Viv Nguyen’s greatest talent is continuing what she started soon after arriving in Australia as a 12-year-old refugee: being a passionate advocate for genuine community engagement and cultural diversity.   

For over 25 years Viv has been a leader in corporate, community and government settings, applying her business knowledge and technical expertise to work with community organisations to advance their social objectives. She held executive roles at AustChoice Financial Services, AMP Asset Management and ANZ Banking Group, where she led their global diversity strategy. She was also President of the Vietnamese Community in Australia Victoria Chapter from 2016 to 2019.   

In 2002, Viv was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll for advocating for women’s leadership and supporting young Vietnamese people. In 2003, she was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal and in 2021 was awarded the Australian Order in the AM division for advancing multicultural Victoria.

Distinguished Professor of Translation and Intercultural Studies at Rovira i Virgili University in Spain; Professor Extraordinary at Stellenbosch University in South Africa; Fellow of the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies from 2010 to 2015; Visiting Researcher at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey from 2008 to 2016; Walter Benjamin Visiting Professor at the University of Vienna in 2015; President of the European Society for Translation Studies from 2010 to 2016.

Costa Vasili, the visionary founder & CEO of Ethnolink, is a recognised global thought leader on multicultural communications and language technology. Costa's impressive qualifications, including a Bachelor of Business degree from Monash University, underpin his strategic vision and leadership at Ethnolink, Australia's largest multicultural communications agency. Costa sits on several prominent boards, advising on translation and multicultural communication strategies.

Since founding Ethnolink in 2011, Costa has spearheaded the company's growth into Australia's largest provider of multicultural communication and translation services, offering services in over 150 languages. Costa has overseen Ethnolink's growth to almost 50 employees, and with strategic expansion plans, the company is set to double its workforce by 2025.

Costa's strategic direction, influenced by his upbringing in diverse communities, coupled with his commitment to removing language barriers, have seen Ethnolink become a trusted provider for government, not-for-profit and corporate clients across Australia. Recognised as a finalist in the 2022 Melbourne Young Entrepreneur Awards, Costa remains a dedicated advocate for multicultural communications, contributing to society through impactful campaigns and meaningful partnerships.

Jess is a Senior Engagement Adviser for the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing. She contributes to the design of complex communication and engagement strategies for the department. This includes reviewing content to ensure it is accessible for diverse audiences and communities.

She is a passionate advocate for migrant, refugee, and asylum seeker communities in Victoria and is a proud second-generation Australian.

Henrietta Podgorska has recently stepped into the CEO role at Umbrella Multicultural Community Care Services Inc., marking a significant milestone in her career dedicated to serving the community.

With over nine years of experience in the aged care sector, Henrietta has built a notable expertise in fostering engagement and improving accessibility within Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) and LGBTIQ+ communities.

Her journey includes impactful work in both government and not-for-profit sectors, where she has been instrumental in enhancing service delivery and support for vulnerable populations.

Anthony Lam is the founder and managing director of Punchy Digital Media – Australia’s leading creative video agency.

With significant experience across government, public and private sectors, Anthony has produced in excess of an astonishing 1200 videos since inception.

Anthony is also a member of Entrepreneurs Organisation Melbourne and APAC Bridge Chapter. He is currently serving on the Melbourne board as Accelerator Chair to give back and help entrepreneurs scale and grow their business. 

Sherry Xu is the co-founder and driving force behind Brand Asia—A Melbourne based marketing agency focus on connecting Australian businesses to consumers in Asia Pacific Region. With over 17 years of experience in marketing, Sherry has achieved remarkable success working with organisations in industries such as hospitality, tourism, international education, real estate, luxury goods, and retail. An entrepreneur at heart, Sherry is passionate about enabling global businesses to expand and connect with consumers in the Asia Pacific region, especially China.

She was previously held the position as Senior Education Manager for Victoria State Government in China and China representative for City of Brisbane.

Sherry’s in-depth understanding and practical knowledge of what resonates with the Chinese consumer is highly valued by corporate clients such as Marriott International, W Hotels Worldwide, The Luxury Collections, Alibaba, UnionPay as well as Australian government agencies and private brands including the Department of Education of the Victoria State Government, Study Adelaide, Study Melbourne, Zoos Victoria, Melbourne Airport, Museums Victoria, and Retail & Luxury brands such as MECCA, Luxury Escapes, Rationale, Life Space, fenton & fenton, Westfield to name a few.

Sherry is passionate about sharing her insights through workshops and corporate trainings. Some of corporate trainings she has conducted:

1. “China Consumer Cultural Understanding and Market key finding” workshop for Merlin Entertainment Group which owns Sydney Wildlife, Sydney and Melbourne Aquarium and Sydney Towers. 
2. “Chinese Tourist Culture Understanding Workshop” for Melbourne Airport 
3. “China Marketing Masterclass” for Destination Melbourne 
4. “China Consumer Behavior” workshop for Hyatt Hotel Groups. 
5. “China Social Media Manual” for Marriott Groups 
6. “Social Media and Celebrity Chef” training workshop for Marriott Groups for executive chefs from Asia Pacific region. 
7. Culture training “Dive into China market” for Chisholm Institute at senior management level. 
8. Guest lecturer for Victoria University to teach “Doing Business in China”. 
9. “Understanding Chinese Tourists” workshop for Museums Victoria

Sherry is also a sought-after speaker and facilitator at business workshops and forums.

Juan Paolo is a passionate advocate for the power of storytelling through media. He has been involved in community broadcasting for almost 20 years, serving in various roles such as producer, broadcaster, and board director within the sector. Juan Paolo currently serves as the President of the National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters’ Council, the peak body for multicultural community media.

Under his leadership, the NEMBC is strategically shifting to develop the next generation of diverse broadcasters, content and partnerships. With an ear for Tagalog, proficiency in Spanish, and somewhat intelligible English, Juan Paolo enjoys learning about and sharing cultural connections.

Ethnolink's Head of Multicultural Communications, Rachael, grew up in Melbourne, speaking English at home. Throughout her schooling, Rachael learnt French, Italian, Spanish and Chinese to varying levels of proficiency – but French was her first love.

With a Masters of Interpreting and Translation, becoming NAATI Certified in French to English translation, Rachael is responsible for tailoring strategic multicultural solutions to be needs of her clients, ensuring that the cultural and linguistic needs of target communities are considered and met.

Michelle is a senior research fellow and program manager of the suicide prevention research unit at Orygen, and the Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne. The suicide prevention team, led by Associate Professor Jo Robinson, are recognised as national and international leaders in youth suicide prevention research. The team conducts research that examines rates and risk factors for suicide and suicidal behaviour, and tests   novel   interventions   that   reflect   the   broad   spectrum   of   suicide   prevention approaches, comprising universal, selective and indicated interventions.

Michelle manages a superstar team of more than 20 early career researchers, and the day-to-day operations of multiple research projects across educational, community, clinical and social media settings. Her strengths are in stakeholder engagement and the translation of research evidence to practice and policy outcomes, having provided evaluation and advice to agencies such as the NSW Department of Education and the Victorian Department of Health, and leading the implementation of real-time social media support campaigns to communities impacted by youth suicide across Australia and New Zealand.

Michelle completed her PhD in social neuroscience at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health at Monash University. Her thesis explored the relationship between social networks and adolescent brain development, utilising tools from social network analysis, behavioural game theory and multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). She has extensive experience in both clinical and applied research, and a particular interest in individual differences that may confer either risk or resilience to various social and mental health outcomes in young people.

Amanda is a research assistant with the youth suicide prevention unit at Orygen, Centre for Youth Mental Health at The University of Melbourne. With a commitment to supporting individual and community wellbeing, she has experience in the development and evaluation of mental health and suicide prevention interventions tailored to diverse demographic groups across all stages of life.

Currently, Amanda supports the #chatsafe program of work; a world-leading initiative aimed at equipping young people aged 12-25, and the adults who support them, with essential mental health knowledge and digital communication skills to safely create and navigate self-harm and suicide-related content on social media.

In 2023, Amanda was a lead researcher on a project to localise and translate the #chatsafe guide for parents and carers for broader international audiences, in consultation with parents, carers and suicide prevention professionals from 15 countries worldwide. Her ongoing work continues to prioritise lived experience and end-user input in the implementation of suicide prevention interventions for young people in Australia and abroad.

With diverse experience across emergency management and health services, as well as commercial and public sector marketing and public relations, Roberto has a long history working shoulder to shoulder with diverse and marginalised communities to empower them to thrive.

As Director Partnerships and Consumer Engagement at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne Roberto’s portfolio responsibilities include oversight and management of various community representative and patient committees and engagement programs, translation and interpreting services, the RCH volunteer program and the historical archives. Born to Italian parents, Roberto has a deep connection and passion for diversity and inclusion.

As the Interpreter Service Manager at the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) Melbourne, Cate Harris plays a pivotal role in ensuring effective communication and engagement between healthcare providers and non-English-speaking patients and their carers and families of the RCH.

With a background in language services and healthcare administration, Cate oversees a dedicated team of interpreters who facilitate accurate and empathetic communication, to enable collaboration amongst clinical teams for better patient, family and staff experiences. Cate’s team also enables connection to patients and families needing the support of AUSLAN and Defy Relay services.

Anni is an experienced project manager with expertise spanning media and law. With over 15 years of experience, she has excelled in roles across digital publishing, event management, fundraising, and experiential marketing, both in Melbourne, Germany and internationally. 

For the past eight years, Anni has dedicated her skills to the Health Translations project, where she is deeply committed to ensuring migrants and refugees have inclusive and equal access to health information.

Blossom has over six years of experience as a NAATI-certified Spanish interpreter and translator, having worked in legal and community health settings. She lived and studied in Colombia before obtaining her NAATI certification and Masters in Interpreting and Translating at RMIT University.

Blossom is passionate about language justice and dedicated to enabling intercultural communication that ensures equitable access to services for a diverse range of clients.