- GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA
- 2-4 OCTOBER, 2026
- GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA
- 2-4 OCTOBER, 2026
- GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA
- 2-4 OCTOBER, 2026
Embracing Courage:
Pathways to Connection and Wellbeing
Keynote Speakers:
Embracing Courage:
Pathways to Connection and Wellbeing
Our Keynotes:
Hugh Mackay
Social Psychologist, Researcher & Author
Keynote: "Rebuilding Social Connection: From Fragmentation to Community Wellbeing"
Few people have shaped Australia’s understanding of itself as profoundly as Hugh Mackay. With a 60-year career in social research and the bestselling author of 25 books (including nine novels), Hugh brings a rare combination of scientific insight, human empathy, and moral clarity to his work. His 2024 book, The Way We Are, continues his lifelong exploration of the human condition, community, and the pursuit of a more compassionate society.
As a social psychologist, ethics advocate, and co-founder of influential institutions like The Ethics Centre, Hugh offers powerful insight into the emotional undercurrents shaping Australian life. His keynote will explore the threat to social cohesion and the psychological toll of disconnection whilst offering hopeful, practical strategies for re-engaging with one another in ways that strengthen resilience, empathy, and belonging.
With humour, humility, and deep wisdom, Hugh will challenge and inspire us to embrace our collective responsibility for building healthier relationships, stronger communities, and a culture of emotional wellbeing.
Kerry Hawkins
CEO, Community Mental Health Australia (CMHA)
Keynote: Connection, Courage, and Collective Change: Reimagining Mental Health from the Ground Up
With bold leadership and a vision for human rights–driven reform, Kerry Hawkins is a transformative voice in mental health today. As CEO of Community Mental Health Australia, representing over 700 organisations nationwide, Kerry champions a future where lived experience leads, communities are empowered, and systems are built around connection, not control.
Kerry’s influence spans national and international platforms. She is a three-term former National Mental Health Commissioner (2018–2024), a Churchill Fellow, a graduate of Boston University’s Global Leadership Institute, and an alum of Harvard Kennedy School’s Implementing Public Policy program. Her work bridges policy, practice, and personal experience—bringing deep authenticity to conversations around recovery, resilience, and relational wellbeing.
In this powerful keynote, Kerry explores the role of courageous leadership, the power of human connection, and how we can co-create systems that genuinely support individual, family, and community wellbeing. She invites us to reimagine mental health—not as something we fix, but something we build together through the principles of internal control, self-evaluation, and connecting habits that honour human dignity and choice.
When we lead with courage and connection, we don’t just reform systems—we co-create environments where every person’s wellbeing matters.
Prof. Selena Bartlett, PhD
Group Leader of Neuroscience and Neuroplasticity, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology
Keynote: The Neuroscience of Courage, Wellbeing and Transformational Change
In a world where disconnection has become the norm, courage isn’t just a virtue—it’s a neurological imperative. Prof. Selena Bartlett, world-renowned neuroscientist and expert in neuroplasticity, invites us on a transformative journey into the science of how our brains build connection, resilience, and wellbeing.
Prof. Bartlett reveals a remarkable truth: our brains are designed for connection, and we have the power to rewire them at any age. She demystifies the neuroscience behind WHY our brains do what they do—and more importantly, HOW we can harness neuroplasticity to create lasting change in our families, schools, communities, and workplaces.
This isn’t theory confined to the laboratory. Professor Bartlett bridges the gap between neuroscience and everyday life, offering practical, evidence-based tools. She demonstrates how understanding our brain’s fundamental needs for belonging, purpose, and autonomy can transform how we relate to ourselves and others.
Whether you’re a parent, educator, community leader, or organisational changemaker, Prof Bartlett’s message will ignite your courage to act. She shows us that growth isn’t measured solely by individual achievement, but by the strength of our collective relationships and our commitment to wellbeing for all.
When we understand the neuroscience of connection and apply it with courage, we don’t just change individuals—we transform entire systems.
Alice Mabin
Award-Winning Documentary Maker, Visual Storyteller & Entrepreneur
Keynote: Outback Grit to Global Impact: Stories of Courage, Connection and the Human Spirit.
Join award-winning entrepreneur, visual storyteller, and bestselling author Alice Mabin as she unpacks the raw, unfiltered truth about living a life built on radical choice. In this powerful keynote, Alice reveals how Choice Theory gave structure to what she was already doing instinctively- turning adversity into growth, isolation into clarity, and fear into fuel.
From a life-threatening horse accident to walking 2000 km behind 18,000 head of cattle, Alice has lived at the edge of what most people think is possible. But it wasn’t until she discovered the principles of Choice Theory that she realised her so-called “instincts” had names, and that her courage had a framework.
This is a session for the bold-hearted. The quietly rebellious. The leaders who want to trade reactivity for responsibility and create a life that reflects who they are.
You’ll learn how to:
- Reframe adversity – See every setback as a signal, not a stop sign.
- Activate internal control – Stop waiting for permission and start choosing your own outcomes, even when the path is uncharted.
- Own your vulnerability – Understand how real courage means being visible, raw, and real, especially when it’s uncomfortable.
Alice will challenge the belief that life “just happens to us” and show you how to stop being a character in someone else’s narrative and start authoring your own.
book your ticket
A unique conference filled with networking, keynotes, workshops, and engaging conversations with the like minded leading experts.
Hugh Mackay
Social Psychologist, Researcher & Author
Keynote: "Rebuilding Social Connection: From Fragmentation to Community Wellbeing"
Few people have shaped Australia’s understanding of itself as profoundly as Hugh Mackay. With a 60-year career in social research and the bestselling author of 25 books (including nine novels), Hugh brings a rare combination of scientific insight, human empathy, and moral clarity to his work. His 2024 book, The Way We Are, continues his lifelong exploration of the human condition, community, and the pursuit of a more compassionate society.
As a social psychologist, ethics advocate, and co-founder of influential institutions like The Ethics Centre, Hugh offers powerful insight into the emotional undercurrents shaping Australian life. His keynote will explore the threat to social cohesion and the psychological toll of disconnection whilst offering hopeful, practical strategies for re-engaging with one another in ways that strengthen resilience, empathy, and belonging.
With humour, humility, and deep wisdom, Hugh will challenge and inspire us to embrace our collective responsibility for building healthier relationships, stronger communities, and a culture of emotional wellbeing.
Kerry Hawkins
CEO, Community Mental Health Australia (CMHA)
Keynote: Connection, Courage, and Collective Change: Reimagining Mental Health from the Ground Up
With bold leadership and a vision for human rights–driven reform, Kerry Hawkins is a transformative voice in mental health today. As CEO of Community Mental Health Australia, representing over 700 organisations nationwide, Kerry champions a future where lived experience leads, communities are empowered, and systems are built around connection, not control.
Kerry’s influence spans national and international platforms. She is a three-term former National Mental Health Commissioner (2018–2024), a Churchill Fellow, a graduate of Boston University’s Global Leadership Institute, and an alum of Harvard Kennedy School’s Implementing Public Policy program. Her work bridges policy, practice, and personal experience—bringing deep authenticity to conversations around recovery, resilience, and relational wellbeing.
In this powerful keynote, Kerry explores the role of courageous leadership, the power of human connection, and how we can co-create systems that genuinely support individual, family, and community wellbeing. She invites us to reimagine mental health—not as something we fix, but something we build together through the principles of internal control, self-evaluation, and connecting habits that honour human dignity and choice.
When we lead with courage and connection, we don’t just reform systems—we co-create environments where every person’s wellbeing matters.
Prof. Selena Bartlett, PhD
Group Leader of Neuroscience and Neuroplasticity, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology
Keynote: The Neuroscience of Courage, Wellbeing and Transformational Change
In a world where disconnection has become the norm, courage isn’t just a virtue—it’s a neurological imperative. Prof. Selena Bartlett, world-renowned neuroscientist and expert in neuroplasticity, invites us on a transformative journey into the science of how our brains build connection, resilience, and wellbeing.
Prof. Bartlett reveals a remarkable truth: our brains are designed for connection, and we have the power to rewire them at any age. She demystifies the neuroscience behind WHY our brains do what they do—and more importantly, HOW we can harness neuroplasticity to create lasting change in our families, schools, communities, and workplaces.
This isn’t theory confined to the laboratory. Professor Bartlett bridges the gap between neuroscience and everyday life, offering practical, evidence-based tools. She demonstrates how understanding our brain’s fundamental needs for belonging, purpose, and autonomy can transform how we relate to ourselves and others.
Whether you’re a parent, educator, community leader, or organisational changemaker, Prof Bartlett’s message will ignite your courage to act. She shows us that growth isn’t measured solely by individual achievement, but by the strength of our collective relationships and our commitment to wellbeing for all.
When we understand the neuroscience of connection and apply it with courage, we don’t just change individuals—we transform entire systems.
Alice Mabin
Award-Winning Documentary Maker, Visual Storyteller & Entrepreneur
Keynote: Outback Grit to Global Impact: Stories of Courage, Connection and the Human Spirit.
Join award-winning entrepreneur, visual storyteller, and bestselling author Alice Mabin as she unpacks the raw, unfiltered truth about living a life built on radical choice. In this powerful keynote, Alice reveals how Choice Theory gave structure to what she was already doing instinctively- turning adversity into growth, isolation into clarity, and fear into fuel.
From a life-threatening horse accident to walking 2000 km behind 18,000 head of cattle, Alice has lived at the edge of what most people think is possible. But it wasn’t until she discovered the principles of Choice Theory that she realised her so-called “instincts” had names, and that her courage had a framework.
This is a session for the bold-hearted. The quietly rebellious. The leaders who want to trade reactivity for responsibility and create a life that reflects who they are.
You’ll learn how to:
- Reframe adversity – See every setback as a signal, not a stop sign.
- Activate internal control – Stop waiting for permission and start choosing your own outcomes, even when the path is uncharted.
- Own your vulnerability – Understand how real courage means being visible, raw, and real, especially when it’s uncomfortable.
Alice will challenge the belief that life “just happens to us” and show you how to stop being a character in someone else’s narrative and start authoring your own.
book your ticket
A unique conference filled with networking, keynotes, workshops, and engaging conversations with the like minded leading experts.
- GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA
- 2-4 OCTOBER, 2026
- GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA
- 2-4 OCTOBER, 2026
- GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA
- 2-4 OCTOBER, 2026
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