Date: 2016

Thriving Kids Queensland Partnership: Innovative Approaches to Funding for Child Wellbeing

Investment Dialogue for Australia’s Children and the Queensland Kid Funders Alliance: Collaborative Funding Models for Long-Term Impact

Achieve Foundation and Disability Funders Network: Redefining Funding Strategies to Support Inclusive and Equitable Outcomes

Australian Business Volunteers: Enhancing Community-Led Disaster Resilience

CQID: Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children through Self-Determination, Delegated Authority and the Power of Community

Collaboration for Impact: Driving Community-Led Climate Justice

Afternoon tea available in View Restaurant Terrace

Meet your MC + introduction to the Equity CoLab National Summit 2025

Acclaimed journalist Stan Grant opens the Summit with an urgent keynote on inequity in Australia, asserting truth-telling and justice for First Nations are essential to building a fairer Australia for all.

Dr Michael McAfee warns America’s crises of racial injustice, extremism and inequality can happen anywhere, urging leaders to do equity’s moral work, confront backlash and lead with fierce hope.

Professor Fran Baum AO, global leader on social determinants of health, will expose health inequities in Australia, unpack systemic drivers, remind us we know what works, and urge courageous leadership to build fairer, healthier systems.

Dr Norman Swan AM facilitates a Q&A with Stan Grant, Dr Michael McAfee and Professor Fran Baum AO

Professor Sharon Friel explores how health inequities and planetary health are interconnected crises driven by the same socio-economic and political systems, showing how inequality and environmental breakdown reinforce each other and why they must be tackled together.

Dr Katherine Trebeck turns to one of the strongest drivers of inequity—our economic system. Drawing on global examples, she makes the case for a wellbeing economy centred on people and planet.

As lead editor of The Nordic Edge book, Professor Andrew Scott has written about how Nordic nations have boosted equity through universal, public early childhood education and care, together with extensive paid parental leave, and why Australia must now do the same.

Dr Norman Swan AM facilitates a Q&A with Professor Sharon Friel, Dr Katherine Trebeck and Professor Andrew Scott

Where you live, what you earn, and your background still shape health outcomes. Professor Duckett will explore what it will take to lift equity’s profile in rhetoric, funding, policy, planning and governance.

Commissioner Button will explore how inequities in mental health care harm wellbeing and productivity, and what needs to change to improve health and national resilience.

Equity doesn’t happen by accident – it happens by design. Victoria’s Gender Equality Act is transforming how public institutions – including every public health service in the state – approach strategy, policy, and culture. Commissioner Dr Niki Vincent will unpack how legal obligations are reshaping workplaces and the impact of their public policies, programs, and services on communities, what’s at stake if we stall, and how the rest of Australia can build on this momentum.

Dr Norman Swan facilitates a Q&A with Dr Stephen Duckett, Selwyn Button and Dr Niki Vincent.

After a full day on systems and reform, this session centres lived experience. Lived Experience Leaders from QDN and Street Up share realities, reflections, and solutions—inviting conversation with the audience.

Cormac Russell argues equity is built in neighbourhoods through community power and local leadership. Progress comes when institutions enable connection, nurture relationships, and rekindle democracy.

The Early Intervention Investment Framework is a real-world example of embedding equity, prevention and outcomes into budget processes by rewarding stronger evidence, quantifying wellbeing impacts and avoided costs, and tracking impact annually.

We know prevention and early intervention work, yet investment and systems remain reactive. Michael Hogan draws on real-life examples to explore why and calls for shared goals, pooled investment, and intermediaries that enable collaboration, reminding us equity begins upstream.

Dr Norman Swan AM facilitates a Q&A with TBC, Matt Donoghue and Michael Hogan.

How can businesses turn advancing equity into impact? Siobhan Henderson shares how Australian Unity’s Community and Social Value framework embeds equity into strategy, operations and investment, driving profit and social value.

Traditional public sector models prioritise compliance and control, often blocking equity. This session explores Human Learning Systems, drawing on its application in Queensland’s Public Sector Commission to show how adaptive, relational approaches can transform governance and public service for equity.

Dr Norman Swan AM facilitates a Q&A with Siobhan Henderson, Thea Snow, Abbey Richards

What if equity lies not in one solution but many local ones? This session explores place-based approaches that shift power, build partnerships, and drive bottom-up systems change for equity.

This session explores how communities are building capital, shifting power and ownership back to local people. Through cooperatives, collaboration and shared purpose, they are driving fairer systems and better health outcomes.

No single leader can transform a system, but together we can. Cathy Boorman shares a framework for systems leadership, showing how collaboration embeds equity in place-based change across communities, government, funders and services.

Can business advance equity or ultimately undermine it? This stream explores health, tech and sport case studies, showing how organisations pursue equity with profit while confronting tensions through courageous discussion.

Medicare promises universal access, yet many face costs, GP shortages and gaps. Andrew Cohen explores how large providers can strengthen Medicare, protect bulk billing, expand teams, partner with communities and deliver fairer care.

How can an ASX listed football club focus on winning premierships, growing its business, and contributing to equity? The Brisbane Broncos and Social Ventures Australia share their journey towards understanding the links between these objectives and developing a community strategy that contributes to each.

Thea Snow and Kiera Lowther show how combining lived experience, qualitative insights and quantitative data can transform policy and practice, creating more effective, equitable and compassionate decisions that reflect people’s real lives.

Digital tools can expand equitable care when co-designed with consumers and powered by data. Drawing on Healthdirect’s experience, this session explores promise, risk, inclusion of digital solutions.

Dr Michael McAfee closes the Summit by inviting us into a founder’s stance—seeing ourselves as architects of a new era of democracy. One that is equitable, honours the humanity of all people, and serves collective flourishing. He challenges us to reflect on the actions required as leaders, the courage demanded, and the long-term commitment needed to bring this vision to life.