KEYNOTE
Jon Faine AM
Former Radio Presenter, Broadcaster, Writer and Public Speaker
Jon Faine is a Vice Chancellors Fellow at the University of Melbourne for 2022 to present, attached to The Melbourne Law School but with a roving commission across the entire university. Until October 2019 Jon Faine was the host of the agenda-setting morning broadcast for ABC Radio in Melbourne for over twenty years. Before joining the ABC in 1989 to host ‘The Law Report’ on Radio National, Jon had practiced for seven years in both commercial litigation and as a legal aid/human rights advocate. Countless conference presentations, panel moderations, MC duties, guest lectures and public events complement his legal and media career. Add to that a best selling travel book, several oral history publications, multiple opinion and commentary pieces for major newspapers, regular TV appearances and guest radio spots, as well as being script advisor for several films completes his diverse career.
For over thirty years, Jon has been in demand for conference keynote speeches, presentations, facilitation, and panel moderation. Specialising in complex matters of public policy, strategy, legal issues, technological challenge or cultural clashes, his work has covered every imaginable field.
ANNUAL UPDATE FROM THE MAPPING SOCIAL COHESION SURVEY
Dr Rouven Link
Scanlon Foundation Research Institute
Dr Rouven Link is a social researcher with expertise in migration and multiculturalism. He is currently working as Senior Research Analyst at the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute. Prior to joining the Institute, he completed his PhD at Deakin University in 2023. In current and previous roles at Deakin University, he has been involved in research projects on hate crime, hate speech and hate incidents, including a mapping of international approaches to defining and measuring these and related phenomena.
Dr James O' Donnell
Australian National University
Dr James O’Donnell is a Demographer at the Australian National University with a research focus on social cohesion and wellbeing and their longitudinal and life course relationships with migration, population dynamics and social and economic inequalities. James is the lead investigator of the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute’s Mapping Social Cohesion study, Australia’s pre-eminent and longest-running survey of attitudes, perceptions and behaviours related to social cohesion, immigration and a range of topical issues. He is also an early career research fellow of the Australian Research Council, funded to study how cohesion and wellbeing are changing over time and in response to personal and societal upheaval.
James was awarded a PhD in Demography in December 2019. This research was focused on measuring and understanding the patterns, prevalence and dynamics of different types of housing and homelessness.
INTERACTIVE SESSION SPEAKERS & FACILITATORS
Mayor Cr Nick Reece
Lord Mayor, City of Melbourne
Nick Reece was sworn in as Lord Mayor of Melbourne in July 2024 and re-elected in November 2024. He was elected as a councillor at the City of Melbourne in 2016 and was elected as Deputy Lord Mayor in 2020. Nick serves as portfolio head of the City Infrastructure portfolio and deputy for the Finance, Governance and Risk portfolio, which are essential to council operations. These cover a range of responsibilities and activities which are core to council business He played a key role in navigating the city through the challenges of the COVID-19 lockdowns and recovery. With extensive experience in public service, business, law, and journalism, Nick has a deep understanding of Melbourne life. A co-founder of the global men’s health charity Movember, Nick has helped raise nearly $1.5 billion for prostate cancer and men's mental health. He was also a director for The Big Issue, a successful social enterprise focused on supporting homeless and vulnerable people.
Viv Nguyen AM
Chairperson, VMC
Viv has an extensive track record as a business executive and a community leader in the corporate, community and government settings. She has held roles at AMP Asset Management and ANZ Banking Group where she was the Head of Risk Management for the ANZ Margin Lending portfolio and their diversity strategy. Viv became a member of the Order of Australia for significant service to Victoria’s multicultural community and has played a critical role in the Victorian government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She is on the Victorian government’s Anti-Racism Taskforce to help inform and drive the state’s Anti-Racism Strategy, amongst many other interdepartmental committees and ministerial advisory taskforces and councils. Along with her corporate career, Viv is a tireless advocate for grassroots participation and representation, in civic engagement and participation.
She is a recipient of the Centenary Medal, Victorian Women’s Honour Roll and Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellow.
George Savvides AM
Former Chairman, SBS
George’s career covers three CEO roles in the Healthcare sector including 14 years as Managing Director of Medibank. During his executive career he served for 16 years on the World Vision Australia and International Boards. George now serves as a non-executive director on several boards including : Chair of SBS Public Broadcaster, Chairman of I-MED Radiology Network, Non Executive Director of IAG-Insurance Australia Group and Chairman of Faith Values Ltd.
George holds an Industrial Engineering Degree from UNSW and an MBA from UTS. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He was awarded an Order of Australia for his contribution to governance in the humanitarian aid sector. He is also the Patron of Arrow Leadership Australia. He graduated from Industrial Engineer UNSW and has an MBA from UTS.
Kos Samaras
Director, RedBridge Group
Kos Samaras specialises in compiling and interpreting research, statistical data and polling to provide a unique insight into the cause and effects of social and political issues impacting communities across Australia.
Often sought for expert commentary on polling data and its impact on all levels of politics, Kos’s keen understanding of the nature of political parties and government decision-making (drawn from more than 25 years of political experience with Victorian Labor) allows him to deliver effective solutions for a broad range of clients.
Kano Ravalji
Youth Commissioner, VMC
Krushnadevsinh (Kano) Ravalji is the founder of Third Culture Australia and a Youth Commissioner at the Victorian Multicultural Commission. A strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, he works to empower young people and multicultural communities through school programs, keynotes, and policy engagement. Kano recently hosted Australia’s first youth-led conference focused on leadership and wellbeing, attended by over 120 professionals. His contributions have earned him accolades including the VicHealth Future Changemaker Award and Wyndham City’s Young Citizen of the Year. A regular voice in national media, he champions identity, equity, and systemic change to support the wellbeing of young people.
Phy Mei Liu
Director of Research and Program Evaluation, Future Women
Phy Mei is passionate about intersectional gender equity and has a background in public health policy. Phy Mei currently works as the Director of Research and Program Evaluation at FW (Future Women), and serves as a non-executive board director at STREAT. Phy Mei previously supported the implementation of lived experience-led initiatives made by the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System and supported Victoria's COVID-19 response. As a first-generation migrant, she is committed to advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion among institutions of power. Phy Mei has actively contributed to grassroots projects collaborating with not-for-profit and local council on climate action, multicultural youth leadership, and mental wellbeing promotion.Phy Mei aims to use her skills and knowledge to drive structural change and alleviate social and health inequities for diverse and marginalised communities.
Nasalifya Namwinga
Founder, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Research Lead, PhD Student
Nasalifya Namwinga (She/Her) is a Zambian woman who was raised in the (Swansea, Wales) UK and (kirikiriroa/Hamilton) New Zealand and now resides in Naarm (Melbourne, Australia). Her migration journey and lived experience of mental ill health inspired to pursue a mission to create spaces where those marginalised could access world-class mental health and wellbeing services.
Tigst Kebede
Founder, Senior Trauma Counsellor and Executive Coac
Tigist (She/Her) is an Ethiopian who was born in Sudan and came to Australia as a child under the humanitarian program. She trained as a Counselor and has experience working in the public and private sector, including advisory roles in various levels of government. Tigist has strong grassroots connections with diverse communities, with expertise in workforce development and consulting.
Lydia Tesema
Founder and Strategic Communications and Engagement Expert, Below The Surface
Lydia Tesema is a Melbourne-born Ethiopian MC, Moderator, Facilitator, Speaker, Creative, Youth Mentor and Consultant with a Bachelor of Social Science majoring in Behavioural Studies. Celebrated for her award-winning work across media, youth mentorship, and cultural initiatives, Lydia brings sharp insight, charisma and heartfelt storytelling to every space she enters. Uniquely shaped by her experiences across diverse cultural landscapes, Lydia’s work bridges generations, neighbourhoods, and sectors—championing connection, identity, and personal and collective growth. With a dynamic presence across Entertainment, Government, Education and grassroots spaces, Lydia is committed to building a socially cohesive society grounded in empathy, dialogue, and youth empowerment.
Eva Hussain
Executive Director, Polaron
Eva is a prominent expert in the fields of language services and community engagement. She is the founder of Polaron and plays an active role in the global development of the company. Eva is a certified practicing translator and interpreter, as well as an examiner and a member of NAATI’s Regional Advisory Council. She is a member of various networks and boards, including Victorian Refugee Health Network, Industry Advisory Committee of the Deakin Centre for Refugee Employment, Advocacy, Training and Education and the Association of Polish Jews. Winner of several business and equity awards, in March 2022, Eva was appointed as Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Austria in Victoria. Over the years, Eva has made a tremendous voluntary contribution to the translation and interpreting industry, various community initiatives and the Polish and Jewish community globally. Her lived experience as a refugee from Poland fuels her passion for community work and bridge building.
Trish Prentice
Senior Researcher, Scanlon Foundation Research Institute
Trish Prentice is a qualitative researcher with a particular interest in social cohesion. She has worked in Australia and overseas in the government, academic, corporate and not-for-profit sectors, including in Cairo, Egypt, working for an organisation specialising in Arab-West Understanding and in Geneva, Switzerland for a human rights group with United Nations Special Consultative status. Trish holds degrees in Education and Law and has managed research projects in Indonesia, Singapore, Pakistan and Australia. She has written on a variety of topics for academic and general audiences. Trish joined the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute in 2020.
Phoebe Johnston
Research Analyst, Scanlon Foundation Research Institute
Phoebe has a particular interest in quantitative methodologies used in social research. Prior to joining the Institute, she was at the Australian Bureau of Statistics for over 2 years where she completed the graduate program and worked in both the Census and Financial Statistics divisions. She completed her Honours in Politics and International Relations in 2021 at the University of Melbourne, where her thesis examined the role of social cohesion in attitudes towards migrants in Australia.
Dr John van Kooy
Senior Manager, Research, Scanlon Foundation Research Institute
Dr John van Kooy is a mixed methods researcher, policy analyst and evaluation practitioner with two decades of experience working across Australia, Southeast Asia and East Africa. His PhD, awarded by Monash University in 2022, focused on the neighbourhood conditions for refugee settlement in Australia. He has held applied research roles with World Vision International, the Brotherhood of St Laurence, AMES Australia, Welcoming Australia, Monash University and the Australian Institute of Family Studies. In his current role as Senior Manager, Social Research, he is responsible for leading strategic research projects drawing on the Scanlon Institute’s data assets, including the Mapping Social Cohesion study.
Rosita Vincent
Co-CEO, Neighbourhood Collective Australia
Rosita is currently CEO of the Neighbourhood Collective Australia and Founder of the Old Church on the Hill – a treasured community centre in the regional town of Bendigo in Victoria. Rosita has over 20 years of experience in regional community development and cross-cultural work and is an expert in resident-led spaces, community resilience, multicultural affairs, emergency preparedness, and regional settlement.
Rosita is a Mexican Australian and migrated with her family to outback NSW in the early 70s. Growing up in a remote community with plenty of challenges Rose knows the strength of resilient communities and the power of belonging.
Anthea Hancocks
CEO, Scanlon Foundation Research Institute
Anthea is the CEO of the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute. She has an extensive background in strategic planning, business development, community service, education, communications, and relationship and services marketing through senior leadership experience in private, ASX listed, government, professional services, academia and not for profit organisations here and in the US. Anthea is Chair of the Monash Migration and Inclusion Centre, a Fellow of Monash University and Member of the Huddle NMFC Advisory Committee and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Dr Mario Peucker
Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow, Institute for Sustainable Industries & Liveable Cities (ISILC)
Victoria University

Mario Peucker is an Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities at Victoria University. He has undertaken collaborative and translational research on radical political movements, community activism as well as inclusion-exclusion dynamics since 2003, both in Europe and Australia. In recent years Mario has worked closely with various grassroots community organisations, multicultural service providers and local government on community engagement, advocacy and anti-racism on the local level.
Farhat Firdous
Director, Story Is Connection
Farhat Firdous is a cross-cultural communication and engagement specialist with experience of sector-wide engagement in Pakistan and regional Victoria. Farhat is a member of the Victorian Anti-Racism Taskforce and a strong advocate for social inclusion and social cohesion. Farhat has established herself as a voice for new and emerging communities in rural Victoria. She is the Co-founder and Chair of Intercultural Exchange Inc., a community-minded organisation that aims to create safe spaces to strengthen sense of belonging. She is a life-long learner with post graduate education in Sociology, Social Work, development studies, and counselling.
Padmini Sebastian OAM
Director, Engagement and Partnerships, University of Melbourne
Padmini’s career spans working in higher education and the creative sector. As a connector
and bridge builder, she is committed to cultivating purposeful and equitable relationships
that enable collaborative actions to make a positive difference to society.
She works with a dynamic team at the University of Melbourne to enable and support place
based civic and community engagement that benefit communities.
Padmini was previously involved in establishing and leading the award-winning Immigration
Museum, an internationally recognised civic and cultural space in Melbourne.
She is a Churchill Fellow and was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for services to
multiculturalism and the community.
Nyima Wangchuk
Research Consultant
Nyima is a Research Consultant at the Social Research Centre, specialising in evaluation and qualitative research. She has contributed to a range of projects addressing social, cultural, and political issues, including refugee resettlement, health, and youth development. She has experience in engaging with vulnerable, marginalised, and migrant communities particularly those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Tamsin Dehar
Senior Research Consultant
Tamsin is a Senior Research Consultant at the Social Research Centre, specialising in qualitative and mixed methods research. With a decade of research experience, she has contributed to diverse projects tackling key social and health policy issues, including refugee resettlement, Indigenous health, public health, mental health, and employment equity. Tamsin’s research experience has involved consulting and engaging with a range of different communities including clinical populations, children and adolescents, older adults, refugees, and Indigenous peoples. She holds a PhD in Organisational Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Clinical Psychology.
WE'RE NOT DONE YET – EVEN MORE INCREDIBLE SPEAKERS TO BE ANNOUNCED
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