Centre for Sustainability Leadership

Andrea Pape

Drive: I’m inspired by the idea that we can live in stable, connected and healthy communities that mimic natural systems and repair the environment around us. This drives me in my work with government and in my love of permaculture.

Vision: I’d like to see community become more connected and empowered to create change. Self- sufficient neighbourhoods would become more lush, productive and human. In my vision, we’re all buying less ‘stuff’, becoming more resourceful and less wasteful. We’ll have more time for creativity, innovation and compassion.

Achievements: Through the Fellowship Program I am more confident with decision making, clearer on my goals, and better able to see how my skills can contribute to the creation of a more sustainable world. I have also connected to an amazing and growing network of like-minded people, all striving to make a difference.

Anna Cullinane

Drive: I want to help make a difference, to make sure that our wonderful world is still alive and vibrant for our children and their children and so on.

Vision: My vision is to see resurgence in community. A slowing down in the hustle and bustle, will allow time to appreciate and enjoy the natural world. I am beginning my sustainability journey and excited by the opportunities that lie ahead. With two beautiful children I want to make sure that what I am doing is making a difference. I joined the board of Good Environmental Choice Australia and am enjoying this work immensely.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has allowed me to develop skills and leadership tools and hear stories from inspiring people. It has at times been intense and challenging, allowing me to both confront and consolidate my sustainability vision.

Annabelle Fitzherbert

Drive: I am driven by the concept of ‘Creative Destruction’ – living life to unlock the mysteries of the complex adaptive system that we not only live in but are part of, rather than trying to solve each part of the puzzle separately as objective observers. We are part of the system, the system is part of us.

Vision: I want Gaia, the living, self-regulating complex system we call earth, to become a board member with veto rights in any decision making process about our future, be it at a government, business or individual level.

Achievements: CSL has helped me build on my strengths and organize my knowledge coherently, and in so doing, influence the sustainability exchanges I have with others.

Anthony Ogilvie

Drive: My motivation to keep trying to create change is summed up in a quote I found on a sugar packet; ‘I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something.’ On the packet it stopped there, but the rest of the quote is ‘And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.’ That sums up my philosophy.

Vision: I dream of a day when people are conscious of the impacts of the 1001 decisions they currently make every day without thinking. That consciousness then becomes knowledge that informs the choices they make.

Achievements: The most important thing the Fellowship Program has given me is the knowledge that I am playing an active part in something that will transform the way our society operates. Being a part of history is tremendously empowering and humbling at the same time.

Ben Ward

Drive: I’m driven by love, fear, ego and self-preservation. My physical, social, cultural and spiritual health, and that of my friends, family, loved-ones and neighbours near and far, depends on the development of an ethical, equitable and sustainable world for all, forever. If we don’t work together to create that world we’re all screwed.

Vision: I want to live in a non-toxic world. A world where we have finally shifted into a mode of conscious, compassionate relating – to the planet and each other – that is aware of all the connections and interactions of things, people and place.

Achievements: The greatest gift, of many, to come from the Fellowship Program is the bond that has been created with my fellow CSL alumni. There has been a strength of genuine friendship, love and respect that I will draw on for the rest of my life.

Daisy Correa

Drive: I am driven by the firm belief that we are capable of solving the world’s biggest problems, and that this will be achieved if we all pull together.

Vision: I see a world where we return to the basics and re-examine what’s important and what matters. My vision is of a world where we reconnect, where we value relationships and connection above superficialities driven by extrinsic values such as power and status.

Achievements: I have expanded my thinking by working with people from a broad range of industries. This has increased the sphere within which I operate – the key theme being ‘think big’. The fellowship has been inspiring as I connect with all those undertaking a similar journey.

Emma Wasson

Drive: I’m driven by an intrinsic desire to live a compassionate life in service of nature and a healthy society. My key philosophy is ‘be the change you want to see’. Sustainability to me involves respecting life in the form of human, animal and nature-based relationships so it can be resilient, enduring and healthy.

Vision: My vision is to see society living within the means of nature, and our decision-making processes founded on the principles of ecological sustainability. This must become the norm and considered truly in all that we do.

Achievements: Some critical thinking in 2011 about my sustainability leadership journey has exposed me to some great role models and new ways of thinking and developing in myself. I have established networks and built a community of supportive people. I have further refined my niche, authenticity and strengthened my commitment to sustainability.

Frances Myles

Drive: I’m driven by a belief that with compassion, respect and equality we can live in a better way. Somehow, through indifference or distraction, the knowledge that the survival of our species is connected to the environment has been forgotten. We have made giant scientific and technological advancements, yet we continue to pollute our air, and allow millions of people on the planet go to bed hungry every night.

Vision: To enable us to develop to our full potential we must demand respect nature and equality for each other. I am working towards a future where we respect ourselves, each other, and nature. A future built on equality, and empowerment of every individual to be part of shaping our world.

Achievements: One of the most valuable things about the Fellowship Program has been the networks, and the connection to an inspiring mentor.

Gina Lopez

Drive: As a society and community, I would like to see more people understand the power of their personal choices. This concept drives me to create change by deepening this understanding and empowering people to make a considered and sustainable choices.

Vision: My vision of a sustainable future is one that acknowledges the power of choice, where we can see our impacts and can make decisions that allow us to create a better world. I want to see people connected to the earth and each other, I want to see recognition of the rights of all inhabits of this small planet.

Achievements: CSL was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life! I learnt so much about myself, what I want from life and how I can create my own future and make a difference. I don’t feel like I am fighting anymore, I feel empowered and focused.

Jenny Halldorsson

Drive: My delight in the incredible beauty of life and nature moves me to dedicate my energy to making a positive difference in the world. I’m inspired to cultivate communities with thriving people, plentiful food and abundant happiness.

Vision: I dream of a future where humanity lives within the planet’s means, with equality for all; where ecosystems flourish and vibrant cultural richness abounds; where people thrive through their connection to community and themselves.

Achievements: My heart has led me to make big changes this year – becoming a yoga teacher, studying permaculture and changing my career. The Fellowship Program has been integral in this process, helping to develop my sustainability vision and leadership skills while reiterating my core values. I’ve been empowered to act – with passion and courage; with an expanded mind, and an open heart. The friendships and connections made through CSL will continue to nurture me throughout my sustainability journey.

Jeremy Mah

Drive: At an early age I developed a love for nature and its beauty, along with a deep concern for its future. I am driven to know the ‘why’ behind human actions, in order to build systems that support enriched and sustainable lives.

Vision: My vision is for a world where humanity lives in harmony with nature and where real quality of life is shared by all. On a daily basis I see evidence that the ‘impossible’ change required to achieve this vision is possible, and that we are both responsible for and capable of enabling that change.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program supported me on my own journey of reflection and in learning what it takes to be a ‘deep’ sustainability leader. I now know that the future truly is what we make it and have embarked on building The Centre for the New Australian Dream.

Lisa Dew

Drive: I feel an overwhelming responsibility to deepen my understanding of environmental issues so that I may become more effective and make a more meaningful contribution to our collective sustainable future through architectural practice and education.

Vision: Recently I had the unique opportunity to see my vision for the future in action. I was fortunate enough to teach 30 primary school children in the Eco-cubby program about the value of our environment and how we can make a positive impact if we understand how to design responsively. They all ‘got it’ better than the grown ups.

Achievements: CSL has helped me to become a more creative team leader, initiator and developer of sustainable projects. I think the Fellowship Program has given me the opportunity to develop more effective leadership and mentoring skills to make change, whilst providing the support and access to a network of like-minded individuals who are also interested in changing the future.

Lachlan Feggans

Drive: I believe everyone wants to live a prosperous life and participate in society in a meaningful way without adversely impacting on our natural resources. My personal drive for positive change arises from communicating the balance between the limits of natural capital and what it really means to live a prosperous and fulfilling life.

Vision: A deep understanding of what really matters personally will help people live more sustainably. I have a vision for the future of altruistic transactions between neighbours, friends, businesses and government where profits are reinvested within society and natural capital is grown not depleted.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has helped me to frame and communicate a shared future. It has challenged me personally to define what I really want and shown how I can help others to realise their needs within the ecological limits of the earth.

JP Williamson

Drive: When we care for what is around us, we connect and experience a richer life.

Vision: I envision a world where people, planet and community thrive together.

Achievements:: 2011 has been a big year and I’m grateful and honoured for the support I’ve received in working towards my vision. This has included delivering an early childhood environmental education program (Little Green Steps) to over 200 childcare centres and launching ‘Change Makers’, a sustainability and social justice leadership training program with my CSL colleagues. CSL has helped my define my niche and ‘step up’ my strengths in innovation and collaboration. It has confirmed for me that I can help effect real, deep and transformative change through my work with local communities. It has taught me that we can all make our day dreams come true. The secret is to get a clear vision, then jump in and live it.

Jeremy Mah

Drive: At an early age I developed a love for nature and its beauty, along with a deep concern for its future. I am driven to know the ‘why’ behind human actions, in order to build systems that support enriched and sustainable lives.

Vision: My vision is for a world where humanity lives in harmony with nature and where real quality of life is shared by all. On a daily basis I see evidence that the ‘impossible’ change required to achieve this vision is possible, and that we are both responsible for and capable of enabling that change.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program supported me on my own journey of reflection and in learning what it takes to be a ‘deep’ sustainability leader. I now know that the future truly is what we make it and have embarked on building The Centre for the New Australian Dream.

Louise Rhodes

Drive: I am motivated by doing more than my bit to create a sustainable future. It feels great to work in an area where you can measure the important difference you are making to the world – and having like minded sustainability leaders by your side.

Vision: My vision is for a future that works – corporations with informed and engaged staff who care about and act upon the environmental and social impacts of their decisions, clever worksites, compassionate products, supported customers and suppliers who minimise their impact.

Achievements: I have had a sustained boost to really push forward my agenda for change in Australia’s largest corporations. I was a finalist in a significant Supply Chain Industry Award and now get to spread the sustainability message at a large world conference in Arizona. I am inspired and ready to keep living it, keep innovating, and lead corporates toward sustainability!

Melissa Neighbour

Drive: I am excited by the unknown possibilities that arise from change. Everything we do is a choice. We have the choice to change at any moment. I am excited by that power and the ripple effect that can occur by seizing that moment.

Vision: I envision a world where there is balance, fairness and justice. Where education is available to anyone at any age and is celebrated and encouraged as an essential to life! A world that is community oriented and based on values and behaviours that ensure resilience and growth for perpetuity.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has enabled me to visualise and refine my vision of a sustainable future and given me new skills to make my vision a reality. I am now a more confident communicator with a greater understanding of what it means to influence and engage people, by taking them on a journey.

Mike Dodd

Drive: I’m driven by the knowledge that we can do so much more with what we have and that we can’t continue down the same consumptive and destructive path. Implementing innovative solutions and collaborative approaches in sustainable building design is where I believe I can make a difference.

Vision: My vision is for a clean future where sustainable developments are simply business-as usual, leaving the fossil-fuelled, carbon-intense, green-washed approach behind us.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has enabled me to refine my personal vision and develop the networks, tools and confidence to really go for it. My world has expanded and the collaborative possibilities now seem endless. The exposure to amazing speakers and leaders across the sustainability field has inspired me to truly step up and drive the change in thinking and action we need to move towards the ecological age.

Paul Metcalfe

Drive: I am driven by many things: working with creative people to communicate complex Sustainability issues in bit-sized digestible chunks. Wanting my kid’s kid’s kids to have a planet to live on. Constant learning. There’s a lot I don’t know but I’m very willing to find out.

Vision: My vision is to be part of the team that figures out how to feed 7 billion people, spreads the world’s wealth more equitably and replaces corporate growth with Indigenous and Community values. Oh, and growing a gnarly perma-garden

Achievements: 2011 has been a cataclysmic year. I’ve, learnt and expressed more in 7 months than in the past 20 years. Mostly I’ve moved from wearing my heart on my sleeve to knowing what’s really in my heart. CSL has put me about half-way along my new path, I don’t know what’s next but I’m open to whatever it is.

Penny Elsley

Drive: I’m motivated by a deep sense of the gift of our interconnectedness with each other and with the earth. I’ve witnessed first hand the social justice and environmental issues marginalised

people face around the world and these experiences are what continue to drive my work back in Australia.

Vision: My vision is for a world where all people experience abundant life and I believe that we can achieve this through acting awake to our interdependence. We can all be catalysts for connections that lead to the transformation the world needs, both personally and communally.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has been an extremely fruitful and timely opportunity for me. It has positioned me to get my vision ‘off the ground’. It provided just the right networks, learnings and support structures to do the deep and wide work required to make my dream reality.

Randall Williams

Drive: Businesses have an incredible amount of power and resources; it’s frustrating when they don’t or can’t leverage that toward a better good. I aim to change that.

Vision: I look forward to the day when a ‘good’ business is the norm, not the exception. A day when companies nurture their environment, engage with their communities and lead as corporate citizens. And the businesses that don’t are simply left behind.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has reminded me of my own talents. I’ve got a knack for asking the right questions and the ability to distill complex ideas to concise messages people will remember. I’ll stand on that footing as I jump into my career of communicating the good things companies do, and keep encouraging them to do more.

Richard Widows

Drive: I am driven to help create a world with a future. To love what I do. To participate in my community. To learn, to teach, to grow.

Vision: I envisage a world where people are connected to nature via their interaction and experience with food. A world where waste is no longer waste, but an input into another production system. A world of equality and consciousness where we live sustainably and in harmony with our environment.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has provided me with the confidence, resources and networks to move towards my vision. Through my CSL experience I now believe I have all the tools necessary to make that next step, to do what I am passionate about, to be the change I want to see. This Fellowship Program is one of the most important things I’ve ever done.

Sally Hill

Drive: I am driven by the awesome beauty and power of nature, and unlocking its potential. Imagine the dividends the natural world would yield if we nurtured and nourished it, rather than exploited it. I am driven by people, by the truly boundless resource of human creativity, and by the knowledge that similar battles to ours have been fought and won before.

Vision: My vision is of a world where people and all living things are allowed to flourish to their potential.

Achievements: My CSL year has been the year of the project. I started a blog, organised sustainability events, won a grant and produced my first animation. The Fellowship Program has helped me to communicate my ideas and vision in a way that is both ‘real’ and irresistible. It’s a psychological boost knowing there are amazing people working across sectors with a common intent. I said yes to everything. I got to know myself. I made lifelong friends and valiant allies.

Stephanie O’Donnell

Drive: At Kakadu National Park, where the horizon seems endless and the sky is almost incomprehensibly vast, you cannot help but feel grounded in something bigger and infinitely more important than you as an individual. This is the feeling that drives and empowers me.

Vision: I want to see a world where businesses have no choice but to behave ethically and responsibly, because they must take into account the true value of the ecosystem services that support them.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has given me clarity and confidence as a leader. This has compelled me to step up and create opportunities where I need them, such as giving a talk at the British Ecological Society Annual Meeting in the UK, as I did recently. The Fellowship Program has been empowering and humbling, and I feel privileged to have been a part of it.

Tanya Strevens

Drive: For me, environmentalism is not just about the environment; it’s about understanding the science of natural systems, and working collaboratively at all levels within the public and business arenas to change the attitudes and behaviours that threaten natural values.

Vision: In my vision for the future, sustainability is a global language. It applies not just to resource use, land management and climate change, but also to culture, society, technology, health and lifestyle. This aligns with my core personal values and a profound appreciation that we all depend both on a healthy environment and each other to make our world liveable.

Achievements: It’s hard to be a leader if you’re shy and are afraid of public speaking! For me, a major achievement in this Program has been overcoming these bugbears. CSL has given me the vision to see where I fit in, the enthusiasm to enquire and engage, and the confidence to express myself.

Tristan Mercer

Drive: The global energy industry has been a fundamental enabler of unsustainable economic growth since the industrial revolution. The next 50 years present an opportunity for sustainable renewable energy forms to underpin the next leap forward in development and a higher standard of living for the next billion global citizens. I am driven to implement a pragmatic evolution from our current unsustainable energy mix, to a sustainable, predominantly renewable energy solution.

Vision: My vision is for the efficient use of low-impact renewable energy to become the accepted norm across our society.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has helped me focus my efforts on enabling more rapid deployment of large-scale renewable energy projects. I now know which projects are likely to work, and how to support their development. A group of broadly like-minded peers now provide an exceptional support base and reference group with which to share the journey.

Alison Kelly

Drive: I am inspired by the common threads that link us across cultures and natural environments, by stories, people and organisations that create new paradigms through courage, innovation and ingenuity. I’m driven by what is possible.

Vision: At CSL I’ve worked on two great projects: one promoting sustainable businesses, and the other helping to develop future leaders. I believe it is possible to blend together the wisdom of nature, tradition and culture with modern technology and innovation to create a holistic, sustainable future. I want to help drive this paradigm shift.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has helped me infuse sustainability into my role within business and industry; into my work as a political campaigner and into my everyday life. It has instilled in me a strong sense of leadership and welcomed me into a passionate community that continues to inspire me to rise to future challenges.

Anthony Aisenberg

Drive: I want to create healthy urban environments. Healthier in the way we connect with our city. The air we breathe, how we access services and where we socialise all have a great impact on our daily life. Simply put, I believe that healthy cities produce healthy people.

Vision: My vision is for communities to directly be able to contribute towards creating the community and environment in which they wish to live. They shape the public space they live in and the way they interact with the built and natural environment.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has helped me transform an idea into a well-formed group project, ‘BikeSpot’ with potential to address real social, environmental and economic issues by encouraging more people to ride bikes. The weekly workshops, retreats, mentoring and coaching sessions have all helped give me the confidence and networks to pursue and realise my vision.

Astha Batra

Drive: I am driven by a strong sense of social justice. I feel it is tragic that the countries that are most vulnerable, are least responsible and have limited capacity to cope with impacts of climate change. A concerted collaborative global effort between developed and developing countries is the only answer.

Vision: A common vision for the future is a powerful tool. I see a world where every decision made and every action taken, is done with sustainability first and foremost in mind. Sustainability is no longer an ‘issue’ but a way of life.

Achievements: Through the Fellowship Program I have built strong networks, learnt new tools and skills, developed my confidence and learnt more about myself. Most importantly I am now positioned to leverage my own unique capabilities towards achieving my professional goals. I now have an identity.

Clare Prascevic

Drive: I am passionate about inspiring people to learn, helping them to find their own path and the courage to make positive change for a better world. I am driven by a desire to help others develop self-awareness, personal growth, and confidence in leadership.

Vision: My vision is to wake people up and inspire them to practice gratitude, to be happier, more generous, to have more respect for themselves, each other and the planet.

Achievements: Professionally, I have created 110 new NAB Schools First Partnership Manager roles this year. The Fellowship has helped me to develop new connections, tools and skills. I have learnt about social enterprise and been an active member of the BikeSpot and Blue Kayak  projects. I have taken my personal leadership and communication skills to a new level, increasing my confidence and ability to make change in new ways.

Craig Irvine

Drive: I am passionate about inspiring people to learn, helping them to find their own path and the courage to make positive change for a better world. I am driven by a desire to help others develop self-awareness, personal growth, and confidence in leadership.

Vision: My vision is to wake people up and inspire them to practice gratitude, to be happier, more generous, to have more respect for themselves, each other and the planet.

Achievements: Professionally, I have created 110 new NAB Schools First Partnership Manager roles this year. The Fellowship has helped me to develop new connections, tools and skills. I have learnt about social enterprise and been an active member of the BikeSpot and Blue Kayak projects. I have taken my personal leadership and communication skills to a new level, increasing my confidence and ability to make change in new ways.

Dave Whitelaw

Drive: I’m driven to make a difference in the conservation industry. I want to move beyond organisational constraints and economic barriers, to sustainably manage land and deliver conservation outcomes at a landscape scale.

Vision: I want to live in a country that implicitly understands the issues affecting our natural environment. Increasing awareness and understanding of Australia’s relationship to the land and the roles of ecology, community, economics and Indigenous connection to the country are what I’m about. With leadership and goodwill, the complex mix of science, culture and care can be balanced to deliver conservation outcomes.

Achievements: CSL has helped me to establish my conservation vision, further understand my personal motivations, strengths, passions, and mentored me towards fulfilling my vision. I am now actively collaborating and surrounding myself with people whom I respect in order to create the changes I know are needed.

Greg Foyster

Drive: I’m driven to uncover uncomfortable truths about how we live and explain them in a way the average person can understand.

Vision: I want to inform the public about the environmental challenges we face so that our society can have deeper debates on key issues. I also want to humanise the environment; after all, when we talk about ‘nature’ we are actually talking about ourselves.

Achievements: This year I have written for The Age, The Big Issue, Crikey and G Magazine. I also hosted a panel on environmental journalism at the Melbourne Town Hall and was a finalist for Walkley 2011 Student Journalist of the Year. Our Crash Course in Opinion Writing Project, developed through CSL, has already had two significant articles published, including a large opinion piece in The Age. The Fellowship Program has given me the confidence and contacts to reach a larger audience.

Julie O’Brien

Drive: I have a love of the natural world. I believe we are currently living radically and unnecessarily, beyond the means of the planet and I want to help build solutions to change this.

Vision: Better = Less Bad. I am not interested in less bad, I am interested in great!

Achievements: I love the integrity of the work I have done at Sustainability Victoria. I have been with the organisation for over 5 years and made steady career progress in that time. I enjoy the variety of work I have been involved in and the level of influence we have to catalyse sustainable solutions. As a result of the Fellowship Program I feel more confident in my vision and my ability to achieve it. I have always believed we can create an equitable world – now I am clear about the big, bright future we can have and I am actively pursuing it!

Jana Gerovska

Drive: I have a strong desire to help change happen towards a happier and more equitable world and to be a part of something meaningful. I value collaboration and the courage to challenge the status quo.

Vision: My vision is for a community of compassionate people who are minimalist with material treasures and harmonious with nature. I see a place where people work less and live more.

Achievements: This year has been a time of change and experimentation in terms of my leadership style and career direction. The Fellowship Program provided the support and help I needed to stay true to my vision of the future. I am now confident, better connected and empowered to create the place where I want to work and live, but also to be the leader I want to be.

Eli Court

Drive: We are wealthier, healthier, more educated and secure than ever before. This won’t last unless we can find a way to live without destroying the natural environment on which we rely. We can actually do things much better and more rationally. Someone just needs to show the way.

Vision: I want to see a different relationship between people and the rest of the living world.

We will abandon the attitude that it is simply a source of raw materials to be extracted. There are better ways to live, prosper and actually improve the environment on which life depends.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has helped me take my raw enthusiasm and skills and work out how they fit into the real world. I now know what I am good at and how I can drive change. I have also developed an invaluable network of like-minded young people and successful sustainability professionals.

Lara McPherson

Drive: A slow realisation of my own previously unsustainable patterns of consumption has prompted a huge amount of personal change and inspired me to catalyse this change in others. I am driven by the vast opportunity that exists for a new commercial (and political) paradigm that leads to true prosperity – one that nourishes and enriches ourselves and our society.

Vision: I hope to see the rise of ‘conscious consumption’ and of industries that support ethical and sustainable commerce. I love fashion for the beauty, art, quality and self-expression that is at its heart, but currently the industry epitomises hyper-consumption. I work to change this.

Achievements: This year, I’ve founded an umbrella industry organisation and continue to connect and collaborate with people in this field both in Australia and internationally. The brilliant 2011 Fellowship group constantly inspires me to persevere and to think outside the box.

Katherine Walsh

Drive: Exploring the capacity and flexibility we have to develop as human beings is a key motivator for me. I feel that it’s important to actively seek out multiple perspectives in life and remove the limitations we can place on ourselves and each other. I am excited by language, story, wonder, heart, compassion, and creative play to shift fixed mindsets.

Vision: I envision a future with individuals working together in community, joined by meaningful communication and having reinstated our guiding story of deep connection with nature and each other.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has enabled me to ‘be the change I wanted to see’. I rediscovered my values, reclaimed my stories, and reconnected on many levels. I have actively explored, applied, and reflected upon many aspects of leadership in order to experience personal change. This process has given me the courage to pursue my vision for a sustainable future, of developing human capacity and connection with honest communication.

Kim Selling

Drive: I am driven by the belief that a sustainable future requires Renaissance men and women who can work collaboratively together to facilitate a rich and diverse global vision, whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It is only by working together and engaging at a deep level that we can really make a difference.

Vision: My vision of a sustainable future is one of holistic integration, cultural diversity and genuine collaboration.

Achievements: As a product of globalization’s ethnic melting pot, I have developed an ability to make sense of complex interrelationships – and an enduring taste for globe-trotting. A true boundary-crossing ‘collabronaut’, my professional background spans environment, arts, culture, international non-profits, government, and education. The Fellowship Program has given me a deeper appreciation of the need for generalists, for leaders who can empathise across the divides of culture and technical specialisations and adapt to the challenges of a rapidly changing, increasingly complex global future.

Michael Sale

Drive: From Brunswick to Botswana, I am inspired by the beauty, complexity and strength of nature. As a scientist, I have a passion for exploring and documenting the natural world. This has taken me on many an intrepid field trip, from studying antechinus (a rare Australian marsupial) on remote islands in the Bass Strait to observing birds-of-paradise in New Guinea.

Vision: My vision is for a prosperous society that values, supports and protects biodiversity. This means placing both economic and social value on natural ecosystems. I hope to contribute to this through a career in biodiversity protection and management, drawing upon the skills and networks I have developed at CSL.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has been a transformational experience. Not only do I have a greater sense of confidence and direction, but also the tools and awareness to engage others to join me on this journey.

Neil Faragher

Drive: My childhood in New Zealand gave me an appreciation for nature; I initially assumed the majority of the world was equally pristine. Travelling dispelled this preconception and working in product design showed me how damaging our consumer led society is. I decided to help design systems for a sustainable society: to provide clean energy, water and food.

Vision: I see a future where societies provide their own energy without damaging the environment, materials will be continuously recycled in mimicry of nature. People will value nature, more trees and food gardens will be incorporated into our cities. Democracies will be more participatory and poverty will be eradicated.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has provided me with tools and connections to find leverage points in the challenges that face us and to identify high value solutions. I have integrated these tools into my work and life to work towards a better future.

Nicole Maher

Drive: I am driven by my dissatisfaction with the perverse outcomes – for the environment and society – that our institutional frameworks support. From my own experience, I’m aware of the barriers that allow these outcomes to persist. I’m keen to draw on these experiences to influence structural and behavioural change, to create a society in which our ecosystems are valued more highly than materialism.

Vision: I see a future where complex societal issues are communicated in an accessible way to enable a broader understanding within the wider community and empower the community to realise their importance in influencing decision-making.

Achievements: Through CSL, I have been challenged to speak my voice and stand in the spotlight. These opportunities have enabled me to reflect on the dichotomy of my inherent capability and my self-limiting to beliefs. I’ve gained an acute understanding of the need to be seen to be heard and – therefore – to have an impact.

Letitia Hoff

Drive: I am inspired by the natural environment; its beauty, its wonder and its diversity. It’s what drives me as a person to make positive changes.

Vision: I want to see our natural environment protected for future generations so that everyone can enjoy, experience and benefit from the complexity and the services it provides.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has been all about learning and opportunity. The program has developed my leadership skills on a personal and professional level, has connected me with a network of like-minded individuals and has given me the opportunity to hear and learn from fascinating and inspiring leaders.

Sara Redmond-Neal

Drive: I am passionate about working with businesses toward a more sustainable society. I believe business holds the power to shape our economy and the greatest improvements are possible through changing their practices.

Vision: I envisage a world where we live within our ecological means, where corporations act responsibly toward their environment and communities, and are judged equally on those aspects as on financial performance.

Achievements: CSL has helped me step into and be comfortable with the role of leader. It has given me the tools I need to plan, implement and promote successful projects, including my work with EcoBuy, the EIANZ, Banksia Foundation, and my CSL project – Sustaworks. It has given me the inspiration to continue working hard while teaching me the importance of balancing my passion for change with my mental and physical health to keep from burning out.

Sam Lynch

Drive: I thrive in finding opportunities and developing innovative solutions in difficult situations.

Vision: My vision is simple, a world with equal opportunity for all.

Achievements: This year for me has been one of learning. I have learnt a great deal and I hope I have helped others to learn also. I have had great success in finding opportunities and showing the way forward for many organisations, specifically in the not-for-profit sector. I am particularly interested in ensuring business sustainability in social enterprise. The Fellowship Program has given me access to incredibly inspirational presenters and fellow program participants. I have been able to establish a network of inspiring people with whom I hope to remain connected well into the future.

Olivia Laskowski

Drive: I am enamoured by the natural world. I have feelings of fascination and excitement, as keen as when I was a child, whenever I am learning about or immersed in organic realms.

Vision: I envisage a world of local communities supporting each other in and across all walks of life. A world where the value of biodiversity and pristine environments are truly recognised and where an engineering renaissance has helped to create true sustainability. A world of equal opportunity for all.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has renewed my hope and sense of possibility. The passion of inspirational and diverse Fellows is contagious, providing sustenance for my ambitions and knowledge as well and a renewed sense of direction. It has uncovered facets of myself I had not explored, encouraged me to be wildly creative and helped me to discover new strengths and an amazing network of inspiring people.

Peter Huff

Drive: I am driven by the potential power of decentralised networks to drive innovation and change. This emergent intelligence is society’s evolutionary response to the challenges and opportunities of the future. It mimics the dynamics of an ecosystem to transcend sustainability and reach the potential of systemic regeneration.

Vision: My vision lies at the root of civilisation: agriculture and food. I believe the key to creating a more sustainable world lies in restructuring the way we view food. I see a world that not only grows nourishing food, but also vibrant communities engrained within culturally connected ecosystems.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program transformed my passion for change into a strategic and focused approach. The Program has helped me achieve a dynamic network within the Australian food and farming world and opened countless doors. Specifically, it has created a new opportunity for me to drive multi-stakeholder research at academic and governmental levels.

Shelley Meagher

Drive: I am fascinated by nature. The complexity, diversity, quirkiness, change and beauty of the world around me fill me with hope. I believe that what we do matters – to one another, and to the rest of the world.

Vision: My vision is of a permeable world – in which our houses are platforms for gardens, our highways are lined with shady trees, and our buildings draw inspiration from nature. In this world we live in informed harmony with nature and we write our own melodies.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has allowed me to distil my vision into words, to gain the courage and confidence to make it public, and to build an alliance of diverse people with a shared long-term vision. The goal of the alliance is to foster biodiversity – a goal which is essential to my personal vision.

Tim Angus

Drive: I am driven by the desire to deliver commercially viable buildings that are better for us and the planet. I am also fascinated by the field of biomimicry – learning from nature to create sustainable architecture.

Vision: I see that the only way forward is take the principles of passive buildings that were beautifully developed over centuries, and, creatively adapt them to our modern context. Carefully designing in harmony with the sun, wind, water and earth passively using natural energy to light, heat, cool and ventilate our buildings. A holistic environmental design approach where everyone wins.

Achievements: I am currently working as an Associate Architect Sustainability at Elenberg Fraser in Melbourne and have recently completed a Master of Sustainable Practice at RMIT in Melbourne. The CSL Fellowship has given me the confidence and focus to be a leading advocate for sustainability and biomimicry influenced design in my profession.

Stephanie Campbell

Drive: I am driven by a pervasive sense of inequality – the unjust outcomes for humans and the environment that are currently resulting from unsustainable processes and systems.

Vision: I envision a world based on economic, social and ecological sustainability and justice. I would like to see social justice increasingly recognised as integral to a sustainable future, with a focus on addressing inequality and issues such as mental health. I would also like to see sustainability treated as an economic issue and therefore considered in traditional frameworks.

Achievements: The Fellowship Program has helped me to clarify my vision and sense of direction. The self-inquiry involved in the ‘Going Within’ phase was a particular focus for me this year and has enabled me to identify my strengths and passions. It has also helped renew my commitment to sustainability and creativity, and work towards blending these with my current role and expertise.

Tom Quinn

Drive: Frustration at the status quo is my greatest driver. Overcoming the challenge of tradition while envisaging a sustainable future push me forward every day.

Vision: Australia has a proud legacy of international leadership in the fields of sustainability and equality and my vision is for us to lead in these areas once again. We have the skills and ingenuity to develop solutions to climate change and to find ways to live within the earth’s environmental limits. We should embrace our heritage of leadership and help forge a sustainable and just world.

Achievements: The Fellowship project work has equipped me the leadership skills to enable this vision. ‘Sustaworks’ is changing the discussion by communicating the business benefits of sustainability, while ‘Bikespot is enabling cyclists to report bike network problems and for local governments to fix them.