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Speakers
program (draft)

For fair futurists.

Join a national gathering of leaders, thinkers and doers committed to reimagining a fairer, healthier Australia.

In an era where equity is increasingly politicised, misunderstood or sidelined, the Equity CoLab National Summit 2025 offers a space to reaffirm our collective commitment to fairness—not just as a value, but as a driver of better health, wellbeing and opportunity for all.

Over two days, attendees will explore:

  • Innovative approaches to embedding fairness in systems and policies
  • Collaborative strategies to address complex social challenges
  • Real-world examples of transformative change driven by equity-focused leadership

Early Bird Tickets

Limited time only or until allocation reached.
$ 1,100

+ booking fees*
  • Discounted ticket price
  • Over two days
    15 & 16 October
  • Noosa, Queensland | Kabi Kabi Country
GET TICKETS
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*Humanitix booking fees are a force for good! Visit humanitix.com/au/impact to learn how booking fees are changing lives!

Why attend?

Early Bird Illustration

Because fairness doesn’t happen on its own and health outcomes won’t improve unless we build the connecting systems that serve everyone well.

Now more than ever, we need leadership that can navigate complexity and deliver tangible change. This Summit is for those who believe in a fairer, healthier society, and understand it takes courage, strategy and collective action to get there.

Join others who are working across systems to address the root causes of inequity, challenging the status quo and building a future where fairness isn’t an ideal—it’s the foundation for wellbeing, belonging and opportunity.

What to expect:

You’ll hear bold ideas, learn from diverse perspectives, and connect with others committed to equity in action. With a program of inspiring talks, rich discussions and practical takeaways, you’ll leave with insight and motivation to keep leading where it matters most.

Who should attend?

The Summit is designed for anyone working at the intersection of systems and equity – whether you’re shaping policy, delivering services, influencing funding, or driving research or reform.

If you’re leading change in health, education, housing, justice, environment, early years, employment or philanthropy and believe fairness should be a strategic priority, this space is for you.

This year’s theme:
Fair by Design

Fairness doesn’t happen on its own.

We need to reimagine the fair go — and redesign systems to deliver it. This year’s program explores how equity can move from principle to practice in complex, shifting environments.

Secure your Early Bird tickets now

Accommodation Booking Form:

  • Speakers
program (draft)
Dr Norman Swan Headshot

Dr Norman Swan AM

Broadcast Journalist, Physician & Author
Dr Michael McAfee Headshot

Dr Michael McAfee

CEO, PolicyLink (USA) 
Photo of Fran Baum

Professor Fran Baum AO

Professor Health Equity & NHMRC Investigator Fellow, Stretton Inst., UoA
Stan Grant headshot

Stan Grant

Journalist, author, moral philosopher, Director of Constructive Institute (AP)
Photo of Katherine Trebeck

Dr Katherine Trebeck

Political economist, writer and advocate for economic system change

Professor Sharon Friel

ARC Laureate Fellow and Professor of Health Equity, ANU
Photo of Andrew Scott

Professor Andrew Scott

Emeritus Professor of Politics and Policy Deakin University and author

Siobhan Henderson headshot

Siobhan Henderson​

Head of Social Impact at Australian Unity, strategist & impact measurement leader
Dr Niki Vincent Headshot

Dr Niki Vincent

Commissioner for gender equality in the public sector (Victoria)
Michael Hogan Headshot

Michael Hogan

Executive Convenor of the Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership, systems leader & public purpose advocate
Cormac Russell Headshot

Cormac Russell

Managing Director of Nurture Development, social explorer, author and speaker
Meaghan Burkett headshot

Meaghan Burkett

Ethical Fields Executive Director and Place Based Capital Lead

Equity Access Tickets

Expressions of Interest Now Open

applications close Friday 29 August 2025

Redesigning systems for a fairer future requires diverse voices and collective action. To ensure cost is not a barrier for those committed to leading change, our Equity Access Ticket program puts the principle of ‘Fair by Design’ into practice.

A limited number of subsidised tickets are available to help support individuals with financial constraints or limited professional development budgets to attend the Summit and join the conversation.

Learn more

2024 Summit Snapshot

days of keynotes, panels, and interactive workshops

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guests speakers sharing bold ideas and insights

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participants from diverse sectors and backgrounds

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Absolutely brilliant Summit! Loved everything about it.

Child and Family Specialist, Salvation Army
Watch last year's summit highlights video
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Dr Norman Swan returns as event MC, and Dr Michael McAfee, our 2024 international keynote speaker, is coming back to Australia to join us once again. Interested in being a 2025 Summit Speaker? We’d love to hear from you — get in touch today for a chat.

Dr Norman Swan Headshot

Dr Norman Swan AM

Broadcast Journalist, Physician & Author

Dr Norman Swan AM is a physician, broadcaster and author whose work has played a defining role in public health journalism in Australia. He co-hosts ABC RN’s Health Report and the podcast What’s That Rash, and was a trusted national voice during the COVID19 pandemic through Coronacast, which reached millions and earned the 2020 Walkley Award for Public Service Journalism.

He has reported on health and science across multiple platforms, including 7.30, News Breakfast, Four Corners and Midday, and authored the documentary series Invisible Enemies, broadcast in 27 countries via Channel 4 UK, SBS and beyond.

Norman’s books include bestselling titles:

  • So You Think You Know What’s Good For You
  • So You Want To Live Younger Longer
  • So You Want To Know What’s Best For Your Kids — a guide for parents of children aged 0–10.


Norman’s contributions to public health literacy and science communication have been recognised with numerous accolades: the Gold Walkley Award, the Medal of the Australian Academy of Science, an honorary MD from the University of Sydney, Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, and appointment as Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2023.

Trained in medicine and paediatrics in Aberdeen, London and Sydney, Norman brings evidence, clarity and compassion to Australia’s most pressing health conversations.

Dr Michael McAfee Headshot

Dr Michael McAfee

CEO, PolicyLink (USA) 

Dr Michael McAfee is a public policy strategist and one of the United States’ most influential voices on equity. As President and CEO of PolicyLink, a national research and action institute advancing racial and economic equity, he leads transformative efforts to redesign systems so that all people can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential.

Michael’s work spans grassroots organising, federal policy reform, and private sector engagement. He is a powerful advocate for embedding equity into the structures that shape daily life, from education and housing to workforce systems and corporate strategy.

Under his leadership, PolicyLink played a pivotal role in making the Promise Neighborhoods initiative a permanent federal program, driving billions of dollars into historically underinvested communities and improving outcomes for over 300,000 children. He also catalysed the development of the Corporate Racial Equity Advantage, the first comprehensive tool to help businesses assess and advance equity across their value chains.

Michael holds a Doctorate in Human and Organisational Learning from The George Washington University and completed the Executive Program in Public Management at Harvard University. He is a former military service member, an experienced changemaker, and a passionate believer in the power of evidence, humanity and love to drive social transformation.

His work challenges institutions to move beyond performative gestures and build real accountability for a just and equitable future.

Photo of Fran Baum

Professor Fran Baum AO

Professor Health Equity & NHMRC Investigator Fellow, Stretton Inst., UoA​

Professor Fran Baum is a public health social scientist with a deep commitment to creating and advocating for healthy, equitable and sustainable societies. Her career spans research, advocacy and global movement-building — and she is widely recognised as one of Australia’s most influential voices on health equity.

She is Director of Stretton Health Equity, Stretton Institute at the University of Adelaide and an NHMRC Investigator Leadership Fellow. Fran was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her distinguished service to public health and is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and the Australian Health Promotion Association.

Fran is a past National President and Life Member of the Public Health Association of Australia, and the immediate past Co-Chair of the Global Steering Council of the People’s Health Movement — a global network of health activists working to advance the right to health and challenge structural injustice.

She is also a member of the BMJ International Advisory Board and author of over 400 publications, including:
• The New Public Health
• Governing for Health
• Co-editor of the Oxford Textbook of Global Public Health

Fran brings a rare combination of deep academic insight and long-standing advocacy for systems transformation.

Stan Grant headshot

Stan Grant

Journalist, author, moral philosopher, Director of Constructive Institute (AP)

Stan Grant is a renowned journalist, author, moral philosopher, thinker, film maker and communicator.

A Wiradjuri, Kamilaroi and Dharrawal man, Stan has forged a groundbreaking four-decade career as one of Australia’s most awarded journalists — the first Indigenous Political Correspondent, the first Indigenous Foreign Correspondent, and the first Indigenous person to present a prime-time commercial television news and current affairs program.

From reporting on the end of apartheid in South Africa, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the rise of China, to producing the internationally acclaimed documentary The Australian Dream, Stan’s work spans more than 70 countries and some of the most defining stories of our time. His impact is recognised through multiple Walkley Awards, Logies, Asia TV Awards, Peabody Awards, and more.

Today, as Monash University Professor of Journalism and Director of the Asia Pacific arm of the Constructive Institute, Stan is dedicated to improving the quality of public discourse and finding new ways to meet each other beyond our differences.

On joining the Summit, Stan says:

“Equity means being seen and heard, but more than that, believing something and having courage.”

Photo of Katherine Trebeck

Professor Katherine Trebeck

Professor Health Equity & NHMRC Investigator Fellow, Stretton Inst., UoA​

Dr Katherine Trebeck is a political economist and global advocate for building equitable and sustainable economic systems. Her work sits at the intersection of policy, practice and public dialogue — shifting how economies are designed, not just to grow, but to serve people and the planet.

She holds key roles including:
• Economic Change Lead at The Next Economy
• Strategic Advisor to the Centre for Policy Development
• Writer-at-Large at the University of Edinburgh

Katherine co-founded the Wellbeing Economy Alliance – WEAll and WEAll Scotland, and was instrumental in establishing the Wellbeing Economy Governments (WEGo) initiative — a collaboration between governments such as Scotland, New Zealand and Finland to centre wellbeing in national economic priorities.

Her work advances equity by embedding human and ecological wellbeing into economic decision-making. She’s thinker-in-residence at the Australian Health Promotion Association, a fellow at the ZOE Institute and the Post Growth Institute, and serves on the boards of Hands Across Canberra and the Centre for Understanding Sustainable Prosperity. She is also a member of the Club of Rome.

Katherine is co-author of The Economics of Arrival and is a frequent speaker on how to reimagine prosperity through justice and care.

Professor Sharon Friel

ARC Laureate Fellow and Professor of Health Equity, ANU

Professor Sharon Friel is an ARC Laureate Fellow and Professor of Health Equity. She is Director of the Planetary Health Equity Hothouse and the Australian Research Centre for Health Equity (ARCHE) at the School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet), The Australian National University.

She is a Fellow of both the Academy of Social Sciences Australia and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

From 2014 to 2019, Sharon served as Director of RegNet, and earlier led the Scientific Secretariat of the World Health Organization Commission on the Social Determinants of Health at University College London from 2005 to 2008. In 2014, she was recognised by her international peers as one of the world’s most influential female leaders in global health.

Her research interests include the political economy of health equity, and the governance of the social, commercial and planetary determinants of health inequities — with a particular focus on climate change, food systems, trade and investment. Her 2019 book, Climate Change and the People’s Health, explores the global consumptogenic system and its impacts on health.

Photo of Andrew Scott

Professor Andrew Scott

Emeritus Professor of Politics and Policy Deakin University and author

Professor Andrew Scott will be joining us on the Equity CoLab National Summit stage this October!

Andrew is Emeritus Professor of Politics and Policy at Deakin University and the author of five books, including Northern Lights: The Positive Policy Example of Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway, which has recently been translated into Japanese. He is also lead editor and contributor to three chapters of The Nordic Edge: Policy Possibilities for Australia.

Northern Lights was endorsed by Nobel Laureate Professor Peter Doherty, while The Nordic Edge received praise from Professor Fiona Stanley, former Australian of the Year. Both books have sold thousands of copies and helped bring international policy inspiration into Australian debate.

Andrew’s recent research has helped the national government extend paid parental leave and move toward universal early childhood education and care. He continues to advocate for further actions to improve equity in Australia.

Siobhan Henderson headshot

Siobhan Henderson

Head of Social Impact at Australian Unity, strategist and impact measurement leader

As Head of Social Impact and Strategy Manager at Australian Unity, Siobhan leads the company’s work in measuring and embedding social impact across strategy, investment and operations. She plays a central role in delivering the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index and the Community & Social Value Framework — a ground-breaking approach that assigns financial value to social impact, enabling more meaningful decisions that create positive community outcomes.

Under Siobhan’s leadership, this framework has been used to secure one of the world’s first wellbeing-focused Sustainability-Linked Loans with Westpac, demonstrating how impact-led strategy can drive both commercial value and systemic change.

With a background in political science, policy and journalism, Siobhan brings a unique lens to the intersection of strategy, purpose and impact. She champions models that prove business success and social value don’t need to be traded off but can be achieved together.

Dr Niki Vincent Headshot

Dr Niki Vincent

Commissioner for gender equality in the public sector (Victoria)

Dr Niki is an award-winning change maker and leader in gender equality and inclusive systems reform. As Victoria’s inaugural Public Sector Gender Equality Commissioner at the Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector (Vic) she is driving one of Australia’s most ambitious public sector reforms – implementing the nation’s first Gender Equality Act, impacting over 300 organisations, 450,000 employees and the broader community.

With a PhD in Psychology and a career spanning statutory offices, academia and community sectors, Niki brings a deep understanding of how to turn policy into meaningful change. Her leadership roles have included Commissioner for Equal Opportunity SA, CEO of the Leaders Institute of South Australia, and advisory positions with Jobs and Skills Australia and the University of South Australia.

Known for her clarity of purpose and evidence-informed approach, Niki will bring a sharp and strategic perspective to conversations on equity, inclusive leadership and systems change to the Summit.

Michael Hogan Headshot

Michael Hogan

Executive Convenor of Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership, systems leader and public purpose advocate

Michael has spent his career advancing public purpose through systems-level reform. As Executive Convenor of the Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership, he leads a cross-sector coalition that works to transform the conditions in which children, families and communities live — catalysing collaborative change across government, philanthropy, academia and the community sector.

With over three decades in senior public service, including as Director-General of the Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety and the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services Queensland, as well as CEO of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, Michael has been at the forefront of major reform in child safety, youth justice, disability, Indigenous affairs and place-based community development. His work embodies what it means to steward systems, not just services, for equity and long-term impact.

Michael’s experience speaks directly to the heart of the Summit: how we move beyond siloed interventions to reshape systems that are inclusive, collaborative and designed for lasting social good.

Cormac Russell Headshot

Cormac Russell

Managing Director of Nurture Development, social explorer, author and speaker

Cormac is a social explorer, author and internationally renowned speaker. As the Founding Director of Nurture Development and member of the Asset-Based Community Development Institute (ABCD) at DePaul University he has spent over 25 years working in 35 countries to empower communities through citizen-led change.

Cormac’s work has shaped community development in Africa, Asia, Australia/Oceania, Europe and North America. His books, including The Connected Community – Discovering the Health, Wealth, and Power of Neighbourhoods and Rekindling Democracy – A Professional’s Guide to Working in Citizen Space, champion local wisdom and power of connected neighbourhoods.

In his inspiring TEDxExeter talk “From What’s Wrong to What’s Strong”, Cormac challenges traditional approaches to community support, urging us to recognise the strengths and gifts that already exist within communities, and what becomes possible when we centre people and place in systems change.

Cormac will be joining us via live video stream, and we’re delighted to have his insights featured as part of the Summit program.

Meaghan Burkett headshot

Meaghan Burkett

Ethical Fields Executive Director and Place Based Capital Lead

Meaghan Burkett is a passionate advocate for community-led and inclusive economic development. Meaghan is the founder of the Place Based Capital Initiative and an Executive Director with both Ethical Fields and the Centre for Community Capital. She specialises in unlocking capital systems that put economic power back in the hands of communities, building local ownership, control, inclusion, resilience and prosperity.

With two decades of experience in strategy, policy and place-based initiatives across government, non-government and private sectors, Meaghan has designed and delivered transformative programs including the Place Based Capital Program and the Natural Capital and Environmental Markets Leadership Program. Her work is informed by a recent year-long National Community Wealth Building Tour, visiting more than 30 communities across Australia to share and learn about local capital solutions.