Convene 2025 – Australia’s largest social impact conference – is back for its 11th year! On 17 September in Melbourne, we’re uniting changemakers from across the country to connect, learn and collaborate. Together, we’ll drive the positive change needed to build a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable economy.
Ahead of the conference, we ask some of the exceptional speakers five questions to get a glimpse into their work, their personalities and motivations in finding the good in business.
We kick things off with Paris Brooke, Executive Officer and Co-Founder of The Wilderness Collective, who will join Matt Pfahlert, Co-Founder & CEO of the Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship, in the session “Strength in local communities: The Mallacoota re-build.”
With over 25 years’ experience in strategic communications, investor relations and advocacy, Paris has led ASX-listed companies, run her own communications agency and shaped policy for an industry organisation. Now, she’s using that expertise to transform her community in far east Gippsland through entrepreneurship, innovation and a brand new ‘Innovation and Employment Hub.’
We caught up with Paris ahead of her Convene 2025 session to talk Mallacoota, community resilience and what makes remote towns thrive.
Mallacoota is a hidden coastal village - nestled between sea, lake and bush on the eastern-most tip of Victoria, right near the NSW border.
Explore our stunning beaches, lake and bushwalks. We have an abundance of wildlife—koalas and kangaroos often wander down the main street! Boating, fishing, surfing and bike riding are favourites, but honestly, unplugging and watching the horizon (especially in whale season) is hard to beat.
After the bushfires, it became clear that Mallacoota needed new opportunities beyond tourism to keep our community strong in the long term. We wanted to build something lasting - a space where locals can create, learn, and launch ideas that make our community thrive on our own terms.
We’re a passionate, community-minded group of women across three generations, united by our love for Mallacoota’s future. Each of us brings different strengths, but we share a determination to collaborate and make things happen.
The beauty is unbeatable - both the landscapes and the people. You’re never stuck in traffic, everything is five minutes away, and there’s a real sense of possibility. Every small win feels meaningful, and I love discovering the hidden talents and ideas in our community.
Paris’s story is proof that regional communities can be hubs of innovation and social impact when given the tools, space and support to thrive.
Gain practical strategies, get the latest insights shaping the social enterprise sector, and celebrate the 2025 National Game Changer Award winners.
Convene 2025 is where people from every corner of the sector – across industries, professions and states – come together to network, connect and collaborate. All united by one purpose: doing business together to create more positive impact for communities and the planet.