Abdulah Hamimi
Student of Philosophy, & Australasia Outreach Specialist for iERA
Abdulah has contributed long-standing efforts working closely to mobilize large scale collective action between Muslim university student associations all across Victoria. Leading many community initiatives, Abdulah’s dedication lies in educating and equipping his wider community to confidently practice and share Islam with others.
He is the Australasia outreach specialist for iERA and also an executive board member at his local Muslim community organization, Pillars of Guidance Community Centre.
Motivated by challenging existing ideological frameworks, he is committed to uplifting his local and global Muslim community.
Belle Lim
Cancer Researcher & Founder - ChangemakHER
We present Belle Lim, a Gold Medal recipient during her Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences who is currently working on her PhD after receiving a fully-funded scholarship at Monash University.
A human rights activist and cancer researcher, Belle, is the founder of ChangemakHER and conducts her research on the genetic predisposition of breast cancer at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. She is also the inaugural Women's Officer at the Council of International Students Australia (CISA), representing more than 300,000 female students and launching innovative initiatives like the Tea Talk and Future Female Conference to empower women of colour.
Her work at ChangemakHER primarily involves the creation of a networking platform for women who are passionate about social justice and equality. Belle is a dreamer like the rest of us, but she is now doing what she always wanted to do, and this passion is contagious. So, the question she wants to ask everyone, if not now when?
Elisabeth van Roosendael
Creative Ecopreneur
Elisabeth's vision is that of an abundance for people, planet and profit that is connected to individual actions working towards a more sustainable and equitable world. The idea is to align our economies use of materials to be as circular as our environments flow of energy begins with a conscious determination to achieve this for ourselves.
She feels that once we experience the abundant value living a circular life delivers, we will become more than willing and capable of infusing this prosperity into our broader economic, political and social realms that we all have a significant influence upon.
Josh Farr
Founder - Campus Consultancy
Everyone talks about leadership. It is often romanticized, glorified and put on a pedestal. But does anyone truly live up to the real essence of being “a leader”? How are “leaders” made? And, what constitutes “a great leader”?
To answer these questions, Josh Farr abided by the motto if not now when and founded Campus Consultancy in 2017, which proved to be a boon to budding leaders all over Australia. Since then, he has trained and nurtured more than 3000 student leaders from 24 different universities through his empowering workshops specializing in Leadership, Entrepreneurship & Emotional Intelligence.
When he is not teaching leadership, he is supporting early-stage entrepreneurs in Western Melbourne as an Entrepreneur In Residence at StartWest. He is also a lecturer at The University of Melbourne for the Social Enterprise Incubator Masters Degree unit and has previously delivered a TEDx Education Salon talk for TEDxUniMelb.
Lauren Sandeman
Ocean and Climate Change Activist
An ocean and climate change activist, Lauren channels her energies fighting for the betterment of the planet through its essential, yet often neglected, life source: the oceans. As a teenager, she was an elite athlete, bagging a gold medal and witnessing first-hand the pervasiveness of plastic pollution on a global scale. Realizing the urgency of climate change, Sandeman put aside her law degree to pursue Marine Biology at The University of Melbourne to discern the science behind ocean conservation, because the only thought running in her head was if not now, when?
As an Australian representative of the International Youth Action Hub and Co-Founder of The Cosplay Clean Up, she campaigns for the implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and actively crusades to inspire individuals to embrace their inner planet-saving-superheroes.
Mariya Radysh
Citizen Scientist, Inspirational Speaker, Transformational Trainer & Stand Up Comedian
Our next speaker is a multi-talented modern-day Da Vinci and a thought leader in human potential. Among many things, Mariya Radysh is a citizen scientist, inspirational speaker, transformational trainer, stand-up comedian and an artist. She holds nearly a dozen university degrees and qualifications from Europe and Australia became fluent in five languages, built three different careers and two businesses. Mariya is the epitome of if not now, when. She has always been the biggest advocate for personal development and collaboration. And she continuously conducts research so to offer deeper insights into both physiology and psychology behind human behaviour, resilience, adaptability and growth. Mariya leads conversations and teaches in easy to understand formats, how to create a happy life and achieve true potential as an individual and a community.
Melissa Ambrosini
Bestselling Author & Melissa Ambrosini Show Host
At any given time in our lives, each of us wears many hats. But we are convinced that no one carries or owns them better than the prodigious Melissa Ambrosini. Having penned iconic bestsellers such as 'Mastering Your Mean Girl' and 'Open Wide', Melissa has pulled off being a successful CEO, entrepreneur, speaker, wife and step-mother. Also, she is host to the top-rated podcast 'The Melissa Ambrosini Show', which boasts of more than 7 million downloads. With her unique upbeat style, Melissa has the extraordinary ability to uplift and inspire her audience to make long-lasting, meaningful changes in their lives. Melissa believes that change is possible for everyone. She strives to reach the dreamer in every person to inspire them to reclaim their power, live with intention, and move in the direction of their dreams without wasting a single, minuscule moment. Because, if not now, when?
Merjem Colan
Associate Program Manager at Victoria University
Merjem Colan, a final-year student of Commerce (Economics) at Monash Business School. An endeavour close to her heart is working with Muslim youth, which she has been dedicatedly fulfilling by spending countless days at organisations including ICV, ICMG Sareera Youth Australia, and Hume Interfaith Network Youth. Another strong testimony to her passion is her work with the MSA & MUIS. Her long-term goal was to establish a mentorship project for young women who aspire to become leaders in their community and professional workplace. Being a strong believer of if not now when, she took up the role of an Associate Program Manager at Victoria University, Melbourne Australia, allowing her to empower these young women by establishing a mentorship that encourages them to step into underrepresented areas of the corporate world. With undying passion and fervour, Merjem hopes to delve deeper into the academic side of Economics as well as serve the Australian community at large.
Peter Bateman
Freelance Journalist & International Civil Servant
An alumnus of Monash University, Peter believes that stories can change minds, communities and even the world. In 2018, he won the Melbourne Press Club's Student Journalist of the Year Award.
A freelance journalist and international civil servant, he moved to Thailand to pursue an internship at the United Nations secretariat for Asia and the Pacific after graduating from Monash's double master of Journalism and International Relations program.
He has worked all over the world, in Europe, North Africa, North and South America, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. His interest lies in policy development that can bring a positive change to humanitarian crises and disasters.
Peter's goal in life is to serve affected populations throughout the world, wherever they may be because he believes in #ifnotnowwhen. His penchant for doing good for the world we live is something that we can all learn from.
Ross Reekie
Academic Researcher & Consultant
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Shoaib Iqbal
Engineer & Entrepreneur
The ones who are passionate about their dreams always find a way to fulfil them. They are the visionaries that see potential in the world around us, that others cannot. Shoaib Iqbal is one such gifted engineer and entrepreneur, an ardent admirer of space exploration and related startups. Not just an admirer, but also a doer who has founded four startups in the fields of medical technology and alternate energy. His entire life revolves around how the human world uses technology, and how this usage of technology can help solve the problems of the world and usher in an era of positivity. Shoaib has participated in five hackathons in three years and won two of them. However, now, he has his eyes set on the planet we live in and the stars that surround us. Climate change is real; so he is channelled his obsession and passion with outer space to create Saturn Space, a startup developing cost-effective imaging satellites and work as a Payload Engineer at Monash HPR (High Powered Rocketry).
Sivan Kohn
Disaster Manager, Clinical Pharmacologist, Ambulance Medic, Lecturer & Business Owner
Some people just like to dream of change and a select few make that change. If Sivan Kohn was searching for a motto to describe her life "change is the only constant” might work. Born in Israel, she grew up in Australia and the US and worked in five countries over fifteen years. Throughout her career, she has had several ‘true callings’. She holds degrees in Biomedical Science and Public Health Communication and has worked as a Disaster Manager, Clinical Pharmacologist, Ambulance Medic, Lecturer and Business Owner.
Having reached varied highpoints of professional success in different countries, Sivan believes in #ifnotnowwhen and now she has embarked on a path of helping others achieve the same.
She works with global companies, migrants and expats providing advice on how to successfully adapt their overseas accomplishments into a personal brand congruent with the international job market.