The Minds of Think 3000

Professor Linda Brennan is based in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University in Melbourne. In the lead up to becoming a full time academic, Dr Brennan had an active consulting practice in marketing and strategic research. Her clients include government, not for profit and educational institutions. Her research interests are social and government marketing and especially the influence of marketing communications and advertising on behaviour.

Joe Ball was appointed as the new Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities in September 2024 for a three-year term. Commissioner Ball (he/him) is a proud transgender man. The Commissioner advocates for the rights, safety and wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ communities. He is a longstanding LGBTIQA+ advocate and former CEO of Switchboard Victoria, with a 25-year career in disability, housing and homelessness, and social services. 

Jeanette Cheah is the founder and CEO of HEX, an award-winning and impact-focused education technology company that grows the exponential intelligence of the future workforce through skills and mindset-based programs. Founded in Melbourne, HEX now operates in Vietnam, Singapore, New Zealand, the US and more. Twice listed as one of Australia’s Top 100 Innovators, she is also a regular guest lecturer, keynote speaker, and passionate advocate for tech inclusion and diversity in business. Jeanette has represented Australia at the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance in Argentina, was a Telstra Business Women’s Awards finalist, and in 2021 was named a 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australian, winning the category for Entrepreneurship.

Cameron Duff is a Professor of Social and Political Theory at the Centre for Organisations and Social Change in the College of Business and Law at RMIT University in Melbourne where he works with colleagues on projects exploring the politics of social innovation and social change.

Kane Ford is the founder of Get Outside Australia and a Project Delivery and Operations Specialist with over 10 years of experience in Superannuation, Insurance, and Banking. With 15 years of hiking experience across 35 countries, Kane launched Get Outside Australia in 2019 to share the benefits of private luxury guided hiking near Melbourne.

The business quickly gained recognition, winning the 2020 Business Australia Award and being named a finalist in Channel 7’s Kochie’s Back to Business competition in 2021. Kane is also an ambassador for MYOB and global hiking brand Merrell. Dedicated to safety, Get Outside Australia is a Licensed Tour Operator with certified guides ensuring exceptional care.

Kane has a deep connection to Indigenous culture, having volunteered in Aboriginal communities in Western Australia’s West Kimberley region and raising funds nationally for the Indigenous Rangers program. Through Get Outside Australia, Kane combines his passion for the outdoors with a commitment to cultural understanding and sustainability.

Dr Ancy Gamage is a researcher and academic with extensive experience in research, grant applications, academic leadership, and industry engagement. Her research focuses on building resilience and inclusion in Australia and internationally. Her research career is guided by a commitment to diversity, inclusion, wellbeing, and sustainability. She has secured research funding of more than AU$1 million, and successfully managed and/or contributed to the implementation of various funded research projects to completion, including in Fiji and Indonesia. Ancy has published in high-quality journals and produced several technical and policy reports. Her research and teaching excellence has been recognized through multiple awards. Ancy also serves on the board of ‘Africause’, a not-for-profit organization looking after the welfare of African and other Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities.

Bernardo Figueiredo is a Professor at RMIT University and an award-winning researcher and educator dedicated to fostering positive change through collaboration with industry, government, and communities. He specialises in consumer behaviour, customer experience design, and social innovation, with a particular focus on the intersection of technology and ageing. Bernardo leads initiatives like Shaping Connections and Pathways for Healthy Ageing, applying co-design and sociocultural methodologies to enhance digital inclusion and consumer wellbeing. His innovative work bridges academic insight with practical impact, equipping organisations and communities with strategies, toolkits, and actionable frameworks to drive meaningful transformation in diverse contexts.

Kyriakos Gold is the Founder and CEO of Just Gold, Australia’s first accredited social enterprise management consultancy, and the Chair and Founder of the Aurum Foundation. With over 30 years of experience in media, communications, and social impact, Kyriakos has led transformative initiatives across public, private, and non-profit sectors.

He previously served as the Head of Communications for the Victorian Department of Premier’s Multicultural Portfolio, where he spearheaded inclusive strategies and programs. Kyriakos’s career also includes award-winning work with SBS and a strong foundation in law and business, holding a Juris Doctor and Executive MBA from RMIT.

A recognised leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion, Kyriakos has built Just Gold into a trusted partner for governments, businesses, and non-profits, delivering ethical consulting and creative solutions. Through the Aurum Foundation, he continues to champion intersectional approaches to equality, fostering collaboration to drive sustainable, meaningful change.

Dr Lauren Gurrieri's focus includes gender, consumption and the marketplace; inequalities in consumer culture; consumer activism and resistance; and consumer well being and social change.

Before entering academia, Lauren’s work in management consulting and marketing research stimulated her passion for understanding the socio-cultural aspects of consumption. 

A trained qualitative researcher with expertise in ethnographic, netnographic and visual methodologies, Lauren’s work has been published in leading business journals, such as the Journal of Business Research, European Journal of Marketing and the Journal of Macromarketing.

Lauren is also the recipient of various awards for her research and teaching and a regular contributor to the Australian media - particularly regarding issues of women’s consumption and representation in marketing.

Roo Harris is co-owner of Scale Investors, an emerging fund manager that invests into women led startups. Roo found her path to investing on the road less traveled, leaving her legal career in Australia at Allens Arthur Robinson (now Allens Linklaters) to move to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and ultimately Qatar, where she advised some of the world’s biggest investors, and spent three years working for the ruling family of Qatar. Roo believes in ’conscious capital’ and a model of capitalism that is relational, human-centered, service oriented and sustainable for the planet. Her love of venture capital and its potential to drive positive change, led her to Scale Investors. Her mission there is to create top quartile returns for investors while making positive social and economic impact. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Roo is a dedicated advocate for the neurodivergent and disability communities, having held board positions with Aspergers Victoria and currently with Autistic Pride Day. She also sits on the EDI Advisory Committee of the Tech Council of Australia. She holds a BA/LLB and a Master's Degree in Commercial Law from The University of Melbourne. She is currently undertaking a second Master's in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Dr. Margaret Heffernan OAM is a transformative leader with nearly 30 years of experience in higher education, public health, and community development. Renowned for addressing socio-cultural inequities, she applies a socio-ecological approach to leadership, research, and teaching to deliver sustainable outcomes for vulnerable communities.

Dr. Heffernan has driven impactful initiatives, including securing $1 million to establish the National Centre for Gynaecological Cancers and raising over $7 million for health projects, such as the $3 million redevelopment of the Royal Women’s Hospital cancer ward. Her work has benefitted over 18,000 women, including Indigenous women in remote areas.

A trusted advocate for social justice, she has led cross-sector collaborations with CALD and Indigenous communities, delivering health resources, mobile health services, and policy reforms. Dr. Heffernan’s innovative leadership continues to empower communities and create lasting change.

Stephan Hitchins is a seasoned educator and expert in Design Thinking, credited with developing the 5E Design Thinking Framework, a non-linear problem-solving process now integrated into RMIT GSBL’s EMBA and MBA programs. With extensive experience teaching and coordinating undergraduate and postgraduate courses, Stephan specializes in human-centred design, leadership, and innovation. His PhD research explores the effectiveness of Design Thinking, focusing on leadership, group dynamics, and creativity. Passionate about education and digital learning, Stephan combines professionalism, exceptional communication, and strategic thinking to foster collaboration, critical thinking, and innovation in diverse teams.

Prof Katherine Johnson has extensive academic leadership experience in Australia and the UK, including as Executive Dean, Head of Department, Research Centre Director and Associate Dean, Research and Innovation. She is motivated by a commitment to equity and social justice, and delivering transformative student experiences, maximising research impact, and promoting a culture where staff and students flourish. In 2024 she was awarded the RMIT Vice Chancellor Leadership Award for Inclusion. Her academic background is in interdisciplinary social sciences, particularly the intersection of community psychology, psychosocial and sexuality studies, and the use of participatory and creative methods. 

Tim O'Neill  co-founded a successful digital agency in 1997, and after 18 years it grew to be one of the largest privately owned digital agencies in Australia and was acquired by Accenture Interactive. After the acquisition Tim worked as a Managing Director at Accenture Interactive for 3 years, and then started an online automotive startup called Summon. In early 2023 co-founded Time Under Tension, an agency focused 100% on generative AI, who are helping businesses to understand the potential of this new fast changing technology.

Dr Amanda Spry is a Senior Lecturer of Marketing at RMIT University, Australia. She is a branding researcher, with a focus on brand activism and purpose, transformative branding and brand equity. Amanda’s scholarship has been published in leading journals such as the European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing and Industrial Marketing Management. She contributes to The Conversation and local and international media outlets as a branding expert.

Professor Emma Sherry specialises in the area of sport for development and her research interests include community development through sport activities, undertaking a broad range of research projects with national and regional sport organisations in Australia and globally. Other recent research has included access and equity in sport participation, social impact of sport, sport's contribution to the sustainable development agenda, and sport and recreation for at-risk and marginalised communities. Outside of her academic career, Emma has extensive sport industry experience as a board director, including roles with Vicsport, Tennis Victoria and the Melbourne and Olympic Park Trust. Emma currently sits on the Advisory Board of the Australian Sport Innovation Centre of Excellence, and as a director for the National Disability Sport Organisation - Sport Inclusion Australia.

Dr Jason Pallant is a Marketing Pracademic at RMIT, where he is a frequently published expert on the impact of emerging technologies on consumer behaviour. He is the only Australian academic named to Re:Think Retail’s list of Global Top Retail Experts in 2023 and 2024, and is a judge for multiple national retail awards, alongside his academic and consulting work.

Associate Professor Lukas Parker is based in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University, where he leads 3C (Communication Change Co-Lab). He is a prominent scholar in social marketing and advertising, specialising in behaviour change, health communication and digital advertising. With over 80 peer-reviewed publications, including influential books, his research addresses critical health and sustainability issues. His applied work has shaped social behaviour change campaigns and informed policies, collaborating with partners such as Sustainability Victoria, End Food Waste Australia and VicHealth.

Georgie Prattis is the Managing Director and Principal Consultant at Myriad Kofkin Global, with nearly 30 years of experience delivering equality and inclusion reforms across public, corporate, and non-profit sectors in Australia. As a Director of the Aurum Foundation, Georgie champions intersectionality and co-design, ensuring marginalised voices shape impactful policies and programs.

A recognised leader in diversity and inclusion, Georgie is celebrated for her strategic vision and ability to dismantle systemic barriers, fostering equitable and inclusive outcomes. Her work spans human rights advocacy, organisational reform, and community empowerment, leaving a lasting legacy across sectors and communities.

Dr. Judy Tang is a Clinical Neuropsychologist and Director at Invictus Health, specializing in brain well-being, neuropsychological assessments, and mental health advocacy. With over a decade of experience, she has worked across government, legal, and community sectors, contributing to aged care research and neuropsychological services.

A published researcher and sought-after speaker on ageing, dementia, and intersectionality, Dr. Tang is a Board Director at the Victorian Pride Centre and a Multicultural Commissioner for Victoria.

Dr Melissa Wheeler is a Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at RMIT University. As Program Director of the Executive MBA, she plays an exciting role in shaping Australia’s emerging leaders. Melissa is an academic working at the nexus of business and psychology, with a passion for social impact and helping others to find and act on their purpose. She is internationally recognised as a thought leader on the topics of leadership strategy, applied ethics, and the future of work, as demonstrated in her columns in Forbes and Psychology Today. Melissa's research has been published in top tier journals, including Leadership Quarterly and Journal of Business Ethics.

Alex Young is a visionary Strategy and Innovation Leader with over 20 years of experience transforming industries like healthcare, telecommunications, and digital products. As Head of Business Growth & Innovation at Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Alex shaped the organisation’s transformative four-year strategy and built its innovation capability.

Alex led the launch of the groundbreaking digital eye-care platform Oculo, acquired for AU$18.5M, and pioneered Medibank’s HealthLab concept, integrating health tech into partnerships like Coles Flybuys.

Passionate about solving complex problems and mentoring future innovators, Alex also co-hosts the Snooze StrategistYouTube channel, helping individuals optimise energy and focus to achieve their goals.

Marie Fournier Is the Director of Design (VIC) for John Holland

TBA