About Omer Soker:

Omer joined Charitable Recycling Australia as CEO in March 2018, following his expertise as an association strategist and his passion for social, environmental and economic impact. He is the author of ‘The Future of Associations’; a 6-step roadmap for membership organisations and has led and consulted to a wide range of Not-For-Profit boards. Omer is a keynote speaker on strategy, innovation and engagement, as well as business ethics and organisational trust. Omer has held senior management roles in global corporations with $32 million in P&L responsibility and expertise in the retail, homewares, fashion and online sectors.

Change 2023 topic:

Details coming soon.

About Prof Elizabeth Kendall:

Professor Elizabeth Kendall is a rehabilitation psychologist and Director of Inclusive Futures: Reimagining Disability research alliance. Elizabeth has run collaborative research programs for over 30 years, has published more than 200 papers, attracted over $70 million in research grants and consultancies, and has designed and managed major projects focused on disability, chronic disease, and rehabilitation with a range of populations and communities.

The discussion panel that Elizabeth is on is scheduled for Session 4 on Day 2: Friday, October 20 2023. Click here to view conference agenda.

Session 4: Discussion panel plus Q&A

Nothing About Us Without Us

Learn about the challenges change makers have experienced in their decades of fighting for inclusion. This panel will share the barriers they’ve faced in physical access, sport, education, and work. They will show how storytelling and breaking down silos have enabled inclusion but will remind us there is a long way to go.

About Dr Jessica Harris:

Dr Jess Harris is a Darkinjung woman who uses social marketing and behavioural science to change eating practices in workplace institutional settings. Her current work focuses on design, implementation and evaluation of behaviour change programs that focus on improving people’s health and wellbeing. She has led projects to increase breakfast consumption for the Australian Defence Force.

Jessica's talk:

Mapping Theory on Interventions for Better Outcomes: The TCSA Process

Theories tell us the factors that change behaviours. Theory is meant to provide a roadmap for practitioners to follow and should aim to build theories through replication. To do this, precise measurements or replicable tools are needed in marketing science. The Theory Sorting Card Activity (TSCA) is a process that provides a methodology that researchers can use to conduct expert reviews. Dr Harris will explain how the TCSA is developed through quantitative and qualitative strategies to apply to inventions using previous case studies to enhance theory application through sustainable outcome-driven practices.

About Maria Raciti:

Professor Maria Raciti (Kalkadoon-Thaniquith/Bwgcolman) is a passionate social marketer whose research interests are at the intersection of educational equality and Indigenous peoples. Maria is Co-Director of the UniSC Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre and Co-Leader of the Education and Economies Theme in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures.

Change 2023 topic:

A Social Marketers Guide to Being Visibly Reflexive

Reflexivity is vital for effective social marketing. However, the persistent calls for social marketers to engage in more reflexive practices suggest that we are not doing it well. Most social marketers are reflexive, but this reflexivity is not always systematic and visible in our projects and outputs. This presentation provides guidance and tools as to how to embed visible reflexivity in social marketing practice.

About Sara Isaac:

A veteran social marketing practitioner and behavioural scientist, Sara Isaac is the chief strategist at Marketing for Change and an adjunct professor of social marketing for George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health. Sara specialises in infusing behavioural science theory and practice into behaviour change campaigns that work in the real world. Her clients include the U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AARP, and Behavioral Health System Baltimore. Sara holds a bachelor’s in International Relations from the University of California at Davis, a master’s degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University, and a master’s in Behavioral Science from the London School of Economics.

Sara's talk:

Hope, Empowerment and Mental Health: A Resilience-based Approach to Crisis Prevention

Are you struggling? At-risk? In crisis? Are you traumatized by ACES? Suffering from mental health stigma? For people experiencing mental health concerns, these are the wrong questions to ask. Across a decade of social marketing interventions in mental health, research by Marketing for Change (M4C) has found that asset- and resilience-based approaches empower help-seeking and support a courageous self-narrative while clinical language and top-down attempts at empathy can backfire, labelling people as “victims,” undermining self-efficacy for healing, and unintentionally reinforcing stigma. M4C Chief Strategist Sara Isaac will share research findings and project outcomes from three social marketing interventions, including current work to promote the 988 mental health helplines in central Maryland in the United States.

About Dr Taylor Willmott:

Dr Taylor Willmott is an award-winning researcher with expertise in behavioural science, economics, social marketing, and human-centered design. Her research focuses on developing and advancing theory-driven, evidence-based, and human-centered methods, frameworks, and models to help solve some of society’s most pressing problems. Notably, Taylor co-authored the ten Social Marketing Theory Development Goals, created the TITE Four Step Theory Application Process, and formulated the MATE Taxonomy of participatory design. She has been involved in the planning, co-creation, design, implementation, and evaluation of several government, non-government, not-for-profit, and industry-partnered projects across a variety of settings (e.g., ageing, obesity, chronic disease, alcohol, and violence). Taylor is driven to ensure that research is accessible, translatable, and scalable. Her mission is to educate and empower practitioners, policymakers, and citizens alike to find new ways to work together in the interests of society and the planet.

Taylor's talk:

Navigating the Seas of Change: Theory as Our Compass

Human behaviour is complex. Many interventions fail to achieve the desired change or maintenance in a target behaviour. Funders are increasingly requesting hard evidence of effectiveness. Current evidence is fragmented and mixed. Why do some interventions succeed, while others fail to achieve behavioural objectives set? The answer lies in our application (or lack thereof) of theory. Theory provides a compass for navigating the seas of change. In this presentation, Dr Taylor Willmott will highlight the role and importance of theory in understanding “what works, for whom, how, why, and when.” To clearly communicate effectiveness, we need a common semantic structure. Rigorous theory application and reporting allows evidence to be coherently organised, accumulated, and advanced over time. In the absence of concrete and consistent application, theory cannot be reliably expected to guide researchers and practitioners in the design of interventions that lead to the desired change or maintenance in a target behaviour.

A veteran social marketing practitioner and behavioural scientist, Sara Isaac is the chief strategist at Marketing for Change and an adjunct professor of social marketing for George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health. Sara specialises in infusing behavioural science theory and practice into behaviour change campaigns that work in the real world. Her clients include the U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AARP, and Behavioral Health System Baltimore. Sara holds a bachelor’s in International Relations from the University of California at Davis, a master’s degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University, and a master’s in Behavioral Science from the London School of Economics.

Dr Taylor Willmott is an award-winning researcher with expertise in behavioural science, economics, social marketing, and human-centered design. Her research focuses on developing and advancing theory-driven, evidence-based, and human-centered methods, frameworks, and models to help solve some of society’s most pressing problems. Notably, Taylor co-authored the ten Social Marketing Theory Development Goals, created the TITE Four Step Theory Application Process, and formulated the MATE Taxonomy of participatory design. She has been involved in the planning, co-creation, design, implementation, and evaluation of several government, non-government, not-for-profit, and industry-partnered projects across a variety of settings (e.g., ageing, obesity, chronic disease, alcohol, and violence). Taylor is driven to ensure that research is accessible, translatable, and scalable. Her mission is to educate and empower practitioners, policymakers, and citizens alike to find new ways to work together in the interests of society and the planet.

Dr Jess Harris is a Darkinjung woman who uses social marketing and behavioural science to change eating practices in workplace institutional settings. Her current work focuses on design, implementation and evaluation of behaviour change programs that focus on improving people’s health and wellbeing. She has led projects to increase breakfast consumption for the Australian Defence Force.

About Brian Pinkman:

Brian Pinkman is currently the National Environmental and Sustainability Manager at Symal Infrastructure, a construction company focusing on major infrastructure projects. Brian has worked in this area for over 10 years proactively driving change within organisations to raise the bar to achieve environmental excellence. Brian is also the chair person for the Technical Advisory Panel at Plastic Oceans Australasia. This panel raise awareness to implement change which helps eliminate plastic and other waste streams from our waterways through R&D projects.

Session 5: Discussion panel plus Q&A

No Time To Waste

For too long, our planet has been taken for granted. Join us for an extension of Plastics Oceans Australasia’s ‘No Time To Waste’ series, where experts from government, construction, and health sectors discuss successful behaviour change programs, challenges, and lessons learned. Engage in the Q&A to discuss how Australia is reducing waste and creating a sustainable future.

About Elisabeth Spits:

Elisabeth heads up the research and strategy at Brisbane City Council’s Waste and Resource Recovery Branch. She is an expert in behavioural economics, stakeholder engagement, strategy development, and leads efforts to transition Brisbane towards a circular economy. She has 20 years of experience in Australia and the UK, having worked on a wide range of complex government challenges to improve public policy, programs, and service delivery by bringing the science of behaviour into critical decision-making.

Elisabeth obtained her behavioural economics, management degrees and post-grad studies at Monash University BehaviourWorks and QUT, is IAP2 qualified, and is a certified member of the Global Association of Applied Behavioural Scientists.

Elisabeth's talk:

A Transition to a Circular Economy for Food

A transition to a circular economy must involve tackling food waste. Food waste costs us all. The average Australian household wastes approximately $3,800 per year from food thrown away (1 in 5 grocery bags), and when it's sent to landfill, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas that is 25x more powerful than CO2.

Preventing all this food waste is a monumental challenge that affects everyone in the food value chain, from farm to fork. Along this food chain, households waste more food than any other link along the chain.

So how do we reduce food waste in the home? Hear from Liz Spits at Brisbane City Council on the behaviourally designed Save Food Save Money Challenge, which forms part of the Love Food Hate Waste program. Behavioural science, Brisbane food waste data, and primary and secondary research were all applied in designing this city-wide behaviour change program.

About Prof Elizabeth Kendall:

Professor Elizabeth Kendall is a rehabilitation psychologist and the Director of the newly established Inclusive Futures: Reimagining Disability research initiative at Griffith University. Elizabeth has run collaborative research programs for over 30 years, has published more than 200 papers, attracted over $70 million in research grants and consultancies, and has designed and managed major projects focused on disability, chronic disease and rehabilitation with a range of populations and communities. She is focused on bringing together researchers, people with disability, practitioners, and industry to improve the lives of people with disability. The research she drives aims to improve the precision, personalisation and innovation that underpins rehabilitation, education and disability services.

Change 2023 topic:

Details coming soon.

About Luke van der Beeke:

Luke is a purpose-driven social entrepreneur and expert in social marketing and behaviour change. He is committed to reducing health inequalities and amplifying the voice of lived experience in policy and practice. Luke is a Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Behaviour Change Collaborative and is the Chair of The BCC Impact. Throughout his career, he has advised organisations such as the World Health Organisation, the European Commission, and the Australian, British, US and Scottish governments. Luke served as a director of the National Social Marketing Centre (UK) and as a technical advisor to the Strategic Review on Health Inequalities in England.

Recent projects include improving youth mental health, climate change, addressing gender inequality and violence against women, teen vaping, road safety and early childhood development. He is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute and an Adjunct Research Fellow at Curtin and Griffith Universities.

Luke's talk:

Do we really need to change the world? Rethinking the playbook

Ten years ago, I established The Behaviour Change Collaborative to improve the lives of people and the planet. Like many other change agents, I wanted to change the world. And I wanted to do so at scale. The BCC is now a globally recognised brand, and by most metrics, it’s thriving. But notwithstanding our success, I’ve come to see that some of the goals I set were unnecessarily lofty.

This presentation explores the ways in which we can have a positive impact on the lives of others, regardless of the size and scale of the programs we deliver. It includes tips on how to influence behaviour at the population level, and reflections on how we can deliver meaningful change in small, yet profound ways, through our approach to program design and delivery. Examples will be drawn from projects Luke has worked on across health, social cohesion, sustainability, and environmental protection.

About Ricki Hersburgh:

Ricki is a dynamic executive manager with over 25 years’ experience in environmental sustainability, waste resource management and the not-for-profit sector. An avid ocean lover, Ricki is passionate to imbue generational change to ensure our blue planet can endure the ongoing impact of human activity on aquatic life.

Session 5: Discussion panel plus Q&A

No Time To Waste

For too long, our planet has been taken for granted. Join us for an extension of Plastics Oceans Australasia’s ‘No Time To Waste’ series, where experts from government, construction, and health sectors discuss successful behaviour change programs, challenges, and lessons learned. Engage in the Q&A to discuss how Australia is reducing waste and creating a sustainable future.

About Trent Zimmerman:

In the Parliament, Trent served as Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport and led several major inquiries into aspects of the Australian health system. At various stages he was a member of the House Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Cities and Transport, the House Committee on Environment and Energy and the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. In Parliament, Trent was a strong advocate on climate and environment issues, innovation, health and, as the first openly gay Member of the House of Representatives, LGBTI+ issues.

Session 5: Discussion panel plus Q&A

No Time To Waste

For too long, our planet has been taken for granted. Join us for an extension of Plastics Oceans Australasia’s ‘No Time To Waste’ series, where experts from government, construction, and health sectors discuss successful behaviour change programs, challenges, and lessons learned. Engage in the Q&A to discuss how Australia is reducing waste and creating a sustainable future.

Professor Maria Raciti (Kalkadoon-Thaniquith/Bwgcolman) is a passionate social marketer whose research interests are at the intersection of educational equality and Indigenous peoples. Maria is Co-Director of the UniSC Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre and Co-Leader of the Education and Economies Theme in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures.

Dr Sebastian Isbanner is a research fellow at Social Marketing @ Griffith and executive committee member of the Australian Association of Social Marketing. His research focuses on the promotion of societal and planetary health, which includes research projects on healthy eating in schools (e.g., increase of fruit and vegetable intake in school-aged children), sustainable food choice in workplace settings (e.g., directing foods towards healthy, climate-friendly dishes), and programs aimed at the reduction of single-use plastics. Sebastian is particularly interested in how behaviour change interventions targeting one behaviour can spill over into other, related health or sustainable behaviours, thereby maximising intervention efficiency, fostering broader lifestyle changes and long-term impact. Sebastian has expertise in the design, evaluation, and improvement of social marketing programs, which have produced real-world impacts for clients.

Alieena is a dedicated and accomplished researcher in the field of social marketing with a focus on encouraging voluntary behaviour change. She holds a first-class Marketing Degree (Honours) from RMIT University and is currently a 2nd year PhD Candidate at Social Marketing @ Griffith, conducting research in partnership with Plastics Oceans Australasia. In addition to her PhD research, Alieena also works as a Research Assistant and Sessional Tutor at Griffith University. Alieena's research interests centre around understanding how to encourage voluntary behaviour change, particularly in the areas of environmental conservation and human health. Her current PhD research focuses on the reduction of single-use plastic consumption, a pressing issue with significant environmental and health implications. Alieena has also worked on several other notable projects, including a Plastic Waste Project with The Green Technology Centre in Korea, the Conservation of Box Gump Grassy Woodlands, and programs aimed at preventing obesity and child sexual abuse and violence.

About Jaeneen Cunningham:

Jaeneen Cunningham is an accomplished executive with over 25 years of experience in financial services, including investment and retail banking. She has owned several businesses and currently serves as Executive Director of Safe Haven Community and Director of Etairos Finance. Jaeneen has received numerous awards for her contributions to various fields, including The Women in Business - Social Justice Award and Women in Finance - Manager of the Year.

As the Executive Director of Safe Haven Community, Jaeneen has played a crucial role in providing short-stay community accommodation to women and children leaving abusive relationships. With the help of other Directors, staff, and volunteers, Safe Haven has helped over 13,000 women and children find safety and provided more than 90,000 nights of accommodation. Currently, Jaeneen is overseeing the construction of a Safe House in Queensland, which will offer longer-term shelter to women and children in need.

Jaeneen's talk:

Is there Room in Your Heart?

Jaeneen Cunningham is the Executive Director of Safe Haven Community. A NFP social enterprise that works in the hardest area of domestic abuse - coercive control. Nobody has tackled this area thoroughly due to the complexities of having evidence to corroborate stories. It's in the too hard basket, but Safe Haven Community took on the challenge!

For over 9 years now they have listened, believed and supported over 13,000 women and children, and offered over 90,000 nights of accommodation and case management - all of this with no government funding. Their service is innovative, cost effective and efficient and brings everything back to relationships and community. Every story is unique so the service is tailored accordingly. Their journey begins at WWII and reminds us that kindness and generosity is the key to prosperity for all.

About Steve Menzies:

Together with his business partner, Jane Gibson, Steve has developed Flinch Marketing into a successful international business that uses social marketing to increase community resilience and wellbeing, particularly in the Pacific Islands region. Today, Flinch supports a network of more than 40 staff and contractors from over 15 countries who are all working together with communities to develop solutions based on local needs and aspirations. As a key part of its work Flinch is also using social marketing principles to support regional and national efforts to strengthen ecosystem resilience, food security and community wellbeing across the Pacific region. Key clients include: the Pacific Community (SPC); the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP); the Pacific Island Forum; the World Bank; the World Meteorological Organization and a number of UN agencies.

Steve's talk:

Building a Successful Social Marketing Business in the International Development Sector

For many social marketers the greatest challenge they face is how to convince clients to invest in developing sustained behaviour change solutions when the competition is offering shiny short-term solutions wrapped in fancy packaging. In 2015 I co-founded Flinch Marketing with the belief that we could create a successful international business that could help communities to co-design solutions, influence upstream policy and system change, and create direct employment opportunities for thousands of people from developing countries. This presentation explores how we can help to achieve positive behaviour change outcomes by changing the way we approach the “business of behaviour change”. It explores how we need to reframe the process of social marketing by showing how we can simultaneously work to achieve positive behavioural and economic opportunities communities, staff, suppliers, and funder.

About Yas Grigaliunas:

Yas Grigaliunas, Founder and Chief Evangelist of Circonomy (formerly: World’s Biggest Garage Sale (WBGS)), is an energetic and authentic entrepreneur of impact.

She is a circular economy pioneer, driving this industry forward by innovating and mobilising multiple stakeholders towards a shared vision, all while providing social good. Yas is an advocate for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and an accomplished keynote speaker, leader and creator of innovation and producer of Change.

An entrepreneur of impact and a circular economy pioneer in Australia, Yas recently closed a $4M equity capital raise to expand nationally, with Officeworks as a key investor and shareholder. Together, through expansion of reuse, repair, resource recovery and re-commerce initiatives, Yas is thrilled to work with partners and investors to bring the next phase of growth, seeing her Circonomy vision come to life.

Yas' talk:

Journey of creating a circular economy

Yas will share the intimate journey of how she become a circular economy and change pioneer. Intertwined with the professional and personal journey is the raw, thought-provoking topics of “what is your why”, because when your why is big enough, you’ll find a way.

About Joni Avram:

Joni Avram, JD, MSc, is a social impact strategist and behavioural scientist whose company, Cause & Effect, has supported initiatives in philanthropic, business, government and not-for-profit sectors. Combining social science with marketing public relations, Joni specialises in helping organisations lead large-scale public facing campaigns that engage supporters and produce tangible results. She is a sessional instructor in social marketing and business communication at Ambrose University. A lawyer by training, she holds a Masters in Behavioural Science from the London School of Economics.

Joni's talk:

What We’re Getting Wrong About Doing Good

Well-meaning efforts to make the world a better place often do not make it better, and can even make it worse. When social change goes wrong, it can harm people and organisations, undermine trust in change leaders, and lead to greater social division. Learn why social change efforts backfire, how to avoid the most common mistakes, and proven strategies for success.

Joni Avram is a social marketer and behavioural scientist whose company, Cause & Effect Marketing, has supported social impact initiatives in philanthropic, business, government and not-for-profit sectors. Combining social science with marketing public relations, Joni specialises in large-scale public facing campaigns that produce measurable results. She is a sessional instructor in social marketing and business communication at Ambrose University. A lawyer by training, she holds a Masters in Behavioural Science from the London School of Economics.

About Jim Hogan:

Jim Hogan is an innovator, a human rights activist and a strong representative of what is possible for autistic individuals. Jim found his passion for computer science and innovation at a young age and has since worked in leadership positions for over 30 years. With his powerful voice and advocacy for acceptance, he has led the way for hundreds of autistic individuals who entered the workforce behind him.

Jim wears multiple hats at Google including his roles as the Chief Innovation Evangelist, Google Cloud and as Vice President, Accessibility in Technology for Google's Disability Alliance. Jim is also a doctoral candidate at Griffith University and his thesis is entitled “Innovating innovation methodology through neuroinclusion”.

Session 4: Discussion panel plus Q&A

Nothing About Us Without Us

Learn about the challenges change makers have experienced in their decades of fighting for inclusion. This panel will share the barriers they’ve faced in physical access, sport, education, and work. They will show how storytelling and breaking down silos have enabled inclusion but will remind us there is a long way to go.

About Brad Kinsela:

Brad Kinsela is presently the Executive Director of Safeguards and Reform at the Queensland Department of Seniors, Disability Services, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (DSDSATSIP).

For over 20 years, Brad has been a highly regarded senior executive working across numerous Queensland and Australian Governments departments including the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Throughout this period, Brad has led many high-level negotiations, reforms, policy development, and many projects of significance in Queensland.

Known for his passion, commitment and experience on upholding human rights and social responsibility and inclusion, Brad has been an influential participant in the development and implementation of policies and practices in many sectors, industries community and government.

Coming from a background of disability and human rights advocacy, lobbying, and community-based human services and practice, it is not surprising that Brad has maintained his connections, profile, and commitment to living in a society that values, services and embraces all members of communities.

Session 4: Discussion panel plus Q&A

Nothing About Us Without Us

Learn about the challenges change makers have experienced in their decades of fighting for inclusion. This panel will share the barriers they’ve faced in physical access, sport, education, and work. They will show how storytelling and breaking down silos have enabled inclusion but will remind us there is a long way to go.

About Katie Kelly:

Katie Kelly OAM PLY is a Diversity and Inclusion Advocate and, a 2x Paralympian who was the first Australian to win a Gold medal in the sport of Paratriathlon at the Rio Paralympics in 2016. She was also the World Champion in 2015 and 2017 and retired after the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

In 2017, Katie established, Sport Access Foundation, which provides sporting grants to young Australians living with a disability.

Katie’s career includes marketing and communications with organisations such as the NRL, ANZ Stadium, NT Government and Tabcorp. She sits on a number of committees and board, including as an Industry Fellow with Griffith University’s Inclusive Council. She is an Ambassador the National Sporting Alliance for People with a Disability and works in a Social Inclusion role for a ASX listed company.

Katie's journey of living with a genetic condition, Usher Syndrome, is one of tenacity and grit. Katie speaks to the significant and confronting challenges of this condition which results in hearing and eyesight loss.

Katie has a BA from Griffith University and Masters of Business from University of Technology, Sydney.

Change 2023 topic:

Details coming soon.

About Kelsey Chapman:

Kelsey is the research lead and PhD candidate of The Dignity Project at Griffith University. She specialises in disability research, inclusive research methods, and dignity theory. Kelsey and her team were nominated for a Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science in 2022.

Session 4: Discussion panel plus Q&A

Nothing About Us Without Us

Learn about the challenges change makers have experienced in their decades of fighting for inclusion. This panel will share the barriers they’ve faced in physical access, sport, education, and work. They will show how storytelling and breaking down silos have enabled inclusion but will remind us there is a long way to go.

About Kevin Cocks:

In his role leading the Accessible Transport Network (ATN), Kevin will actively advise and support TMR and partners to deliver our vision of 'a single integrated transport network accessible to everyone.'

Kevin Cocks AM is a well-respected champion of human rights and until recently he was the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Commissioner. After sustaining a spinal injury as a young person, Kevin has made it his business to ensure no one is left behind.

He brings a wealth of experience to this role, with his expertise focused on protecting the principles of dignity and equality for everyone and striving towards a more inclusive society for all. He has dedicated his life to fighting for an inclusive, accessible and diverse Queensland through legislative and policy reform and State-wide advocacy.

Amongst his plentiful awards, standouts include the Order of Australia (AM) 2010, Australian Human Rights Medal 2005 and the Centenary Medal 'for distinguished service to disability services in Queensland' in 2003.

Session 4: Discussion panel plus Q&A

Nothing About Us Without Us

Learn about the challenges change makers have experienced in their decades of fighting for inclusion. This panel will share the barriers they’ve faced in physical access, sport, education, and work. They will show how storytelling and breaking down silos have enabled inclusion but will remind us there is a long way to go.

About A/Prof Sameer Deshpande:

Over two decades, in the area of ‘marketing for a better world,’ Sameer has taught, widely published in academic journals, books, and conference proceedings, reviewed, and trained and consulted with government and non-profit organizations in India, Canada, Singapore, Australia, and the U.S. He is the Editor of Social Marketing Quarterly. Sameer has raised over three million dollars and published studies testing the effectiveness of behaviour change initiatives using social marketing frameworks with particular emphasis on consumer-insights approach in a variety of contexts, including climate change, financial services to disadvantaged women, alcohol abstinence during pregnancy, safe sexual practices, promotion of alternative rides, responsible drinking, water rights, and physical activity. His current projects include promoting digital finance among the poor in Indonesia and Bangladesh, co-designing climate-ready solutions with Tweed Shire residents, and evaluating a sexual health promotion initiative in the Lismore area.

Sameer's talk:

How can Academics and Practitioners Collaborate to Solve Wicked Problems?

Sameer and Liz’s thought-provoking talk delves into the realm of academia and practice, exploring the powerful synergy that emerges when these two worlds unite. In an era marked by formidable social challenges and limited resources, their presentation underscores the potential for academic/practitioner cooperation to amplify the impact of behaviour change initiatives. In their interactive presentation, they will share and seek feedback on a checklist of best practices to guide effective partnerships.

About Renae McBrien:

Renae McBrien is the Environment Consultant for Children’s Health Queensland. She also works as a radiographer, with over 25 years of clinical health experience. Renae McBrien is passionate about building sustainability into our health care system and has worked across many Brisbane hospitals to design waste out of health. Her work to value waste as a resource has converted waste into a revenue stream for Qld Health.

Renae’s work has recently been featured on the ABC War on Waste TV series which captured over 4 million views worldwide. She has been awarded the 2019 and 2020 Brisbane City Council Waste Innovation Award and the 2021 Brisbane City Council Waste Champion Award.

Session 5: Discussion panel plus Q&A

No Time To Waste

For too long, our planet has been taken for granted. Join us for an extension of Plastics Oceans Australasia’s ‘No Time To Waste’ series, where experts from government, construction, and health sectors discuss successful behaviour change programs, challenges, and lessons learned. Engage in the Q&A to discuss how Australia is reducing waste and creating a sustainable future.

About Prof Sharyn Rundle-Thiele:

Professor Sharyn Rundle-Thiele applies marketing to improve people’s health and wellbeing and to protect the planet. She founded Social Marketing @ Griffith and co-founded the Journal of Social Marketing. She is Vice President of the International Social Marketing Association (ISMA). Sharyn has co-created behaviour change programs. Her projects deliver outcomes and impact including removing leaves from waterways, improved social connections for adolescents, reduced koala deaths from dog attacks by 40%, reduced koala deaths from car strikes by 83% and more. She has published more than 240 books, book chapters and journal papers. Awards and appointments including The Philip Kotler Social Marketing Distinguished Service Award and the Australian New Zealand Marketing Academy Fellow acknowledge her innovative, high-quality practice and science and her leadership.

About A/Prof Julia Carins:

Dr Julia Carins is an Associate Professor in Social Marketing at Griffith University. Dedicated to driving positive change, Julia has partnered extensively with industry and government to research, develop and implement social marketing programs. Her work focuses on creating supportive environments, fostering collective action towards systemic change, and creating engaging individual behaviour change strategies, which collectively increase the impact of change programs. By blending academic expertise, practical experience, and an empathetic approach, Julia’s focus is enabling and empowering people to give their best and live their best and creating a world that allows them to do so.

About Ryan Collins:

After nearly a decade working in the banking and finance industry, Ryan was drawn to a career in environmental conservation that saw him work in Sydney, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji in diverse roles such as operations, monitoring and evaluation, threatened species and sustainable agriculture. With a background in psychology and environmental management, Ryan’s role at Planet Ark since 2012 has been focused on developing engaging and positive environmental behaviour change programs to help individuals, businesses, government and schools transition to a circular economy. This suite of initiatives includes the Australian Circular Economy Hub, Australasian Recycling Label, Cartridges 4 Planet Ark, RecyclingNearYou, and National Recycling Week.

Ryan's talk:

Information does not equal behaviour

Studies have found that having the knowledge and ability, and even the intention to recycle doesn’t mean that an individual will recycle. Recycling is a low involvement decision, and habits and inertia may block behaviour change. This presentation will showcase examples of generic and trialled behaviour change tools and draw on Planet Ark’s work with BehaviourWorks Australia. This presentation will also explore how as we transition to a circular economy, it will become more important for governments, industries, and educators to be aware of what drives a circular and other not-so-circular citizens and businesses in the choices they make.

About Dr Liz Foote:

Dr Liz Foote is a Research Fellow at Social Marketing @ Griffith. She has a background in marine science, environmental education, communications, and public engagement. Liz spent nearly two decades working as a conservation practitioner before discovering social marketing, which inspired her to focus her doctoral research on the uptake and diffusion of social marketing as an innovative practice within environmental contexts. She situates herself somewhere between the practitioner and academic worlds within the “pracademic” realm. As an early career researcher with practitioner expertise, she’s keen to support all forms of academic/practitioner partnerships in social marketing.

Liz's talk:

How can Academics and Practitioners Collaborate to Solve Wicked Problems?

Sameer and Liz’s thought-provoking talk delves into the realm of academia and practice, exploring the powerful synergy that emerges when these two worlds unite. In an era marked by formidable social challenges and limited resources, their presentation underscores the potential for academic/practitioner cooperation to amplify the impact of behaviour change initiatives. In their interactive presentation, they will share and seek feedback on a checklist of best practices to guide effective partnerships.

About Cr Fiona Cunningham:

Fiona Cunningham is proud to work with residents, charities, small businesses, clubs, schools, environment, and community groups in her role, representing more than 45,000 people in the Ward of Coorparoo. Fiona is the Civic Cabinet Chair of Finance and City Governance as well as a Director for the Small Steps for Hannah Foundation. She has become an advocate alongside local residents Sue and Lloyd Clarke, who have fought for the criminalisation of coercive control and promoting healthy and respectful family relationships. Fiona has been a finalist in the Australia-wide McKinnon Prize, which recognises outstanding political leadership and inspires leaders to deliver a positive impact to their communities. With two young boys keeping her focused on a better Brisbane for tomorrow, Fiona is passionate about striking a balance between affordability and livability.

Fiona's talk:

Small steps towards a big impact

What happened to Hannah Clarke and her three beautiful children on a suburban leafy street in Camp Hill hit a nerve with all Australians. Coercive control is now something that most of us are aware of, thanks to the efforts of her parents through the Small Steps for Hannah Foundation.

Cr Cunningham will talk about the foundation and its achievements to date. She will also share the journey that Brisbane City Council is on, in their role as a major employer and in supporting our community.

About Trevor Evans:

Hon Trevor Evans was Australia’s first and only ever dedicated Minister for Waste Reduction (2019-2022). Trevor played a key leadership role in developing the National Waste Strategy Action Plan 2020, the waste export bans on glass, plastics, tyres, paper and cardboard, the Recycling Modernisation Fund, the National Plastics Plan 2021 and Australia’s first national recycling laws (Recycling and Waste Reduction Act and Regulations 2020). He understands the challenges faced in progressing reforms in our federal system of government and in partnership with community, industry and experts. Trevor is a director, consultant and strategist, including in recycling and circular economy.

Session 5: Discussion panel plus Q&A

No Time To Waste

For too long, our planet has been taken for granted. Join us for an extension of Plastics Oceans Australasia’s ‘No Time To Waste’ series, where experts from government, construction, and health sectors discuss successful behaviour change programs, challenges, and lessons learned. Engage in the Q&A to discuss how Australia is reducing waste and creating a sustainable future.