G-L 2020

Whether it is fostering social cohesion through community events or creating a safe, diverse space for Muslim women to share their stories, Ms Hana Assafiri is a compassionate and unspoken hero within the Victorian community. She is a tireless advocate for women in the community, a spokesperson for Islamic feminism in Australia and as a long-time Melbourne icon, she is celebrated for both her generosity and success as a businesswoman.

Hana has dedicated her professional and private life to removing barriers that prevent women from living prosperous lives. By opening her first restaurant in 1998, the popular Moroccan Soup Bar in North Fitzroy–now an institution for many Victorians, Hana has provided employment opportunities for marginalised members of the community.

Hana’s approach to business is both unconventional and effective, being passionately grounded in an understanding of community and generosity. Hana introduced the concept of a verbal menu and communal eating to dining in Melbourne, contributing to a unique culinary culture which has been embraced by Melburnians from all backgrounds, creating the sense of community Hana always strives to uphold.

Jade Collins has 20 years’ global experience in corporate executive Human Resources and management consulting roles in the Mining, Energy and Aerospace industries, leading large scale, complex multi-million-dollar change management programs. The combination of Jade’s HR, Psychology and MBA qualifications, and her leadership experience, is invaluable for creating networks and engaging others to increase gender equality in leadership across industries. Jade is a member of the Queensland Government's Strategic Advisory Group for the Toward Gender Parity: Women on Boards Initiative and the 2019 CQU Alumni of the Year for Social Impact for her work with Femeconomy.

Jade was born and raised on the land of the Darumbal people at Rockhampton, and now lives and works on Turrbal and Jagera Country.

Social entrepreneur and sustainability consultant Jane Milburn is the author of Slow Clothing: finding meaning in what we wear, a book about living lightly through the everyday practice of wearing and caring for clothes.

Jane is a 2019 Churchill Fellow who studied agricultural science and worked for decades as a rural communicator before doing leadership study and establishing Textile Beat. She is a lifelong maker who values natural fibres and considers clothing in a health and wellbeing context. She leads conversations about ethical, mindful and creative ways of dressing to inspire a more sustainable clothing culture.

Jocelyn Klug is a clinically accredited sexologist and relationship therapist and past chair of the Society of Australian Sexologists.

Jocelyn has been in private practice for the past 19 years and has worked with many women and their partners experiencing sexual and relationship difficulties. Jocelyn is passionate about women understanding their sexuality with an emphasis on pleasure.

June Oscar AO is a proud Bunuba woman from the remote town of Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia’s Kimberly region. She is a strong advocate for Indigenous Australian languages, social justice, women’s issues, and has worked tirelessly to reduce Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

June has held a raft of influential positions including Deputy Director of the Kimberley Land Council, chair of the Kimberley Language Resource Centre and the Kimberley Interpreting Service and Chief Investigator with WA’s Lililwan Project addressing FASD .

She was appointed to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (1990) and was a winner of the 100 Women of Influence 2013 in the Social Enterprise and Not For Profit category. In 2015 June received the Menzies School of Health Research Medallion for her work with FASD.

June has a Bachelor's Degree in Business from the University of Notre Dame, Broome, Western Australia, and is currently writing her PhD. June is a co-founder of the Yiramalay Wesley Studio School and is a Community member of the Fitzroy Valley Futures Governing Committee.

In February 2017, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Edith Cowan University.

June began her five-year term as Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner on April 3, 2017.

Leanne Kemp is Founder and CEO of Everledger and Queensland’s third Chief Entrepreneur. She is a highly regarded leader in many fields including technology and insurance, and well-known for her innovations using Blockchain technology to track high-value assets such as diamonds, art and wine. Leanne works on a global scale to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation and is an advocate of sustainability in business.

Leanne is an expert advisor to the World Economic Forum, the World Trade Board’s Sustainable Trade Action Group and the IBM Blockchain Platform Board of Advisors. She was also recently appointed as an Adjunct Professor in the Institute for Future Environment at the Queensland University of Technology. Leanne has won many awards including Innovator of the Year twice.

For 28 years, along with her business partner, Lydia grew and ran the Easton Pearson brand in Brisbane, Australia.

They developed a reputation for lighthearted, unconventionally decorative, trendless clothing, selling to many of the world's most recognized stores.

Highlights included a 2008 survey exhibition at Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) Brisbane, and receiving the Australian Fashion Laureate in 2013.

Easton Pearson closed in 2016, and their substantial archive was acquired by the Museum of Brisbane. The Designers Guide in 2019 was the first of an ongoing series of exhibitions to interrogate their practice.

With a passionate interest in artisanal making and independent design, Lydia is now lecturing and researching at QUT, fully immersed in the futures of our brightest and most promising design students.

Lydia is currently a PhD student and a tutor in the School of Design, Queensland University of Technology. Her research centres on the circular economy and consumer behaviour within the apparel and fashion industry. She holds a master’s degree in Fashion Business Creation from Glasgow Caledonian University, UK. Lydia worked as a fashion designer in Ghana, West Africa. She also worked briefly in the UK with the Marks and Spencer, PLAN A team.

She has a firsthand knowledge on the impacts of consumerism in the global west on the global south. Her most recent work explores the flow of post-consumer textile waste from the UK into Ghana.

Jane Caro is an author, novelist, broadcaster, columnist, advertising writer, documentary maker and social commentator.

She has published nine books, including two novels “Just a Girl” and “Just a Queen” about Elizabeth Tudor and a memoir “Plain Speaking Jane”. ‘Just Flesh & Blood’ the third and final book in the Tudor trilogy will be published in 2018. She is currently working on a book about women over 50 for MUP.

She appears in the media often including on Agony, Q&A, The Drum, Sunrise & Weekend Sunrise. In 2013 she co-created and presented a 6 part radio series for ABC Life Matters - ‘For Better, For Worse’, now a 5 part TV series for ABC Compass. In 2016, her second series with Compass “Mum’s Boy, Dad’s Girl” went to air. In 2017, Compass broadcast her third series “The Staffroom”. She writes regular columns for ‘Sunday Life’ and ‘Leadership Matters’.

Johanna Kloot is a sustainability professional with a degree in sustainability with a business major and founder of GreenKPI.

Johanna developed GreenKPI, Australia’s first automated sustainability software, ensuring vital environmental efficiencies and social equity is available for any size organisation. Johanna utilises lateral and systems thinking when converting challenges into solutions, identifying opportunities and addressing sustainable development in a holistic manner. As an adult human, Johanna carries a strong sense of responsibility for future generations.

Kylie Munnich was appointed CEO of Screen Queensland (SQ) in October 2019, and has over 25 years’ experience in film and TV distribution and development.

Prior to joining SQ, Kylie worked as Scripted Sales and Co-Production Executive for Seven Studios, Senior Vice President for Distribution Asia Pacific for Sonar Entertainment and Director of Drama & Comedy for Sky Vision in London.

Kylie worked at Sony Pictures Television from 2005 – 2014, where from 2011 she moved to London to become Senior Vice President UK, Ireland and Africa.

Previous companies Kylie has worked for include MGM International Television and Filmbank Distributors Ltd.

Dr Jackie Huggins AM (Eminent Panel and Treaty Working Group Co-Chair)

Jackie Huggins is a Bidjara/Birri Gubba Juru woman from central and north Queensland.

She was born in Ayr and grew up in Inala in Brisbane.

Jackie has first-hand, lived experience on the issues that affect the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders. She has devoted her life to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues and the pursuit of a better life for her people.

Throughout her career Jackie has been involved in reconciliation, the Stolen Generations, education, arts, leadership, prison reform, domestic and family violence, health, housing, literacy, disability, human rights, women’s issues and other social justice initiatives.

Jackie is a former Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia, Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation and the former Co-Chair of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples. She has also served as the Chair of the Queensland Domestic Violence Council, the State Library Board of Queensland, Commissioner for Queensland for the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families.