Jo Hardy

Jo is General Manager at Arthur Street, where she helps organisations use strategy, communications and digital marketing to create meaningful impact. With almost 20 years’ experience across communications, operations, strategy and business leadership, Jo brings expertise in helping purpose-led organisations strengthen their storytelling, build capability and connect with communities.

Jo is passionate about the role business and marketing can play in creating positive change. She has worked across the not-for-profit, social impact and agency sectors, supporting organisations to translate complex ideas into clear, engaging and human-centred communications.

Based in Geelong, Jo is also a board member of Kids+ Foundation and is committed to supporting initiatives that improve community wellbeing, equity and access to opportunity.

Michelle Brownstein

Michelle Brownstein is a strategic leader with over 20 years' experience driving income growth, partnership development and organisational impact across the not-for-profit sector, having grown major donor income portfolios and secured significant new grant revenue through her work with national and international organisations.

She currently leads partnerships and revenue diversification at Farm My School, connecting food systems, education and community health, while also working as an independent consultant supporting purpose-driven organisations with funding strategy and income diversification, alongside running her own clinical nutrition practice.

Holding a Bachelor of Health Science (Nutritional Medicine) and a Bachelor of International Business, Michelle brings a rare combination of food systems expertise, clinical health knowledge and commercial acumen, underpinned by a deep commitment to systemic change in public health and community wellbeing.

Adele Parris

Adele is an experienced public health professional with almost 10 years of experience across local government, community health and academia. She specialises in health promotion, food systems, health equity, policy development and systems change, with a strong track record of designing and delivering evidence-based initiatives that improve community health outcomes.

Throughout her career, Adele has led diverse public health programs focused on strengthening communities and addressing health inequities. At Hume City Council, she played a key leadership role in the COVID-19 pandemic response, managing multidisciplinary teams and working alongside government agencies, healthcare providers and community organisations to improve health literacy, increase access to testing and vaccination, and support culturally diverse communities through recovery initiatives. She also contributed to the development of Hume's Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan and led research and evaluation projects that informed strategic decision-making.

In her current role as Health Projects Coordinator at the City of Melbourne, Adele leads strategic health promotion initiatives focused on food security, food literacy and equitable access to healthy food. She has contributed to the development of Melbourne's Food City 2024–34 strategy and is recognised for building strong cross-sector partnerships that translate evidence into practical action. She represented the City of Melbourne and Australia at the Partnerships for Healthy Cities Summit in Rio de Janeiro for her scoping project on unhealthy product advertising in major transportation hubs across the municipality.

Adele is also a Casual Academic at La Trobe University, teaching in both the public health and health promotion degrees. She is passionate about advancing health equity through collaborative leadership, community engagement and sustainable systems change, with a particular interest in creating healthier, more equitable food systems for Victorian communities.