Mr Bill Repard, Executive Chairman of Paydirt Media

Mr Repard has been publisher and proprietor of Paydirt Media since 2001, publishers of the leading resources industry news and investment magazines, Australia's Paydirt and Gold Mining Journal. Paydirt Media also organize six mining and resource conferences in Australia each year, including Africa Down Under (ADU), held in Perth. Mr Repard has served as National Chair of the Australia-Africa Business Council (AABC) since 2000.

Mr Repard was a founding member of the Advisory Group for Australia-Africa Relations (AGAAR). He was also a founding board member of the Australia Africa Mining Industry Group (AAMIG). He served as Honorary Consul for WA for the Republic of South Africa and was a senior executive with News Corporation in London and Australia.

Dr Casta Tungaraza, President African Women's Council of Australia

In addition to being President of the African Women's Council of Australia, Dr Tungaraza is Director of the Australian Institute of Swahili Language and African Culture and a member of the Western Australian Government's Multicultural Advisory Group. She is a recipient of the WA Multicultural Services Award. In 2012 she received the national Living Legend and Most Influential African in Australia Awards. Dr Tungaraza works closely with the African Diaspora in Australia and actively supports the integration, participation and empowerment of African-Australians within Australian society.

Dr Mary Kimani, Director, Super Community Care

Dr Kimani has a PhD in early years' education. She was awarded her PhD degree from James Cook University. Mary's experiences in the education field span over twenty five years and include research, lecturing, classroom teaching and training of in-service and preservice teachers at different levels, both locally and internationally. She worked as a Research Fellow with Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), a Senior Program Manager for early childhood development and Education at Plan International Australia, a curriculum developer with Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and as a lecturer for seven years in Education Department, Daystar University. Mary was born, raised and educated in Kenya and has extensive experience in international development work including research in education in East and South Africa –Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Dr Nadine Shema, Co Founder, Public Relations Director and Health Program Coordinator - Great Lakes Agency for Peace and Development International (GLAPD Int.)

Dr Shema is an overseas trained Medical doctor and a public Health professional.

Nadine co-founded the Great Lakes Agency for Peace and Development Int. in 2012 just one year after she arrived in Australia (2011).

Since then, she devoted herself to the welfare of migrants and refugees from the troubled Great Lakes region of Africa (Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and the D.R. Congo) by promoting peace, harmony and development among those people, both in Australia and internationally through her advocacy and advisory work.

Nadine's main focus has been to empower refugees to work in partnership with one another and with Australians to create positive changes, including intercultural exchanges.

Nadine was finalist for the 2017 Rotary Inspirational Women's Awards.

Henry Olonga, public speaker

The first black cricketer and youngest-ever player to represent Zimbabwe at international level, Olonga represented his country in 80 international matches, taking 126 wickets. Henry Olonga made international headlines in 2003 when, along with Andy Flower, he donned a black armband to protest against the "death of democracy" in Zimbabwe. Mr Olonga fled Zimbabwe and found a new home in England where he was a media pundit, cricket club player and commentator.

Mr Olonga has since settled in Adelaide with his family and works as a public speaker, singer and entertainer. In addition, he acts as an ambassador for a handful of organisations with causes close to his heart.

Ms Santilla Chingaipe, journalist and documentary filmmaker

Ms Santilla Chingaipe is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker.

Ms Chingaipe spent nearly a decade working for SBS World News which saw her report from across Africa and interview some of the continent's most prominent leaders and reported extensively on Australia's diverse African communities. Ms Chingaipe created and hosted the Africa Talks series in partnership with the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne, which explored perceptions about African-Australian identity, representation and politics.

Last year, Ms Chingaipe presented a one-off documentary for SBS, Date My Race. Her latest film, Black As Me, explores the perception of beauty and race in Australia. Ms Chingaipe recently partnered with The Wheeler Centre to create and curate Australia's first all day anti-racism festival, Not Racist, But...

Ms Chingaipe's work explores contemporary migration, cultural identities and politics. She is currently developing several factual and narrative projects including a visual art and documentary project about African migration to Australia pre-federation. Ms Chingaipe writes regularly for The Saturday Paper.

Ms Lisa Sharland, Head of the International Program at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI)

Ms Sharland's research focuses on Australia's engagement in UN peacekeeping operations, UN peace operations reform, women in defence and security, and Australia-Africa engagement. During her time at ASPI she has undertaken field research on UN peace operations in South Sudan and the Central African Republic as part of a visiting fellowship with the Stimson Center in Washington DC, where she remains a non-resident fellow as part of the Protecting Civilians in Conflict program. She has also worked as a consultant for the International Forum for the Challenges of Peace Operations.

Prior to joining ASPI, Lisa worked as the Defence Policy Adviser at the Permanent Mission of Australia to the United Nations in New York, where she provided advice on peacekeeping and defence-related policy issues. Ms Sharland holds a Master of International Studies from the University of Sydney, as well as a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from Macquarie University, Australia.

Mr Marc Innes-Brown, First Assistant Secretary, Middle East and Africa Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Mr Innes-Brown is currently serving as First Assistant Secretary, Middle East and Africa Division. Mr Innes-Brown has most recently served as Australia’s Ambassador to Turkey, and has served as Australia’s Ambassador to Iran, and Ambassador to Iraq. He has held a range of positions in DFAT, including previously as First Assistant Secretary, Middle East and Africa Division, Assistant Secretary, Middle East Branch and Assistant Secretary, Iraq Taskforce.

Mr Innes-Brown holds a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) from the University of Sydney and a Master of Arts (Political Science) from the University of Hawaii.