Program

Registration

Welcome

David Brookes – Managing Director, Social Traders

Official Opening & Remarks

Hon. Martin Pakula – Minister for Jobs, Innovation & Trade, Victorian Government

Keynote

The State of Social Enterprise in Australia, Canada & Beyond

In his capacity as Board Member, Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) and Managing Partner, Buy Social Canada, David LePage will discuss the progress of the sector across four pillars, how that has and continues to play out across Canada and Europe.
Matt Pfahlert, CEO of Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship (ACRE) will discuss the progress of the social enterprise sector in Australia over the last decade.
There will be opportunity for Questions from the audience in this session

David LePage – Managing Partner, Buy Social Canada
Matt Pfahlert – CEO, Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship

Sector Debate

Social enterprises will emerge from the edges into the mainstream – it’s debatable

A lively debate between practitioners and academics as we look at the case for the Affirmative and that for the Negative.

Featuring, for the Affirmative [in no particular order]

• Alex Hannant – Co-director, Yunus Centre for Social Business, Griffiths University
• Sabrina Chakori – Founder, Brisbane Tool Library
• Sally Quinn – Co-founder & Executive Director, Green Collect

Featuring, for the Negative [in no particular order]

• Carolyn Curtis – CEO, The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI)
• Rob Pekin, – Founding Director, Food Connect

Break

Morning Tea

Breakout: Pick a Session

Opportunities & Challenges in Rural & Regional Australia 

There will be opportunities to ask questions during the session. 

Matt Pfahlert – CEO, Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship

Social Enterprise Certification – the Good, the Bad & the Ugly 

This session will explore the progress of the sector, the role of certification, and why we believe it’s time has come. Nina will highlight the inherent challenges in certifying a diverse sector and how ST has evolved its certification to cater for the spread, while maintaining the brand social enterprise.

There will be opportunities to ask questions during the session.

Nina Yousefpour – Manager, Social Impact & Standards, Social Traders

Marketing Your Enterprise  

Hosted and facilitated by Tom Allen of Impact Boom, this panel-style session will showcase three leading social enterprises. Each enterprise will discuss how they approach marketing as a social enterprise, their successes and challenges.

There will be opportunities to ask questions during the session.

Tom Allen – Founder & CEO, Impact Boom
Cinnamon Evans – CEO, CERES

Business Tools for Social Enterprise 

Social Enterprise Bingo 

It’s easy to get through the day without meeting anyone new. We have a solution for that dilemma.
Join us for a game of social enterprise bingo – you’ll be surprised who you may meet!

Brett DeHoedt – MC

Break

Return to Auditorium

Plenary

Access to Capital: Getting the Funds Your Enterprise Needs From Birth to Maturity

Alastair McGibbon, CEO, Social Enterprise Finance Australia (SEFA) will host a panel to discuss the paths to access capital, specifically from a range of intermediaries.

Panelists:

• Tom Dawkins – CEO & Co-founder, Start Some Good
• Sally McCutchan – CEO & Executive Director, Impact Investing Australia

Break

Lunch

Breakout: Pick a Session

Start up Support 

Libby Ward-Christie – Director, Swinburne Social Startup Studio
Kate Saporta – Manager, Swinburne Social Startup Studio

Making the shift to a B2B market 

Steve Betinsky – Director, Social Enterprises, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC)
Katie Wyatt – Co-director, Wake by Reach

Pitching Support   

Hosted and facilitated by Tom Allen, Impact Boom, this session will demystify what makes a good pitch.  Watch live pitches in front of an impressive panel who eats pitches for breakfast.

Luke Terry – Founder & Managing Director, Vanguard Laundry Services
Alex Oppes – Director, Impact Investing, Social Ventures Australia
Belinda Morrissey – CEO, English Family Foundation

Impact Measurement 

Kevin Robbie – Director, Think Impact

Social Enterprise Bingo 

It’s easy to get through the day without meeting anyone new. We have a solution for that dilemma.
Join us for a game of social enterprise bingo – you’ll be surprised who you may meet!

Brett DeHoedt – MC

Break

Afternoon Tea

Plenary

Social Enterprise: Uncut & Uncensored

We see the headlines and read all about the success stories.  However, the road to build, sustain and grow a social enterprise is far from smooth.  Generating impact takes hard work – and often with a twist and turn along the way. 

Come hear the real story – UNCUT & UNCENSORED from our panel of social enterprise practitioners 

• Mark McKenzie-McHarg – Executive Director, Mt Buffalo Community Enterprise 
• Amy Orange – Founding Director, Harvest Fair 
• Chris Ennis – Founder & General Manager, CERES Fair Food 

Closing Remarks

David Brookes – Managing Director, Social Traders

Networking Drinks