Meet the Activators

Supporting the next generation of Aussie changemakers

Every school participating in Future Anything’s Activate program is connected with an ‘Activator’.

Acting as their very own ‘Entrepreneur in Residence’, Activators work with a participating school, supporting their teachers and students as a mentor, sounding board, and cheerleader as they work through Activate

The Activator’s goal is to help to connect learning in the classroom to life outside the school gates.  

MEET THE ACTIVATORS 2025

Future Anything is thrilled to welcome an incredible group of volunteers who are generously dedicating their time to empowering the next generation of Aussie innovators and changemakers in 2025!

Want to become an Activator? Register your interest here. 

Abbey Cameron

Founder

Nourish'd

Adele Laughton

CEO

Queensland Social Enterprise Council

Alicia Cohen

Founder and Educational Publisher

Amba Press

Alison Wheeler

Director

Alison Wheeler Coaching

Ally Fulton

AI Developer

Deloitte

Anjuman Ahuja

Senior Scientific Editor

Elsevier

Annette McClelland

Founder & CEO

Tekuma

Anton Guinea

Director/Business Owner

The Guinea Group Pty Ltd

Artur Dailidonis

Founder

ApyApp

Bec Clark

Founder and Director

The 152 Project

Bethan Winn

Director

Human Skills Co

Carmen Pascoe

Founder, GM

WNDR studios

Claire Pink

Global Programs Manager

Farmers2Founders

Daniel Pittman

Managing Director

Zinus ANZ

Deb Allan

Manager

Queensland Manufacturing Hubs Program - Mackay

Dominique Lamb

Queensland Small Business Commissioner

Queensland Small Business Commissioner

Fleur Johnston

Founder & CEO

PeopleBench

Hayley Langsdorf

Chief Doodler

Thoughts Drawn Out

Jarryd Townson

Qld Engineering Coordinator Training & Development

Glencore

Jeannine Malcolm

Co-Founder/ Manager

Mobius Farms Pty Ltd

Joanne Marriott

Founder and Director

MOJO Creative Leadership & Culture

Kalair McArthur

Director

Rural and Remote Development

Kate McRostie

Co-Founder and Director

CoilRig

Kelly Lee

Founder & CEO

Reborn the Rose

Kym Davis

Director

Dr Kym Davis

Leanne Butterworth

Founder

Empathy First

Lily Kennedy

Principal Project Officer

Department of Education WA

Matt Ainsworth

Sales Manager

Tekkon Technologies Pty Ltd

Miranda Simmiss

Product Manager

Everledger

Mojgan Samadi

Xburo Office Leader/Project Manager

XBURO

Monte Huebsch

Co-Creator

AussieWeb

Onnie Chan

Founder & Director

Women in Creative Technologies

Paula Bridges

Copywriter/Content Strategist

Studio Chevell

Ramesh Waghmare

Senior Solution Architect- cybersecurity

NRI ANZ

Rebecca Parry

Founder

Be Ready Coaching

Sarah Spencer

Product Development HP

Data#3

Shahna Smith

Founder & CEO

Amplified Beauty Australia

Tom Pennington

CTO, Founder, Advisor, Investor

Humanico

Yohann Azlee

COO

Indigenous Innovation Ventures

Zac McCrindle

Co-Founder

Queenies Australia

MEET THE ACTIVATORS 2024

Future Anything was proud to welcome a cohort of epic humans who generously volunteered their time to support the next generation of Aussie innovators and changemakers in 2024.

Adele Laughton

CEO

Queensland Social Enterprise Council

Alex Cross

Mentor Collaborator Investor

Vimeo Capital & Consulting

Alicia Cohen

Publisher

Amba Press

Allan English

Chair

English Family Foundation

Allan Shaw

Executive Coach

ICF accredited coach, mentor and reviewer

Amanda Fielding

Global Lead

Women's Sport and Pathways - VALD

Ben Forbes

Venture Partner

Blackit Ventures

Carmen Pascoe

General Manager

WNDR Studios

Clare Monkman

Senior Project Manager

REA Group

Crevia Soh

Consultant, Founder and Lecturer

UNSW and Le Cordon Bleu

Dante St James

Expert in Residence & Investment Scout

Darwin Innovation Hub & Paspalis Innovation Investment Fund

Deb Allen

Manager

Manufacturing Hub Mackay

Emily Cullen

Innovation Program Advisor

CSIRO

Fleur Johnston

CEO & Founder

PeopleBench

Jacqui Walters

Co-founder

Era Innovation

Joanne Marriott

Founder and Director

MOJO Creative Leadership & Culture

Joel Hillier

Director

Hillier Consulting

Julia Spicer

Qld Chief Entrepreneur

Engage and Create Consulting

Leanne Butterworth

Founder

Empathy First

Lee Crockford

Social Impact Stategist

Freelance

Lisa Bourke

Director

Content Hive

Marissa Thomas

Founder

The STEAM Engine Co.

Mark McCrystal

Catapult Program Lead

City of Logan

Mick Hase

Founder/Director

SEVENTEENx

Miranda Simmiss

Product Manager

Everledger

Peter Maynard

Founder & CEO

CyberMetrix

Rebecca Hall

Assistant Director General Policy, External Relations and International

Department of Education

Reece Miller

Product Manager

Spendable

Ross Giudice

Manager Economic Development

Brisbane City Council

Sam Bricknell

Director

Techvisa

Sandy Deans

Advisor/Mentor

Advisory Board Centre

Sarah Norman

Director

The Futures Practice

Sharon Jensen

Careers Navigator- Isaac Region

Qld Resources Council / Careers Navigator

Shea McKenna

Investment Associate

NextGen Ventures

Sophie Krantz

Global Strategist

OpenExO

Steffi Bates

Economic Development Officer | Youth Engagement & Innovation

Bundaberg Regional Council

Susan Brook

Director of Global Education

Department of Education

Viren Thakrar

Founder

In The Game

ABOUT ACTIVATE

Future Anything’s Activate program empowers young people to design innovative, sustainable, and scalable solutions to the problems they care about. It’s delivered by educators in their own classrooms over one or two terms and culminates in their school’s very own ‘shark tank’ or showcase.

Activate teachers receive professional development and support, and extensive curriculum resources and assessment tools – everything they need to build enterprising mindsets in their classrooms.

Plus, students have the opportunity to take their ideas to our high-profile national competition with young people pitching for funding and support to launch their ideas into the real world.

Want to bring Activate to your school? Find out more here.