2025 National
Settlement Conference
We Share a Dream
19-21 November 2025
@Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort
Program
Wednesday 19 November
The Settlement & Talent Symposium: Driving Productivity – 11:00am to 5:30pm
11:00am - 12:30pm | Registration and Lunch
Minyama Rooms 1, 2, & 3
12:30pm - 1:15pm | Opening Plenary: Unlocking Global Talent, Driving Local Prosperity
MC:
Maria Dimopoulos AM → CEO, SCOA
Opening Remarks:
Melinda Collinson → CEO, AMES
Video Address:
Hon Andrew Giles MP → Minister for Skills and Training
Keynote 1:
Michael Go → Chair & Non-Executive Director Connecting Global Markets, People & Purpose, Former CEO of Sydney Stock Exchange
Keynote 2:
Amy Low → CEO, The Social Outfit
1:15pm - 2:00pm | Lived Experience Panel: Stories of starting again
Facilitator:
Emeli Paulo → CEO, SoCo Collective
Panel:
Chantal Mousad → Regional Director, APAC
Sam Matti → Director, Tawasul
Antonio Michell → Migrant Physiotherapist & Research Associate, University of Sydney’s School of Public Health
2:00pm – 2:30pm | Networking Break
2:30pm - 4:00pm | Breakout Session 1: From Potential to Productivity: Better Leveraging Migrant and Refugee Skills
Facilitator:
Dane Moores → Head of Strategic Relations, SSI
Panel:
Betty Belay → Head of Strategic Communications, The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia
Tiara De Silva → Advocacy Lead, SSI
Michelle Rae → Assistant General Secretary, Queensland Council of Unions
Antonio Michell → Migrant Physiotherapist & Research Associate, University of Sydney’s School of Public Health
2:30pm - 4:00pm | Breakout Session 2: Masterclass & Employer Panel: Opening Doors to Refugee and Migrant Employment
Facilitator:
Carmen Garcia AM → CEO and Founder, Community Corporate
Panel:
Harriet Pope → Refugee Workforce Inclusion Leader, IKEA Australia
Josh Hanely → Senior Manager, Social Impact Pacific, Accor Group
Suzanne Chileshe → National Talent Acquisition Manager, OTR Group
2:30pm - 4:00pm | Breakout Session 3: Bridging the Gap: Education, Training and Pathways to Work
Facilitator:
Meena Naidu → General Manger Education and Social Participation, AMES
Panel:
Karen Grice → Manager Education Services, TAFE,
Dr. Ali Reza Yunespour → Academic, School of Social and Political Sciences
Yvonne Kelly → CEO, Glow Up Careers
Sonia Di Mezza → CEO, MARSS
2:30pm - 4:00pm | Breakout Session 4: Growing Innovation and Collaboration - An Ecosystem Approach to Economic Participation Pathways for Refugee Entrants
Keynote Speaker:
Huy Truong → CEO, Thrive Refugee Enterprise
Facilitator:
Maria Dimopoulos AM → CEO, SCOA
Panel:
Catherine Boekel → Managing Director Whereto, Ipsos Public Affairs
Sherryl Reddy → EPRI CoP Coordinator, Social Enterprise Australia
Bernie Nott → Director, Strategic Projects, Thrive Refugee Enterprise Ltd
Chloe Elliott-Crenn → Program Manager, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW
Mohammadjavad Davoudianrobati → EPRI Participant
Alex Haynes → CEO, Whittlesea Community Connections
Mulham Georgeos Ghaith → EPRI Participant
Closing Remarks:
Zoe Williams → Assistant Secretary, Settlement Branch, Office for Multicultural Affairs
4:00pm - 4:30pm | Closing Plenary
MC:
Georgia Prattis → Principal, Myriad Global
Closing Remarks:
Maria Dimopoulos AM → CEO, SCOA
Meena Naidu → General Manger Education and Social Participation, AMES
Dane Moores → Head of Strategic Relations, SSI
Carmen Garcia AM → CEO and Founder, Community Corporate
The Pre-conference symposium is a separate ticketed event to the National Settlement Conference.
Pricing and registration available here.
5:00 – 5:30pm | Kabi Kabi Smoking Ceremony
5:30 - 7:30 pm | Welcome Reception and Forum
Facilitator:
Elfa Moraitakis → CEO, SydWest
Speaker:
Antoinette Lattouf → CO-Founder, Ette Media
Thursday 20 November
Conference Day 1 – 7:00am to 11:00pm
8:30am – 9:00am | Kabi Kabi Welcome to Country
9:00am - 10:10am | Opening Plenary - Shaping our Shared Future: Justice, Truth and Reconciliation in Settlement
MC:
Tasneem Chopra OAM
Speakers:
Melissa Monteiro → CEO, CMRC
H.E. Hon Ms Sam Mostyn AC → Governer General, (Video)
Amy Allerton → First Nations Artist
Signing of the Reconciliation Commitment Statement:
Kirstie Parker → Chair, Reconciliation Australia
10:10am - 11:00am | Plenary - We Share a Dream: Journeys, Voices, Futures
Speaker:
Soo-Jin Rhee → UNHCR Representative, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific
Facilitator:
Adama Kamara → Deputy CEO, RCOA
Panel:
Dr. Renee Dixson → Co-Founder, FDPN
Hangama Obaidullah → Founder, Hangama Arts Canberra
11:00am – 11:30am | Networking Break
11:30am - 12.30pm | Breakout Session 1 - Dreaming of Home: Access to Housing
Facilitator:
Kaveh Navaei → Community Programs Lead MultiLink Community Services Inc.
Panel:
Dr. Berhan Ahmed → CEO, Africause Youth & Community Service
Shankar Kasynathan → Human Rights Advocate
Eve Royle Mathews → Housing Lead, Australian Red Cross
11:30am - 12:30pm | Breakout Session 2 - Building Bridges: Exploring Multiculturalism and Social Cohesion
Facilitator:
Mirsia Bunjaku → CEO, AMRC
Panel:
Senator Paul Scarr → Shadow Minister for Immigration, Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs
Peter Doukas → Chair, FECCA
Hang Vo → CEO, Sacred Heart Mission
Emeritus Professor Andrew Jakubowicz → Sociology, University of Technology Sydney
11:30am - 12.30pm | Breakout Session 3 - We Share a Dream of Safety: Ending Family Violence
Keynote:
Hon. Ged Kearney MP → Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence
Presentation:
Chris Majid → Senior Program Facilitator, Communicare
Facilitator:
Dr. Shaymaa Elkadi → Director, Ruqi Consulting
Panel:
Farida Hani → Coordinator Bridge to Belonging, Communicare
Dr. Anyier Yuol → Corporate Partnerships Manager, Australia, UNHCR
Dung Tran → Operations Manager, Immigrant Women’s Support Services
11:30pm - 12.30pm | Breakout Session 4 - From Dreaming to Doing: Regional Futures
Facilitator:
Kwame Selormey → CEO, Melaleuca Australia
Panel:
Aleem Ali → CEO, Welcoming Australia
Sasha Blok → Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies
Nicolette Frost → General Manager, The Neighbourhood Hub
Sharon Daishe → CEO, Mosaic Multicultural Connections
Arfa Sarfaraz → Regional SSD/Diversity Advisor, Gippsland Sectoral Development Team
12:35pm - 1.35pm | Breakout Session 5 - We Share a Dream: Reimagining Settlement in the age of AI
Facilitator:
Kyriakos Gold → CEO, Just Gold
Panel:
Elif Sahin → Educational Designer, National Centre for Cultural Competence, The University of Sydney
Dr. Henry Fraser → Lecturer, QUT Law School, Associated Investigator at the Centre for Automated-Decision Making and Society
Maria Dimopoulos AM → CEO, SCOA
12:35pm - 1.35pm | Breakout Session 6 - Pathways of Hope: Building Safety and Belonging Together
Facilitator:
Carole Pondevie-Lay
Panel:
Paul Power → CEO, RCOA
Lisa Button → CEO, Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia
Sally Baker → Founder & CEO, Refugee Education Australia
Soo-Jin Rhee → UNHCR Representative, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific
Naji Nader → ANZ Program Manager, Talent Beyond Boundaries
12:35pm - 1.35pm | Breakout Session 7 - Reimagining Health Equity through Connection and Care
Presentation:
Lee Yacoumis → NAATI
Facilitator:
Dr. Judy Tang → Director & Clinical Neuropsychologist, Invictus Health AU
Panel:
Mish Kumar-Johnson → Chairperson, Iceberg Foundation
Ruth Das → Partnership and Engagement Lead, Mental Health Australia
Jasmina Bajraktarevic → Community Services Coordinator, STARTTS
12:35pm - 1.35pm | Breakout Session 8 - Multicultural Media: Storytelling for Belonging and Visibility
Facilitator:
Nour Haydar → Host & Senior Producer, Guardian Australia
Panel:
Antuon Issa → Journalist & Digital Media Specialist
Paula Kruger → CEO, Media Diversity Australia
Unjela Kaleem → Executive Director, Orsus Consulting
1:35pm – 2:30pm | Lunch
1.35pm - 2:30pm | Side Session ”The Audacity to be Free”
Hana Assafiri in conversation with Nour Hayder about her memoir “The Audacity to be Free”
2:30pm - 3.30pm | Breakout Session 9 - We Share a Dream: Disability, Rights, Inclusive Futures
Facilitator:
Iga Morzynska → Project and Policy Coordinator, SCOA
Panel:
Grace Edward → Playwright & Creative Producer, JUTE Theatre Company
Margherita Coppolino → Director, Australian Women’s Health Alliance
Sadikshya Dulal → Policy and Project Officer
2:30pm - 3.30pm | Breakout Session 10 - Research that Matters: Evidence, Ethics, and Participation
Facilitator:
Rebecca Power → CEO of Spectrum
Panel:
Dr. Louise Olliff → Senior Policy Advisor, RCOA
Dr. Melissa Phillips → Acting Director, Policy and Research Acting Director, Policy and Research, Whitlam Institute
Professor Fethi Mansouri → UNESCO Chair, Founding Director, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation
Eva Hussain → CEO, Polaron
2:30pm - 3.30pm | Breakout Session 11 - Dreaming Beyond Borders: Sport as Settlement Futures
Facilitators:
Adam Cassidy → Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Australian Sports Commission
Akec Makur Chuot → Former AFLW Player
Panel:
Roman Abasy → Founder, Roman Taekwondo Academy
Rana Hussain → CEO & Founder, Good Human
2:30pm - 3.30pm | Breakout Session 12 - Community Collaborations and Partnerships - Western Sydney Region Settlement Consortium
Fishbowl Session:
Clement Meru → Settlement & Community Services Manager, SydWest Multicultural Services
Priscella Mabor → Head of Innovation & Impact, CMRC
3:30pm – 4:00pm | Networking Break
4:00pm - 5:30pm | Plenary - Equal Dreams, Equal Futures: Gender and Settlement Pathways
Speaker:
Dr. Anna Cody → Sex Discrimination Commissioner
Facilitator:
Malini Raj → CEO, The Australian Multicultural Women’s Alliance
Panel:
Sneha Chatterjee → First Assistant Secretary – Office for Multicultural Affairs
Nesreen Bottriell → CEO Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights
Sandra Elhelw → Director, Community Development, Multicultural NSW
Gulnara Abbasova → Director, Multicultural Centre for Women’s and Family Safety, SSI
Louisa Wall → Former MP and Ambassador for Gender Equality (Pacific)/Tuia Tāngata, New Zealand
7:00pm - 11:00pm | Conference Dinner
Facilitator:
Tasneem Chopra OAM
Speakers:
Craig Foster AM → Former Soccer Player and Human Rights Activist
Mursal Sadat → Assistant Soccer Coach, South Yarra SC
Friday 21 November
Conference Day 2 – 8.30am to 2.30pm
8:30am – 9:00am | Arrival
9:00am - 10:15am | Plenary - What Does the Future of an Inclusive Settlement Sector Look Like?
Facilitator:
Barrie Cassidy → Political Journalist
Panel:
Dr. Gillian Long → CEO Migrant Resource Centre Tasmania
Elizabeth Collett → Global Fellow, Migration Policy Institute
David Hua → Director Audio and Language Content, SBS
Laumanu Puamau → Melbourne Cultural Community Advisory
Violet Roumeliotis AM → CEO, SSI
Paris Aristotle AO → CEO, Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture Inc. (VFST)
Aisya A. Zaharin → Doctorate Researcher, The University of Queensland
10.15am – 10:30am | Networking Break
10:30am - 11:45am | Plenary - Road to Belonging
Facilitator:
Maria Dimopoulos AM → CEO, SCOA
Chair Working Group 1: Farida Hani
Chair Working Group 2: Clement Meru
Chair Working Group 4: Dor Achiek
Chair Working Group 5: Lena Etuk
Chair Working Group 6: Angelica Svensson
11:45am – 12:00pm | Poster Competition Announcements
12:00pm - 1:15pm | Plenary - We Share a Dream: Our Children, Our Future
Facilitator:
Commissioner Sue-Anne Hunter → National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People
Chair Working Group 1:
Princess → Australia Young Ambassador, UNICEF
Vicki Mau → CEO, 54 Reasons
Rana Ebrahimi → National Manager, Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN)
Jatinder Kaur → Director, JK Diversity Consultants
1:15pm – 1:30pm | Conference Close
1:30pm – 2:30pm | Lunch
2025 National Settlement Conference
For any conference related questions please contact us at scoa2025nsc@bkaevents.com.au
2025 National Settlement Conference
For any conference related questions please contact us at scoa2025nsc@bkaevents.com.au