Founded by Catia in 2015, the Social Good Summit Australia invites change makers from around the nation to come together in Sydney as part of a global effort to drive social change relating to the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals with the sole aim of creating a better world by 2030.
“Female empowerment is a major theme being highlighted at this year’s summit and we have some amazing women among our speakers,” said Catia, who completed WOB’s Next Generation of Corporate Female Leaders program in 2014.
These include Manal al-Sharif, who paved the way for women to drive in her home country of Saudi Arabia and launched the #Women2Drive initiative and NSW Australian of the Year 2022, Professor Veena Sahajwalla - Founding Director of UNSW Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre.
They will be joined at the 5 March event at NIDA by Commissioner of Resilience and NSW Australian of the Year, Former New South Wales Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons OA as well as Nasir Sobhani aka The Streets Barber and Guy Brent, MD Food and Metro at Woolworths.
“It's going to be a day full of good energy and inspiration,” said WOBSX alumni Catia, is a long-time WOB member and credits Women on Boards with giving her the skills and confidence to set up Good Summit Australia seven years ago.
As a way of ‘paying it forward’ to other women, Catia is offering a 2-for-1 ticket offer to WOB members.
“I completed the Next Generation Women Leaders course back in 2014 and I was inspired by the idea of using those leadership skills to make the world a better place. So after the program, I ended up going to New York to connect with the UN Foundation and launch the first Social Good Summit Australia in 2015.
“WOB is partly responsible for me entering this adventure seven years ago, so I would be delighted to offer the deal to the WOB network until the day of the Summit on 5 March.”
About the Social Good Summit Australia
The Social Good Summit has been held annually in New York since 2010 to provide an opportunity for members of the public to engage in dialogue on the key social issues of our time, in parallel to the debate occurring at the UN General Assembly. The aim is to expand and broaden the debate to the general public. Speakers at previous summits have included Al Gore, Melinda Gates, Jacinta Ardern and Malala Yousafzai.
In 2015, with the support of the UN Foundation, Australia held its first Social Good Summit to bring an Australian voice to the implementation of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Speakers came from private enterprises, social enterprises, not- for-profits, media and government agencies.
This year’s Summit will be held at NIDA in Kensington from 10am-4pm. Tickets are available from: https://socialgoodsummit.com.au
To access the special Women on Boards 2-for-1 ticket offer, enter the code WOB at the checkout.
About the speakers
Shane Fitzsimmons AO. Shane came to prominence during the 2019/20 bushfire season, when he showed exemplary leadership and an empathetic presence as the NSW Fire Commissioner. He has continued to inspire countless others through his new role at Resilience NSW, an agency that provides social, economic as well as emergency support to communities in crisis.
Manal al-Sharif. In 2011, Manal paved the way for women to drive in her home country of Saudi Arabia and started the #Women2Drive initiative encouraging Saudi women to speak up against their country’s driving ban on women. Recently listed as one of Forbes Top 50 Women in Tech, Manal is the founder of The Ethical Technologists Society, an NGO that advocates for ethical tech principles in the workplace.
Professor Veena Sahajwalla. Veena is the Founding Director, UNSW Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre and NSW Australian of the Year 2022. Professor Sahajwalla is one of the world’s leading innovators in the field of sustainable materials use, especially as it relates to carbon, and an international award-winning scientist and engineer.
Nasir Sobhani. Nasir, also known as ‘The Streets’ Barber,’ offers free haircuts and shaves to Melbourne’s homeless and less fortunate. Nasir was also one of the five people profiled as part of the Kenneth Cole Courageous Class Campaign in New York, celebrating people who have overcome obstacles in life to become inspiring role models.
Simon Moss. Simon is a Co-Founder of Global Citizen, and is currently the Managing Director of Campaigns. An Australian living in New York, has been campaigning on global issues for more than a decade, and writes and speaks regularly on the role of global citizens in ending extreme poverty.
Jack Berne. Thirteen-year-old Jack is the Founder of the charity A Fiver for a Farmer that he started when he was 10. Jack aimed to raise $20,000 to help drought-stricken farmers his project has since raised $1.8 million. He now hosts a podcast called One Small Act celebrating children from across the world who have started a movement with just 'one small act'.
Marcello Bonatto. Marcello is co-founder and co-CEO at Re:Coded, where he leads strategy, impact and growth. Marcello’s deep curiosity about leadership and innovation in the social sector have led him to work with a variety of organisations, from government to social enterprises, with a focus on education. Prior to Re:Coded, Marcello worked on human rights and peacebuilding programs in Myanmar, Bosnia, Colombia, and West Africa.
Stephen Johnston. Co-founder of Aging 2.0, a global innovation platform with 125 city chapters in 27 countries addressing the ‘grand challenges’ in ageing.