PAST | WRED Presenters

LINCOLN WOGAN
Resin

LINCOLN WOGAN, Resin - Visual Effects and Animation Studio

2012 Keynote Speaker

Resin is a boutique visual effects and animation studio focussed on the production of high end commercials and feature film visual effects. With expertise in photo-real visual effects including CG automotive, animals and character design we have collaborated with some of the best directors, production companies and agencies both locally, nationally and internationally.

Resin was established in 2004 by Grant Lovering and Lincoln Wogan.

The studio has collaborated with the world's leading agencies and production companies helping produce work for brands including Disney XD, Braun, Electronic Arts, Lennox, Mitsubishi, Bridgestone, Michellin, Yalumba, Jacob's Creek, News Limited, SA Tourism, SA Lotteries, Great Southern Rail and Savings & Loans.

Our feature film credits include Where the Wild Things Are, Rogue, Forbidden Lies and over 130 visual effects shots for the highly awarded Australian film, Red Dog.

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.

HELEN CLARK, Guide Dogs SA.NT

Working in the Business Development Unit at Guide Dogs SA.NT, the primary goal for Helen and the broader Marketing Team is to raise awareness of the organisation through media, advertising and public relations activities, to increase client numbers and help drive revenue. Having come from a journalism background, working in radio, TV and in the political arena, Helen thoroughly enjoys working in the not-for-profit sector and seeing the difference made to people's lives. The fact that there are cute puppies around the office is an added bonus.

DOT TOWLER, 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.

HAYLEY EVERUSS, OzHarvest

Founded in 2004, OzHarvest is a non-denominational charity that rescues excess food which would otherwise be discarded. This excess food is distributed to charities supporting the vulnerable in Sydney, Canberra and recently introduced to Adelaide. Food is generously donated by those with excess. By distributing this food to various charities, OzHarvest assist them to better and more efficiently address the underlying social problems in our society. With this support charities are able to redirect funding to programs assisting those who are disadvantaged or at risk. In SA OzHarvest is being established through Uniting Care Wesley Port Adelaide as part of their Emergency Assistance package of services. Anne is currently working towards attracting enough funding to begin operations in Adelaide.

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.

Sacha
Sachas

SACHA, Sachas

2011 Keynote Speaker

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.

NIKKI LOVELL,
One Village

Nikki Lovell, One Village

2010 Keynote Speaker

As part of WRED 2010 we were pleased to announce Keynote Speaker; Nikki Lovell from One Village, a registered charity organisation set up in 2007.

In 2005 Nikki visited a rural village called Namwendwa in Uganda. The village had become her home and the people her family. After returning home to Adelaide to begin her tertiary education, she realised that she could not live without, nor leave behind the people of Namwendwa. After a call from one of her friends telling her that the nursery school had been destroyed by termites Nikki felt compelled to help. Nikki then set out to raise funds to help erect a new school building. She then realised that her passion was to help the people of Namwendwa.

EMMA YENGI,
KADI Australia

Emma Yengi, KADI AUSTRALIA

With a background in Veterinary nursing and Australian wildlife work and a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from Adelaide Uni, Emma works as Assistant Curator of Primates at Adelaide Zoo. Emma is well travelled particularly in Africa and upon returning from one extended trip in 1996 met Sudanese born Ben Yengi. Emma embraced Ben’s Sudanese and multicultural world and they married and had two boys Kusini and Tete.

When peace came to South Sudan in 2005 they set about founding the NGO, KADIAUSTRALIA concerned with the rebuilding of Kajo Keji, South Sudan after the devastation of more than 20 yrs of civil war. With her interest and experience in primates and the environment and her strong connection with Sudanese people, Emma is heavily involved in coordinating KADI projects including the establishment of a Chimpanzee sanctuary as well as humanitarian, education and health projects.

At present Ben resides on the ground in South Sudan and Emma and the boys travel between the two worlds, South Sudan and South Australia, fundraising and assisting with projects.

DANIELLE BAYARD, HUTT STREET CENTRE

Danielle has been working as the centres PR and Fundraising Manager for the past 5½ years. She has a Diploma in Arts-Disability Studies and a Masters Degree in Primary Health Care. The Centre is a frontline agency for homeless and vulnerable people. Their vision is for a society where everyone is respected and encouraged to reach and sustain their full potential in a healthy, safe and inclusive community.

APRIL LING, Hopes&Dreams Foundation

After travelling to Rwanda and seeing first hand the dire need of people living in the developing world, the decision was made to create a foundation that’s sole purpose was to bring a hope to those who were living in hopelessness, to create a foundation to make a change and to give everyone the chance of Hope and a Dream.

ANNE RHODES, OzHarvest

Founded in 2004, OzHarvest is a non-denominational charity that rescues excess food which would otherwise be discarded. This excess food is distributed to charities supporting the vulnerable in Sydney, Canberra and recently introduced to Adelaide. Food is generously donated by those with excess. By distributing this food to various charities, OzHarvest assist them to better and more efficiently address the underlying social problems in our society. With this support charities are able to redirect funding to programs assisting those who are disadvantaged or at risk. In SA OzHarvest is being established through Uniting Care Wesley Port Adelaide as part of their Emergency Assistance package of services. Anne is currently working towards attracting enough funding to begin operations in Adelaide.

Brenda Champion,
Animal Welfare League

BRENDA CHAMPION, Animal Welfare League

Brenda Champion has been in the role of Public Relations and Communications Officer at the Animal Welfare League SA (AWLSA) since March 2009.
The AWLSA is South Australia’s largest shelter for lost and abandoned companion animals, caring for in excess of 20,000 dogs and cats each year.
The AWLSA Vision is to become a leading animal welfare and care facility recognised nationally for the provision and development of services for animals in need.
Brenda comes to the AWLSA with a strong background in media, promotions and the not-for-profit sector, and thrives on creating new opportunities to promote the AWLSA’s vital role in the community and promote the positive aspect of companion animal ownership.

KIRSTY WITHERS,
Starlight Children’s
Foundation Australia

KIRSTY WITHERS, Starlight Children’s Foundation Australia

After completing University Kirsty took up a position with Rural Press working within the Studstock Advertising Department. A few years later she set off to travel London where she was fortunate to find work as an Events Coordinator which enabled her access to Buckingham Palace, where they managed high tea in the royal gardens. On return to Adelaide Kirsty worked at the Adelaide Festival Centre for 6 years. Now working at the Starlight Children’s Foundation her role is to source corporate and community funding to support their distractive therapy programs for seriously ill children across Australia. Starlight is able to give children a reason to smile and laugh when they need it the most. This helps them overcome the boredom of hospital or the isolation that living with a serious illness can bring. Starlight is a wonderful organisation and one that Kirsty is very proud of being part of.

TAMMY-JO SUTTON, The Wilderness Society

Tammy-Jo has been employed since 2002 for The Wilderness Society (SA) and is currently the Community Outreach Coordinator. She is studying part time a Bachelor of Arts at Flinders University. In 2007 she completed a scholarship specialising in volunteer coordination. She is an ambassador for the University and a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society. Tammy-Jo has a long colourful history with the Environment Movement having been employed by Greenpeace Australia as an Actions Assistant and worked closely with national and international environmental youth groups where she has been a mentor and leader. She was awarded the Nippy Environment Young Achiever of the Year Award for her dedication to environmental sustainability in 2007, and believes that making a difference is possible.

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.

NATALIE MARTIN-LOAT, Surf Life Saving SA

Natalie completed her BA Hons in Communication Studies in England and then went straight into a fundraising career working for a local Hospital Trust, after travelling the world for a year she then headed back to the UK and became Regional Manager for Make-A-Wish Foundation. After immigrating to Australia in 2009 Natalie continued her Fundraising career and is now Fundraising Manager for Surf Life Saving SA, the emergency services charity that saves lives on beaches.