The Future of Financial Wellbeing Event Series
Description
Western Australia's cost-of-living pressures are complex, interconnected and increasingly affecting the financial wellbeing of individuals, families and communities. Addressing these challenges requires more than individual solutions, it calls for coordinated action across government, industry, community services, research and the broader community.
The Financial Wellbeing Collective (FWC), in partnership with Bankwest and the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), invites you to join a three-part event series exploring some of the key drivers of financial hardship in Western Australia:
The Cost-of-Living Gender Gap
The Cost-of-Living Utility Squeeze
The Cost-of-Living with Debt
Each event will bring together a diverse mix of speakers, practitioners, researchers, policymakers and community leaders to examine these issues from different perspectives. While the challenges may differ, a common theme runs throughout the series: the importance of collaboration in creating meaningful, long-term change.
These events are designed to be more than discussions. They are an opportunity to connect with others working in the space, share insights, identify opportunities for partnership, and contribute to a stronger collective response to financial hardship across WA.
We recognise that important work is already happening across our communities. If you are involved in initiatives, programs, research, partnerships or innovative approaches that support financial wellbeing, we encourage you to share them with us. Throughout the series, we will seek opportunities to highlight existing work, showcase promising practices and connect people and organisations with shared goals.
Whether you work in financial wellbeing, community services, essential services, banking, housing, research, government, policy or advocacy, your perspective matters.
Together, we can strengthen connections, share knowledge and advance practical solutions that improve financial wellbeing outcomes for Western Australians.
Interested in contributing to the conversation? We welcome ideas, resources, case studies and examples of initiatives already making a difference in our community. Please reach out to the Financial Wellbeing Collective to learn more or get involved.
Panel for event two: the cost-of-living utility squeeze
TBC
Panel for event one: the cost-of-living gender gap
Alan Duncan
Professor Alan Duncan is Director of the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC) and Bankwest Professor of Economic Policy at Curtin University. Widely recognised as one of Australia’s leading economists, Alan is ranked among the top five per cent of economists worldwide and has built an international reputation for rigorous, evidence-based research that informs economic and social policy. Alan’s research spans a broad range of issues that shape wellbeing and economic opportunity, including housing affordability, poverty and disadvantage, workforce participation, gender equity, income inequality, migration, childcare and household financial wellbeing. Through his leadership of BCEC, he has helped shape public understanding of many of Australia’s most pressing social and economic challenges. Before joining Curtin University, Alan held senior academic and research leadership positions in Australia and the United Kingdom, including Director of the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) and Head of the Nottingham School of Economics at the University of Nottingham. He has advised governments, public sector organisations and international institutions on taxation, pensions, labour markets and household welfare, and is a highly sought-after commentator on economic policy and reform. A passionate advocate for using research to drive better public policy, Alan is committed to improving economic and social outcomes through collaboration between government, industry, academia and the community sector.
Lacey Filipich
Lacey Filipich is an award-winning financial educator, author, speaker and founder of Money School, an education platform that has helped thousands of Australians build financial capability, overcome debt and work towards financial independence. With a background in chemical engineering and over a decade of experience in financial education, Lacey is known for making complex financial concepts accessible, practical and actionable, Lacey is the author of the bestselling book Money School: Become Financially Independent and Reclaim Your Life, published by Penguin Random House, and has become a respected voice on personal finance, financial wellbeing and economic resilience. Her work has been featured by major media outlets, including ABC, where she contributes expert commentary on money management and financial wellbeing. Through her work, Lacey is passionate about helping people understand how money works, make informed financial decisions and create greater financial security for themselves and their families.
Sonja Trio
Sonja Trio is a Senior Policy Officer at the Western Australian Council of Social Service (WACOSS), where she works on cost of living, energy affordability and utility hardship. She also works with employers through Stronger Together, a project encouraging flexible work arrangements in the female-dominated community services frontline. A recovering lawyer, Sonja has worked in private practice in Australia and the United States, drafted legislation at the Parliamentary Counsel's Office, sat on the board of a US family and domestic violence service, co-founded a climate tech startup, and run mental health programs for migrant and refugee communities in Tasmania. As a former child refugee, Sonja has seen the structural and systemic drivers of hardship up close and knows the cost-of-living crisis is not gender-neutral. She advocates for a clean energy transition that closes that gap rather than widening it.
Zoe O'Neill
Zoe O'Neill is the Chief Executive Officer of Sussex Street Community Law Service and Executive Manager of Legal Services at Palmerston Association. A lawyer, social impact strategist and systems reform leader, Zoe works at the intersection of law, health and community services to address the structural causes of disadvantage and improve access to justice and wellbeing outcomes. With a background spanning community legal practice, social innovation and cross-sector collaboration, Zoe has extensive experience designing and leading initiatives focused on family and domestic violence, disability rights, justice reform and community wellbeing. Prior to her executive leadership roles, she worked as a community lawyer and social impact consultant, contributing to a range of projects aimed at improving outcomes for vulnerable individuals and communities. Zoe is passionate about human-centred design, lived-experience-led approaches and creating systems that are equitable, accessible and responsive to community needs. She is a strong advocate for collaboration across sectors, believing meaningful change occurs when organisations work together to tackle the underlying drivers of disadvantage. Through her leadership, Zoe continues to champion innovative partnerships and practical solutions that strengthen financial wellbeing, improve access to support services and create fairer outcomes for people experiencing hardship and vulnerability.
Helena Jakupovic
Helena Jakupovic is the General Manager of the Financial Wellbeing Collective (FWC), where she leads collaborative initiatives that address the drivers and impacts of financial hardship across Western Australia. Working at the intersection of community services, government, industry and research, Helena is passionate about advancing systems-level solutions that improve financial wellbeing and create better outcomes for people experiencing vulnerability. With extensive experience in financial wellbeing and community impact, Helena is a strong advocate for early intervention and preventative approaches that build financial resilience before crisis occurs. She has overseen innovative programs that help individuals strengthen their financial capability, improve money management behaviours and achieve greater financial stability. Helena is a respected voice on the social and economic impacts of financial hardship, regularly contributing to discussions on cost-of-living pressures, financial resilience and collective action. She is committed to bringing together diverse sectors to develop practical, evidence-informed solutions that support long-term financial wellbeing for Western Australians.
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