of Impact Investing at Minderoo Foundation and has nearly 20 years finance experience, including most recently with Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) where he held various roles including Head of Acquisitions and Director of Investment and Asset Management. At IBA Cronje was responsible for making investments alongside Indigenous organisations, in businesses that generated financial returns and a range of impact outcomes such as Indigenous employment, training and procurement. Since joining Minderoo he has been involved in innovative investments and investment models aimed at addressing pressing social and environmental issues. Cronje is passionate about mainstreaming impact investment and works on systemic levers for this change through various means including on the Steering Committee of the Foundations Group for Impact Investing (FGII).

Angela Vurens Van Es - Angela is the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at Lotterywest, Australia’s only Government owned and operated lottery where all the profits are returned to the community. Angela is responsible for proactive grant-making in the areas of ecosystem protection and species conservation, truth-telling and bridging the digital divide. She is also responsible for building partnerships with philanthropic and corporate funders to maximise impact. Angela’s background is in community development, shared value initiatives, and social impact measurement.

Mark Taylor - Mark is Hesperia’s Sustainability Manager. Hesperia is an innovative Western Australian property group founded in 2020 by Ben Lisle and Adrian Fini, two of the state's most experienced property developers.  Sustainability has been embedded into the fabric of their business since it was founded. Hesperia aspires to make a significant contribution to the health and prosperity of WA through the creation of inspiring, innovative and sustainable places to live and work. Hesperia is a certified B Corp, has committed to a Life-Cycle Net Zero approach on all projects and carbon neutral operations, and as a signatory to the World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment, Hesperia has pledged Net Zero across our projects by 2030. Hesperia is on track to meet this target before then and has adopted a policy to ensure any necessary offsets are from fully verified sources which are good for the environment and for people.

 Frank Mofflin - Frank is Social Performance Manager for South32. South32's sustainability focus is on building community resilience and delivering benefits to local communities from our presence. It supports employing local people, engaging local suppliers across supply chains, and making social and economic investments in the regions where the company operates. Its social investments are aligned to four key focus areas: Education and leadership; supporting community health and social wellbeing and promoting inclusion; Economic participation – supporting local employment, sustainable livelihoods and diversified local economies; and natural resource resilience including conservation and restoration of the natural environment

Kane Blackman - Kane leads Good Sammy, an iconic Western Australian for-purpose organisation that employs 800 people within social enterprises in Retail, Recycling, Warehousing, Logistics, E-Commerce, Property Care, Hospitality and Labour Hire. Good Sammy creates employment opportunities for people with disability, and over 50% of its workforce have a disability. His previous senior executive roles have been in private and Government businesses within the financial services and resource sectors. Kane’s passion is working in commercial environments to drive social outcomes, which is informed by his experience as a father of a child with a rare disease. He also holds Board roles with Future Health Research, Innovation Advisory Council, and the Ministerial Advisory Council on Disability

Lee Broomhall - Lee is the CEO of Workpower, one of Western Australia's largest social enterprises, which assists over 1,000 people with disability and/or mental illness to secure and maintain employment in its own commercial businesses or with community employers each year. Some of its businesses include environmental services, property services, fire equipment testing, electrical test & tag, packaging & warehousing and recycling.  Lee has held the role of Workpower CEO since 2012. She holds qualifications in business management and human services, is a Fellow of Leadership WA and 2010 Telstra Young Business Women’s Award winner - WA, as well as serving as Deputy Chair of the Waste Authority since 2019. 

Olivia Chapman - Olivia is the CEO of WASEC (WA Social Enterprise Council) and has over a decade experience in the social impact space. Prior to returning to her home state of Western Australia, she held a leadership role at the UK's innovation agency for social good - Nesta, partnered with Google to deliver large-scale future of work programs, positively impacting thousands; and led groundbreaking research that influenced policy on jobs, skills, and achieving net-zero targets. Since returning to WA, Olivia established Clean State, a climate solutions network, for CCWA, and developed partnerships for the Lotterywest funded Innovative Society Initiative.

Franco Randazzo - Franco is CEO and Managing Director of Loop Enterprises (Loop Upcycling), and has 30 years experience leading B2B and BSB sales organisations including WINC (Work Inc), Staples, and Myer.  As leader of one of WA's fastest growing social enterprises, he works at the nexus of transformational circular economy and community impact. Loop was originally founded in 2017 as a sustainable solution to Virgin Australia’s redundant uniforms. It set out to deal with two issues: the environmental issue of textile waste and the social issue around supporting vulnerable to find meaningful and inclusive work. Loop's mission is simple yet profound - a social enterprise dedicated to breathing new life into redundant textiles through our circular solutions of upcycling, rewear, recycling and redistribution. Along the way, Loop empowering those who need it most through meaningful training and employment opportunities. Its mission is to create a sustainable future for the Western Australian community by reducing textile waste and creating opportunities for those facing barriers to employment, and counts many leading national and local corporates and government agencies amongst its client partners, such as FMG, 7-Eleven, Medibank, Metronet, Water Corp, and WA Police.

Bronwyn Bate - Bronwyn is the Founder and CEO of leading WA social enterprise, Mettle Gifts. After several years working in high level communications management, customer experience, and business management roles within music & arts, not-for-profit, and public service, Bronwyn founded Mettle Women Inc, a non-profit social enterprise that operates a national gift delivery service and creative workshops, staffed by women experiencing homelessness in crisis shelters as a result of domestic and family violence.  They equip survivors with the skills, confidence, and financial security required to secure and maintain employment and in turn, safe and stable housing.  Since 2019, Mettle have supported three times as many beneficiaries as forecast, and partnered with 53 corporate clients across Australia to generate revenue to continue to scale their social enterprise nation-wide, with 100% of profits from gift boxes sold going directly to employment, training and support programs – providing a safe workplace and a minimum of 6 months paid employment and wrap-around services for these courageous women.

Pat Ryan - Pat is the CEO of Dismantle, a social enterprise that uses hands-on activities to connect with and mentor young people at-risk of long term unemployment, to enable them to become valued and valuable members of society. He drives Dismantle’s mission by running an organisation that achieves social impact through outcomes-based programs whilst generating revenue through profitable social enterprises. Currently, the organisation exists with a small range of initiatives, supporting youth participants to progress through outreach and early-intervention programs, then onto structured and paid work through social enterprises BikeDr. and ReNew Property Maintenance.

Martha Hackshaw - Martha is the WA State Manager of Redrawn, an engineering social enterprise founded in 2022 to change the face of engineering by hiring and upskilling people from minority groups that are underrepresented in the industry including female, First Nations, people with a disability, refugees and migrants. Redrawn's model matches cadets with experienced engineers through a coaching and training program in the delivery of Redrawn's projects for government and corporate clients. Headquartered in South Australia, Redrawn is currently expanding its impact into WA.

The inaugural Impact Economy Forum features over 20 speakers and special guests. Stay tuned for more to be announced and book now. 

Impact Economy Forum Program

Note: Registration opens 9am