With over ten years’ experience working in Australia and internationally, Hyemi has supported more than 50 local organisations in governance, strategic planning and program design, capability building and mentoring, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL), and partnership building. Strong in driving systems change to promote human rights, social equity and inclusion, underpinned by a commitment to participatory and community-led approaches, she is specialised is in conducting rigorous action research, informing evidence-based strategies, and deriving actionable insights from complex data.

She is currently studying Human Rights Law at the University of Melbourne to deepen her expertise in advancing advocacy and effective implementation of human rights.

Steve has worked with NGOs and community organisations for most of his career, in roles ranging from volunteer support worker to chairperson, advisor and leadership positions. He has contributed to social, health, and economic development projects in Australia, particularly in remote regions, and in countries across South Asia and Latin America. In 2008, he founded Community Works, which he managed until 2024. He has also held leadership roles with Kindred, Spring Impact, BasicNeeds, and the Centre for Appropriate Technology. Steve is now a consultant and advisor to several organisations, and is an Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne, where he coordinates and teaches Practising Community-Led Development.

Steve frequently works with communities through participatory processes and has extensive experience in complex, intercultural contexts. He is considered an ethical and considerate professional who is open, inquisitive and a critical thinker on the range of subjects related to development practice.

Maria has over 15 years of experience as a researcher, educator, and development professional, focusing on mental health, social justice, and intercultural peacebuilding. She specialises in leading cross-cultural knowledge-sharing initiatives to produce practical resources and evidence-based policy advice that support populations affected by trauma and marginalisation, as well as in interdisciplinary doctoral research focused on ways of building ethical understanding across racial, national, and cultural boundaries.

Maria has conducted field research in diverse settings, particularly with remote Aboriginal communities in Australia, as well as in post-conflict contexts in Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique. She has also taught at Australian universities, including the University of Melbourne and James Cook University.

Maria brings her cross-cultural expertise, education, and mental health experience to create safe spaces for meaningful dialogue.

Ingrid is a visual communication designer. Having studied both fine arts and teaching, Ingrid brings experience in creative fields and communication to her work. She is passionate about the power of design to contribute to, and transform, society in positive ways. She ensures that visual design is considered from the creation phase of projects all the way through to the professional output and delivery of communications.

Ingrid provides creative solutions tailored to meet diverse communication needs. She uses simple, visually engaging materials to help communicate our clients’ ideas and stories.

Carolina Bermúdez is an anthropologist who has worked with Indigenous groups in Colombia and Australia for more than a decade, developing skills as a mediator between cultural groups with different logics, needs and interests. She has extensive fieldwork experience, particularly in the Amazon, and has coordinated several projects focused on education, cultural strengthening, and the development of economic alternatives for Indigenous groups. For the past three years, she has participated in the design and implementation of community-based mental health and well-being initiatives.

Carolina leverages her intercultural expertise to build bridges between knowledge systems, enabling inclusive, community-driven solutions.

Daniela Pickering is a community development and engagement practitioner with over ten years of experience across Australia and Latin America. She specialises in socio-environmental issues, cross-cultural facilitation and participatory methods, supporting communities and organisations to collaborate, as well as design and deliver initiatives that are inclusive, practical, and sustainable.

Daniela is interested in combining analytical rigour with empathy to create safe, inclusive spaces that turn dialogue into tangible outcomes and lasting collaborations.

Annum is an accomplished public health and evaluation specialist with over 15 years of experience across hospitals, nonprofits, government agencies, and UN organizations internationally.
Her expertise spans research, epidemiology, and data analysis, which she applies to evaluate and strengthen the effectiveness of global programs in mental health, community development, injury and violence prevention, and complex humanitarian emergencies.

Annum’s leadership experience includes program design and implementation, team management, capacity building, and strategic planning. She is also an experienced technical writer, having authored research reports and peer-reviewed publications.

With over 12 years of practical experience in community development and program management across international and Australian contexts, Megan brings proven expertise in planning, implementing, and managing multi-stakeholder programs that drive sustainable change.

She has held executive and senior program management roles within for-purpose and private organisations with a deep knowledge across diverse sectors including First Nations, Pacific health, community services, and early childhood development.

Megan has a strong track record in federal, jurisdictional, and place-based engagement, fostering collaboration and trust. She is passionate about partnering with organisations and teams to design, plan, implement, and evaluate initiatives that leverage existing strengths and align with community priorities and aspirations.

Katie is an experienced community development and engagement specialist who is passionate about working with communities to design, deliver, replicate and evaluate best-practice programs. Katie has over 20 years’ experience as a researcher, writer and editor and relishes finding creative solutions to community-identified issues. She has previously worked as editor at Oxfam Australia and has vast experience helping organisations share their stories. Katie has also worked as a practising artist, art curator and photography teacher at a First Nations school in Maningrida, Northern Territory.

Katie brings respect, compassion, critical thinking and curiosity to every project she undertakes.

Kirsty is a development practitioner and sociolinguistics PhD researcher, passionate about supporting grassroots responses to complex challenges. She has 7+ years international and domestic experience working with marginalised communities, including people with lived experience of mental health conditions, diverse SOGIESC (LGBTIQ+), First Nations, and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.

Kirsty holds technical skills in community-based research, knowledge translation, facilitation, assistant teaching, and research mentoring, with experience in the humanitarian sector supporting the inclusion of diverse SOGIESC communities in emergencies. Her work has included a UN-funded WASH promotion and recovery project in Maharashtra, India with RedR India.

Kirsty is currently pursuing a PhD, looking at the Scottish Gaelic language crisis, the protection of traditional knowledge systems, and how to centre community voices in better policy and practice at the Language Sciences Institute, the University of Highlands and Islands.

Daniela is a development practitioner passionate about driving social change through community-led initiatives. She has diverse experience across government, private, and non-profit sectors, contributing to research, policy, and social projects in Latin America and Australia. Daniela has been involved in work related to violence prevention and justice, gender equity, Indigenous biocultural heritage, cultural safety, and decarbonisation. She brings strong skills in research, data analysis, content creation, knowledge translation, and report writing.

Ben is an Emergency Medicine Specialist and Public Health Professional. With experience working across Australia and sub-Saharan Africa, Ben is passionate about improving access to safe, high-quality Emergency Care across Pre-Hospital, Hospital and Retrieval Services in resource-limited settings. At Community Works, he brings practical experience in healthcare teaching/training, strengthening health systems and supporting local teams to build capacity in emergency care.