Isabel Zhang is a nationally and internationally recognised expert with more than two decades of experience in social and commercial research, insights, and strategy across the Asia‑Pacific region. A skilled communicator, advocate, and facilitator, Isabel is driven by a deep commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion across social, business, and policy contexts.

Throughout her career, Isabel has bridged multicultural communities with public, government, and commercial sectors through social and policy research, community education, and consulting. She is a sought‑after panellist for platforms including SBS and ABC International, and serves on the Advisory Board of St Vincent’s Private Hospital, as a Goodwill Ambassador for the Museum of Chinese Australian History, and as Vice President of the Australia China Business Council Victoria.

Niharika Hiremath OAM is a South‑Indian mental wellbeing peer practitioner and intersectionality advocate living on Boonwurung Country. A lived‑experience mental health advocate, AASW‑certified social worker, and systems thinker, she works to bridge systemic gaps affecting refugee and migrant‑background communities across the wellbeing sector.

Niharika contributes to service delivery, clinical and quality governance, and organisational change initiatives. She serves on the headspace National Advisory Board, the Refugee and Migrant Mental Health Partnership, and leads projects with South Eastern Melbourne PHN. As co‑chair of AIDMH’s Solis professional and peer arm, she champions narrative approaches, agency, and culturally responsive systems.

Karen Leong is known for delivering outcomes in a human‑centred way. She is a pragmatic leader who builds high‑performing, engaged teams aligned with business strategy, driving product excellence, growth, and customer connection through empathy and inclusion.

Karen has led projects that rapidly delivered market‑leading products, multi‑million‑dollar revenues, and strong brand loyalty. Drawing on expertise in User Experience (UX) and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), she supports organisations across eCommerce, banking, telecommunications, retail, and government to become more creative, inclusive, and impactful.

Margherita Coppolino is a lesbian elder with disability from a CALD background, bringing over four decades of activism, advocacy, and professional experience. She is deeply respected for her intersectional leadership across disability, LGBTIQ+, multicultural, and women’s rights movements locally and internationally.

Margherita is Co‑Chairperson of ILGA Oceania, a board member of ILGA World, and a member of the Victorian Government LGBTIQ+ Taskforce. She is Deputy President of Drummond Street Services and a founding member of Inclusive Rainbow Voices, advancing visibility, policy reform, and systemic inclusion for LGBTIQA+ people with disability.

Maria has served on the federal Access and Equity Inquiry Panel, chaired the Harmony Alliance, and contributed to national violence prevention strategies, including the first National Plan to End Violence Against Women and their Children. She is widely published, co‑authored Blood on Whose Hands?, and holds board roles across justice, reconciliation, multicultural, and judicial institutions.

Marshie Perera Rajakumar is an engineer with over twenty years’ experience applying science and systems thinking to strengthen community wellbeing. She is a strong advocate for inclusion and diversity, working through an intersectional lens to foster more connected and sustainable communities.

Marshie served on the South Asian Communities Ministerial Advisory Council and was a Board Director of the Austral‑Asian Centre for Human Rights and Health, where she contributed to family violence prevention and mental health initiatives. She also founded a dance school, using creative expression as a powerful platform for advocacy and social change.

Narissa Doumani is a Thai‑Lebanese Australian engagement professional and advocate for compassionate inclusivity in the mental health sector. Her work sits at the intersection of lived experience, culture, wellbeing, and faith, with a strong focus on community‑led approaches.

Narissa has developed capacity‑building and wellbeing initiatives for migrant and refugee communities, particularly in suicide prevention and destigmatisation. Through community, stakeholder, and lived experience engagement, she ensures diverse voices meaningfully influence culturally safe, responsive, and strengths‑based mental health approaches.

A/Professor Harry Minas is an eminent psychiatrist and global authority in multicultural and global mental health. His work focuses on mental health systems, equity, human rights, and suicide prevention, particularly among immigrant and refugee communities.

Harry has led extensive post‑conflict and post‑disaster work across the Western Balkans, Timor‑Leste, Aceh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Indonesia. A prolific editor and author, he has shaped international mental health scholarship and policy through landmark publications on global and regional mental health systems.

Jo Szczepańska is a designer, researcher, and co‑design advocate working with communities to translate research into meaningful plans, products, and services. A queer refugee, she brings deep commitment to participation, access, and lived‑experience‑led change.

Jo is Manager of Service Development and Innovation at Health Voices Victoria within Deakin’s Institute for Health Transformation. She has led award‑winning inclusive design projects recognised by INDEX, Good Design, and Premier’s Design Awards, holds a Master of Social Design, and lectures in co‑creation and evaluation.

Candice Peart is a public health professional who leads and supports collaborative initiatives focused on health equity and system improvement. She is known for her strengths in research, engagement, and communication, and for working across diverse community settings.

Candice is Project Lead for A‑Part of the Crowd, a national Australian research project examining loneliness and mental health during life transitions for people aged 18–25. She holds a Master of Public Health and brings a connection‑first, values‑driven approach to collaborative change.