2011 | WRED Speakers and Presenters

Sacha
Sachas

SACHA, Sachas

Sacha is a Creator, Philanthropist, Entrepreneur, Writer, Designer, Publisher and a recognised Australian Speaker. In 2008, Sacha founded Sachas, a brand where 50% of profits go to Sachas Foundation.
In 2010, aged 20, Sacha published Teens Big Dreams – a motivational and life skills book that he started writing at 17. Teens Big Dreams has already inspired readers of all ages, is being implemented into school's curricula and is recommended by Lord Mayor of Parramatta, John Chedid.

Sacha is also fast becoming a recognised Australian Speaker. To date he has given Keynote speeches at a University Public Forum, TEDx and an International Honour Society. He has also run workshops for Schools, Universities, an Asia Pacific Conference and organisations such as Microsoft.

In 2011, Sacha launched a Fashion Label, with the introduction of Tees.

To learn more about Sacha, Sachas, Teens Big Dreams and Tees, please visit www.sachas.com

Tessa Henwood-Mitchell
TIA International Aid

TESSA HENWOOD-MITCHELL, Founder of TIA International Aid

Since a young age, Tessa Henwood-Mitchell has been very passionate about aid work, equality and human rights. After finishing school, she volunteered in South Africa and Kenya, which strengthened her resolve to work in the international development sector. In 2008, 21-year-old Tessa went to Bolivia, South America, to volunteer at an orphanage for 4 months with Projects Abroad as part of her degree in Social Work and International Studies at UniSA. After this time, taking note of the lack of funds, resources, and opportunities available to the children she'd been working with, she made the decision to initiate an organisation to raise funds and implement development projects with the Bolivian population.

After returning from this trip in December 2008, Tessa began the process of establishing TIA International Aid, which was officially born in February 2009. TIA International Aid is a small, not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation that aims to improve the futures of underprivileged and disadvantaged children through working directly with families and communities in Bolivia to create sustainable and lasting change.

Now over 2 years later, Tessa is still working extremely hard raising funds to support the numerous development projects TIA is now doing in Bolivia, and is leading a volunteer team of 20+ passionate people who have come on board to achieve TIA's goals, whilst also completing the final 2 years of her double degree.

CHARMAINE CHAI, Insight - University of Adelaide's Global Health Group

An Adelaide local, Charmaine Chai has had a keen interest in public health which mostly stems from her slightly obsessive-compulsive reading of the BBC world news website. Interested in current events in particular, Charmaine found an outlet in which she could get involved when she entered the Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery course at the University of Adelaide in 2008, where she found a group called Insight.

Founded in 2004, Insight has a 1000 strong membership base consisting of medical, dental and allied health students. A committee of approximately 20 passionate students work together to fundraise thousands of dollars each year for projects overseas and assist students in heading overseas for elective placements. The aim is to educate and empower these students in the area of global health.

BRENDA CHAMPION
Womens and Childrens Hospital Foundation

BRENDA CHAMPION, Women's & Children's Hospital Foundation

Brenda is the Communications and PR Manager at the Women's and Children's Hospital Foundation, the official charity arm of the Women's and Children's Hospital.
Its charter is to raise money and invest in initiatives, such as new facilities, the latest medical technology, research and health programs, that support the care and health of women and children in South Australia.

Brenda is responsible for the promotion and increased awareness of the WCH Foundation activities through media and PR channels and to build and manage the important brand of the Foundation.
She was previously in the role of Public Relations and Communications Officer at the Animal Welfare League, and has worked in and around the media for the past 20 years.

Youth Manager, Australian Refugee Association Inc

ARA's mission is to help refugees become settled and participating citizens of Australia. Refugees are people who become displaced through war, civil unrest, persecution for religious or racial reasons, belonging to a particular social or national group or having political opinion. No one wants to become a refugee and leave their country, but refugees have no choice, as they expect to suffer if they return home. ARA has successfully assisted the refugee sector for over 35 years with many former refugees going on to become contributing members of their new communities and are now business and community leaders.

ARA provides assistance to refugees and migrants of similar backgrounds by helping them to settle and fully establish themselves in Australia with independence and dignity. ARA's many services are broadly in the areas of migration, settlement, employment, public education and policy. ARA's vision is a South Australia where refugees are an integral part of a thriving, prosperous community.

MELISSA WESTGATE
Starlight Children's Foundation

MELISSA WESTGATE, Starlight Children's Foundation

Melissa is originally from Canada and also lived in Japan for three years before marrying an Australian and moving to Adelaide in early 2003. Melissa is new to the field of fundraising and comes to the Starlight Children's Foundation from a marketing and sponsorship background in sport. Melissa's role at Starlight is to form new partnerships with corporate partners, individuals and community groups who raise money for Starlight's wonderful range of programs which focus on brightening the lives of seriously ill and hospitalised children and their families throughout South Australia.

HEATHER BERRY


PAT HAYNES
Camp Quality

HEATHER BERRY AND PAT HAYNES, Camp Quality

As the Area Manager since December 2010, Heather manages both the South Australian and Northern Territory Camp Quality Offices with a total of 6 staff. Heather has also been a volunteer for CQ for many years and her son has attended CQ camps. Pat is the Performance and Education Coordinator for Camp Quality SA. Pat and her puppets visit schools across the state educating children about childhood cancer. Camp Quality's vision is to help every child living with cancer in Australia.

CARMEL DUNDON, Trees For Life

Carmel joined Trees For Life as CEO in July 2006 after 12 years in major event management, primarily in the arts sector. Carmel has had a lifelong interest in the environment, in particular in Australian plants and natural landscapes so it has been very fulfilling for her to marry personal interests with her career. Carmel has tertiary qualifications in education, visual arts and management.

Trees For Life is an extraordinary organisation thanks to its 10,000 members and 3,000 volunteers. It was started in 1981 by a group of people who were worried about how much South Australia had been cleared of its natural vegetation cover and how that was causing a decline in plant and animal species.

Trees For Life members take a practical approach to fixing the problem. Each year around a million native plants are grown by members and volunteers in their own backyards to be planted out in the country in autumn. So far they have grown 30 million native plants to revegetate South Australia. Another 700 members have been trained to look after native vegetation that has survived clearing so that they remain places that native animals and plants can survive and thrive. Together they help look after 4,000 hectares of remnant vegetation.

LUCIE REICHSTEIN, Guide Dogs SA.NT

Working in the Business Development Department of Guide Dogs SA.NT, Lucie and the Marketing Team are responsible for raising awareness of the organisation, increasing client numbers and managing the media and advertising. Lucie enjoys working in the disability sector, assisting individual's access services and particularly enjoys having a dog at her desk daily.

DOT TOWLER, Administration & Projects Manager Foodbank South Australia

Foodbank is a non-denominational, charitable organisation which sources donated and surplus food from the food and grocery industry to distribute to welfare and community agencies that provide food assistance to people in need.

Foodbank South Australia is a member of a national group of affiliated Foodbanks which includes operations in New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.