Stephanie Woollard OAM

At age 22, Stephanie Woollard met seven disabled women living in a tin shed in Kathmandu and struggling to make a living and while enduring harsh discrimination. With her last $200, she paid for trainers to upskill the women to produce products for sale locally and abroad - and so Seven Women was born. 

Now, twelve years after meeting the seven women that started it all, over 5,000 women have been educated, trained and employed transforming both their lives and their communities. Stephanie has shared the Seven Women model internationally and was awarded the International Responsible Business Award at the United Nations in 2016.

Rona Glynn-McDonald

Rona works with high impact organisations to propel social change. She has a background in economics and a passion for disruptive ideas. Rona is a proud Kaytetye woman and the founder of Common Ground, an organisations that shares First Nations cultures, histories and lived experiences. Rona aims to help create an Australia that embraces and celebrates its first peoples.

Over recent years, Rona has worked with organisations such as the Central Land Council in Central Australia, the Research Unit for Indigenous Languages at the University of Melbourne, the Foundation for Young Australians and Reconciliation Victoria. Working with social change organisations has accentuated Rona’s passion to challenge and disrupt existing ways of thinking and the mechanisms that shape our society.

Ella Lucas

18 Year Old Ella Lucas has recently completed her Year 12 VCE studies and will start university this year. Ella's life journey has had many twists and turns and she has faced more challenges in her first 18 years of life than most girls. From foster care to total disengagement from school, Ella has defied the odds and pushed herself to succeed.

Steve O'Malley AFSM

Steve is the Fairness and Inclusion Officer with the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) and is a Leading Fire-fighter with 30 years’ experience.

In 2013 he was appointed to the Board of Women and Firefighting Australasia (WAFA), a non-profit professional organisation to support women either in, or considering a career in, the Australasian firefighting industry. In 2016 Steve became a ‘Life member’ of WAFA.

Steve's professional approach, enthusiasm and passion has established him as a leader in equity and inclusion practice in the Emergency Management Sector

Danielle Storey, our MC for the event

Daniel Storey is a proud Rotarian and the CEO of the Eastern Innovation Business Centre in Mulgrave. She is also a co-founder of an international family business, author of The Selfish Servant, professional speaker and has been a mentor to hundreds of businesses throughout Australia.

Danielle’s previous experience includes sales and marketing for major consumer brands and high level consumer sales as well as working with children with special needs.