👀 First look at our stellar lineup of presenters
A wizard philosopher, a circular economy expert who (quite literally) creates concrete out of thin air and a toilet paper troubadour walk into a bar*. This isn’t a joke, this is the first speaker announcement for Purpose 2023.
These nine speakers are the first in what is our boldest and most exciting lineup yet. We can’t wait to have them grace the Purpose stage and for you to hear what they have to say.
Without further ado, here they are…
Canberra born and bred Harvard graduate and circular economy expert, Sophia Hamblin Wang is COO of MCi Carbon, a company transforming atmospheric carbon into solid bulk materials. With a mission to remove one billion tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere by 2040 - safely, permanently and profitably - MCi honestly giving us *hope*! Soph won first place in COP’s global pitch competition in Glasgow in 2021 and has since appeared in The New York Times, Time Magazine, and the UN Climate Action Summit.
In an era of unprecedented complexity, sometimes you just need to call your local wizard. For us, it’s philosopher and author Dr. Jason Fox, who moonlights as a leadership advisor and futurist. In his bestselling book How to Lead a Quest he posits the question, ‘What is meaningful progress?’, and in the context of our climate crisis, few questions are more pertinent. He works with enterprising teams questing amidst complexity and the unprecedented. His genius zone is working with clever people (that’s where you come in) seeking meaningful progress.
As the CEO and Founder of Oz Harvest, Ronni Kahn needs no introduction. So why are we writing this? To remind you she is still going hard out on a mission to make food waste a thing of the past and building one of the most powerful for-purpose brands in Australia. Responsible for a whopping 8-10% of GHG emissions, eliminating food waste is one of the most meaningful ways to have an impact on people and the planet. What began as one single van in Sydney has grown to be supported by some of the finest chefs globally, and Ronni has been recognised with an Order of Australia, entry in Boss Magazine’s Top 21 True Leaders and in a feature film about her story. Join us and hear first hand how she does it.
Dedicated to supporting First Nations led economic development, Chris Andrew and Paul Girrawah House are the founders of Waluwin Foundation and will be presenting at Purpose about the concept they have coined: Indigenous-designed finance. Their social enterprise is developing a whole-of-landscape response to supporting the purchase of freehold title farmlands by First Nations people and reviving traditional agricultural practices that care for Country. With an early career in global investment banking and the oil sector, Chris’s focus is firmly on supporting people and business to accelerate community development outcomes. Paul recently (and successfully) challenged the ACT Government to recognise his tribe as Traditional Owners.
British/Australian Shantel Wetherall is a writer, host and brilliant at starting conversations. Her words, featured in the likes of The Guardian, SBS Voices and the Sydney Morning Herald , and heard on the airwaves via her podcast Hey Aunty! and as a presenter on 3RRR, are all geared towards creating space for nuanced conversations about women, culture and change. Shantel is charming, disarming, wise and, no surprise, we’ve chosen her to be our hostess with the mostest at Purpose Conference 2023.
With a laser focus on positive climate adaptation, Digby Hall is a Climate Adaptation Specialist. The architect, advisor, PhD scholar and entrepreneur helps organisations plot their trajectory into a climate-changed future. Digby remarks “It will only be the early adapters who win”, and he excels in mitigating climate risk by applying design thinking to business, building and brand. With a passion for food security, regenerative agriculture and social gardening, he has over 30 year’s experience of working in the sustainable development field. “I’ve moved on from ‘green’ to lean into positive climate adaptation – to respond to the unpleasant reality that no matter what we do from here onwards, we have already locked in a set of potentially disastrous changes in our climate. “
“It will only be the early adapters who win” - Digby Hall
Not many people could legitimately have “I’m a woman-child who likes fart jokes” on their LinkedIn profile, but that’s because not many people are like Vanessa Morrish. For the past 7 years Vanessa has been steering the creative at Who Gives A Crap - the toilet paper company that has donated $10million to help build toilets around the globe. Vanessa blends her brilliant wit with a serious problem, to help Who Gives A Crap become one of the fastest-growing eCommerce businesses in Australia (and the US and UK too!).
Chris Grant co-founded Unyoked with his twin brother Cam, on a mission to connect people with high-quality nature experiences. Chris sees his role as solving modern problems with ancient remedies by making the wilderness more accessible to everyday people. For Chris, nature has the ability to be the antidote for the stresses of modern life, and by nestling Unyoked’s minimal impact, off-grid cabins in unique locations, it provides an educational tool for people to put nature into perspective in a way that no technology can replicate. With 100 cabins already in situ, and more than 35,000 overnight stays logged already, Unyoked is just getting started. Earlier this year Unyoked received a $28 million raise to help them expand into Europe. Chris, and his brother Cam, were recognised in The Australian’s Top 100 Innovators in 2021 and 2022.
*If it’s your first time at Purpose, yes there’s a bar. And the best conference catering you’ve ever had. And barista coffee. And a dedicated dining space for where all good people come together to break bread and share ideas. But more on all of this later…
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