Speakers

Following a decade in community management, Victoria has pivoted to curating community in person. Victoria is a transformation leadership coach in Denver USA, bringing people from living in states of TENSION to living in a state of INTENTION. Her neuro friendly & trauma informed lens aims to support people through coaching, breathwork and communal events.

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Evan Hamilton has been building communities professionally for over 15 years at companies like Reddit, Nextdoor, and CMX. Evan has run everything from small meetup series to 50,000-person moderator groups, and currently leads the Community team at HubSpot. Evan puts special emphasis on proving the business value of community and building strong community teams that are deeply integrated with the company. In his free time, Evan writes music and spends time with his wife and children and enjoys discovering new graphic novels to fall in love with.

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Annie is a community engagement all-rounder with contagious energy. Currently the Director of Customer Community for Who Gives A Crap & Good Time. She has over a decade of experience in community ranging from retail, corporate, not for profit, health and wellness and the start-up world.

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In addition to being the OG Swarm super-fan, Matthew Cox (Coxy) has worked with Community-centric organisations for over fifteen years. He specialises in leading cross-functional teams to build products and campaigns that engage large global audiences. Most recently, Coxy served as the Head of Content Marketing department at Envato, an online digital assets marketplace, where his team's network of channels and sites engaged over 30 million users each year. As a consultant, he has led, facilitated and delivered community-management and marketing projects across a range of sectors, including Healthcare, State and Local Government, Technology, Education, Insurance and the Arts. Outside of his corporate life, Coxy moonlights as a theatre director. He currently serves as an artistic director of Artefact Theatre Company - an independent company based in Naarm/ Melbourne and a lecturing director for the Acting Program at JMC University. Coxy is honoured to be returning to host Swarm, and can’t wait to geek out with his fellow Community Management nerds enthusiasts.

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Dannii, an experienced professional in economic development and innovation within regional Victoria, joined LaunchVic in October 2021 as Coordinator for Regional and Agtech. With over six years at Mansfield Shire Council, she helped establish regional startup community Startup Shakeup Inc, now with 600+ members in North East Victoria. In December 2021, Dannii launched the LaunchVic Regional Community of Practice (CoP), a monthly online gathering for regional economic development officers and pre-accelerator program leads to share information and skills. LaunchVic's regional initiatives along with the Regional CoP has boosted regional startup engagement, with figures rising from 3% to 7% between 2020 and 2022. Dannii's passion for empowering rural and regional Victorians shines through her commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and community development. Her efforts in building an innovative culture underscore her dedication to driving positive change and economic growth in rural communities.

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Dr Georgia Carroll received her PhD in Sociology from the University of Sydney where she studied fandom communities using Taylor Swift and the television series Supernatural as case studies. She is passionate about fan engagement and loves using lessons from pop culture to help advise brands on how to better engage with their customers and audiences. Having previously worked as a publicist and a social media manager, Georgia now works in strategic communications in the public service.

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Hugh Lashbrooke, a long-time community builder, is currently helping build a world-class community platform as a product manager at Discourse. His passions lie in creating useful software, building high-performing teams, running engagement programs, and facilitating safe community spaces. When not actively working with communities, he builds tabletop games and focuses on his faith and his family.

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Jeevan help organisations understand, design, and deliver a Learning, Knowledge & HR ecosystem that is business-responsive, community driven, user-centric, technology enabled and based on Agile principles.

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Luke Pearson is the founder and CEO of IndigenousX. He is a writer, educator, and anti-racism trainer and advocate.

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As a commercial lawyer Paul has broad skill set, with specialisation in the areas of technology, media law, marketing, intellectual property and corporate governance. He is one of Australia’s leading experts on social media and privacy law, having been recognised in Doyle’s Guide for Leading Technology, Media and Telecommunications Lawyers and for Leading Intellectual Property Lawyers as well as the preeminent Best Lawyers in Australia listing. Paul’s clients span the start up, tech, digital, FMCG, Not for Profit, Media, Advertising, Health and Government sectors. As a sought after speaker at technology and online law conferences, and a guest presenter on radio programs, Paul is also an author of various publications discussing the intersection of media, technology and the law.

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Rebekah Lambert, a content marketing freelancer and community specialist, advocates for stress reduction and community support through her platform, The Freelance Jungle. Committed to ending isolation in sole employment, she raises the knowledge bar and shares support. Currently studying trauma-informed principles to aid post-COVID community management, Rebekah balances her professional pursuits with exploring Wollongong and the Illawarra. Follow her adventures on Unashamedly Creative and in the Freelance Jungle Facebook group.

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Sasmini is the founder of Digital Nomad Life, a vibrant community aimed at connecting digital nomads and beginner travelers through comprehensive travel and lifestyle guides. With a foundation in law, Sasmini has carved a niche in the start-up ecosystem, dedicating over 7 years to managing start-up programs for incubators and accelerators. Sasmini's extensive experience in community building, communication, and program management underscores her commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration. Beyond her professional pursuits, she is passionate about creating spaces that empower digital nomads to thrive in their personal and professional lives.

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Yohana is community minded CALD woman who has worked in grassroot level organisation, not for profit and government. Passionate about multicultural communities, she works to improve and enhance community organisations through her full time work but also through her volunteering capacity. She received Meritorious Service Award from the Victorian Government and was highly commended in City of Monash, under women leadership category. Through her work, she has created award winning programs and events that promote social cohesion.

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