Theme: Sustainability

Our inaugural Salon focuses on the theme of sustainability and takes place on Thursday 22 September 2016 at a very special location - the top floor of Tower Two, International Towers at Barangaroo, home to a unique sustainable development plan and, of course, a sensational new view of the city.

The lineup includes recycling expert Garth Lamb, who seeks to inspire us to take smarter approaches to recover and reuse materials; 2016 TEDxSydney alumni speaker Clara Vuletich talks more about her work in the sustainable fashion space and how we can engage with ethical fashion; ant ecologist and science communicator, Kirsti Abbott looks at our literal relationship with the little things beneath our feet; and Nij Lal talks about the science of solar, and the future of sunshine. Our program also includes films and music and a chance for us all to get together after the event to discuss, share and inspire.

Tower Two, International Towers
200 Barangaroo Avenue
Barangaroo
Sydney, New South Wales, 2000
Australia

Clara Vuletich

Clara is a designer, researcher, educator and consultant who has worked in the sustainable fashion space in UK and Europe for ten years, and is now based in Sydney, Australia. She was part of the team at the University of the Arts London who designed The TEN, a pioneering sustainable design methodology used by brands including H & M; VF. Corp. and Gucci Group. Clara has recently established a consultancy business that utilises The TEN framework to equip Australian fashion companies with training and insight on sustainable product innovation and strategy. Clara is currently completing a creative research PhD funded by MISTRA Future Fashion in the UK/Sweden. She was a Visiting PhD Fellow at University of Technology Sydney (2012-2014) and has taught sustainable fashion/textiles in higher education in the UK and Australia. Clara is an Advisory Committee Member for advocacy group Fashion Revolution (Australia/New Zealand); and an Associate Researcher with the Textile Environment Design (TED) research group at University of the Arts London (UK).

Dr Kirsti Abbott

Kirsti is an avid ant ecologist and science communicator with a passion for inspiring younger generations to connect with their inner insect lover. She leads the UNE Discovery program at University of New England, where she develops transformative outreach & engagement experiences for students and communities in northern NSW. Kirsti also runs School of Ants, a citizen science project that you can get involved in yourself, helping you to understand the diversity, distribution, and diet of Australian ants in our urban landscapes.

Dr Niraj Lal

Niraj Lal is a Research Fellow at Monash University and the CSIRO working on using nanophotonics for high-efficiency solar cells. In 2012 he graduated as a Gates Scholar with a PhD in physics from the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge. Prior to his PhD, Nij worked as a bicycle courier in Perth, a travelling science presenter to primary school kids across WA, and a long-line tuna boat deckhand out of Coffs Harbour. He was named one of ABC RN's Top 5 Scientists Under 40 for 2016, the ACT Young Tall Poppy of the Year in 2013, has written two children's books about science, and is the founder of noisevssignal.org and theknews.org, which was launched in 2016 at the Falling Walls Lab at the Academy of Science.

Garth Lamb

Garth Lamb was hauled into the waste game as the editor of Inside Waste magazine, before moving to Hyder Consulting where he headed up Australia's leading team of strategic waste advisors. Having worked with all levels of government, and private sector operators, he understands the complexities and challenges around sustainable waste management. He knows we can and must do more to stop trashing our precious natural resources. In 2014 he decided it was time to get his hands dirty and took up a post with Re.Group, an Australian company that specialises in building and operating infrastructure to recover resources from waste – part of the critical infrastructure required in any modern society.