The conversation Australia needs to be having.
The silver wave is coming. It doesn't care if you're 25 or 85. What does it mean for you? Over 800,000 Australians plan to retire in the next five years. It's the start of one of the biggest demographic shifts in our history, and it will reshape life for every generation, not just older Australians. It's usually told as a story about old people. It isn't. It's a story about everyone, because the same forces (housing, financial security and social connection) land completely differently at every stage of life. Riding the Silver Wave brings those forces into one room. It asks how we design homes, money and community that work across a whole lifetime. Moderated by renowned ABC broadcaster Geraldine Doogue AO, our panel of experts will explore three themes through the lens of different life stages: A roof over your head. Housing from first homes to forever homes. Money that has to last. The reality of financial security across a whole lifetime. Not doing it alone. Connection, contribution and what keeps us thriving at every age. Hosted by UTS and drawing on research from the UTS Ageing Research Collaborative, this is a fresh, hopeful look at the road ahead. Whether you're just starting out, in mid-life, approaching retirement or well into later life, this conversation is for you. Join us for this important event. |
Lineup
Geraldine Doogue AO, Australian journalist and radio and television presenter
Geraldine Doogue AO is a renowned Australian journalist and broadcaster, much respected for her work on religious and social affairs and Australia's place in the world. Across a distinguished career spanning print, television and radio, she has reported on every facet of modern Australian life. She developed and hosted two of the ABC's most beloved generalist radio programs, Life Matters (from 1992) and Saturday Extra (2005 to 2023), prioritising fresh voices and engaging audiences with the wider world through rigour, optimism, humour and warmth. She currently co-hosts Global Roaming with Hamish Macdonald, exploring Australia's place in the world, and co-produces The Big Tent podcast on the future of the Catholic Church. In 2003, Geraldine was honoured as an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to community and media. She received a Walkley Award for Distinguished Contribution to Journalism in 2023, was admitted to the Australian Media Hall of Fame in 2018, and holds honorary doctorates from several Australian universities. She has also edited The Climb: Conversations with Australian Women in Power and co-authored Tomorrow's Islam.
Professor David Brown – Professor in UTS Business School and co-founder and co-director of the UTS Ageing Research Collaborative (UARC)
Professor David Brown is a leading researcher in management systems and organisational performance at the University of Technology Sydney's business school. His work examines how organisations across sectors design and use management and accounting systems to address behavioural, decision-making and coordination challenges, and the factors that drive performance. David is co-founder and co-director of the UTS Ageing Research Collaborative (UARC), a six-faculty pan-university network of researchers focused on enabling social, economic and environmental care and support for ageing Australians. UARC produces the influential Australian Aged Care Sector biannual report and the Star Ratings Dashboard, alongside research programs on multidimensional models of aged care systems and the determinants of organisational and sector performance. David's broader research interests span aged care, environmental sustainability, mental models and decision making, inter-organisational research contracting, open strategy and innovation, sustainable agriculture, and research performance in universities.
Dr Dionne Payn - Founder of Women 4 Homes
Dr Dionne Payn is the founder of Women 4 Homes, a company on a mission to inspire one million women to invest $5,000 each to end homelessness by 2030, while becoming financially empowered along the way. Women 4 Homes has created a model for beautiful, affordable and dignified co-living homes where older women can thrive. Featuring private rooms with en-suites and kitchenettes alongside communal spaces designed for connection, the homes respond directly to the needs of older women, the fastest growing group facing homelessness in Australia today. Through an accessible investment model, women can earn strong returns while creating homes for others. With over 10 years in the property industry, Dionne has developed affordable housing projects, facilitated funding for ethical developments, and helped more than 40 investors achieve double-digit returns through property. Dionne is also the host of the Financially Empowered Women podcast and author of the #1 Amazon best-selling book E.T.H.I.C.A.L Property Investing, and regularly writes and speaks on the topic.
Dr Nelson Ma – Associate Professor of Accounting at the UTS Business School
Dr. Nelson Ma is an Associate Professor in Accounting at the UTS Business School. His research interests are in audit, corporate governance and aged care with a focus on understanding how to improve decision making and information disclosures in organisations to provide better outcomes to their stakeholders and society. Nelson has published widely in peer-reviewed academic journals in management, health, finance and accounting including Contemporary Accounting Research, Australian Journal of Management and Pacific-Basin Finance Journal. He is co-lead of the Business and Strategy Theme in the UTS Ageing Research Collaborative (UARC) and a co-author of UARC's bi-annual Australia Aged Care Sector Report. He has been involved in over $500,000 in external research funding from government and industry organisations. These research and industry reports have featured in Government policy documents and media outlets including ABC News, Forbes Magazine, the Australian Financial Review, the Guardian and the Sydney Morning Herald. His efforts in research engagement have been recognised with 2023 UTS Business School Achievement Award in External Engagement.
Connie Porter – Head of Strategy and Business Support, Seniors Services at Uniting NSW.ACT.
Connie is currently the Head of Strategy and Business Support, Seniors Services at Uniting NSW.ACT, one of Australia's largest not-for-profit providers of services for older Australians. Uniting NSW.ACT serves over 23,000 people each year through Residential Aged Care, Home and Community Care, and Retirement Living, with a Seniors Services Directorate team of more than 9,000 dedicated employees and volunteers. Their ambition is to enhance and evolve support for seniors, particularly those experiencing social and economic exclusion, in a sector facing significant challenges including rapidly increasing service demand, workforce shortages, financial pressures and an evolving regulatory landscape. Connie has extensive experience leading people and managing multi-site services across large geographies, having held various leadership roles across private, public and not-for-profit organisations. She is passionate about delivering person-centred care, building high-performing teams, and driving sustainable outcomes that strengthen communities and improve the wellbeing of older people. With formal qualifications in nursing, leadership and governance, she believes putting people at the heart of every decision is what matters most.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
