Jamie Engel is the founder of Neutopia.co, the leading online education platform to support the global transition to connected ways of learning for academic, corporate and forward-thinking organisations. Neutopia supports 21st-century learning and builds community by creating meaningful peer-to-peer engagement. It is powered by an AI-based recommendation system similar to a “Spotify for knowledge”.

With a background in film, 3D animation, virtual and augmented reality, he specialises in designing innovative curricula and training programs that use storytelling techniques along with new technologies. He has designed programs for a range of higher education and corporate clients including Laureate Universities, BT Finance, Westfield and Haworth Global. Jamie is exploring how augmented reality can be used to communicate complex systems information in interactive and immersive experiences through virtual simulations.

An inspiring keynote speaker and master educator, Jamie has mentored and partnered on projects that foster entrepreneurship, social enterprise and leadership skills for young adults such as One Young World and Remarkable, Australia’s first disability-focused accelerator. He recently joined the Advisory Council for the Future Minds Accelerator chaired by David Gonski and sponsored by Rio Tinto. Jamie is committed to setting new standards in education by connecting upcoming leaders, sharing their wisdom and amplifying their impact.

Melissa has over 20 years’ experience in the financial services industry, working previously as a financial planner, stockbroker and seminar delivery specialist. Melissa has worked with a variety of different employers – from large financial institutions such as Sunsuper, Suncorp and Westpac to small boutique financial planning firms.

With a passion for finance and making a difference in people’s lives, Melissa was naturally drawn into financial planning. But while working in the industry, she realised there was a strong need to educate and coach people around managing their money.

Melissa consolidated all her knowledge around finances and her love of working with people and created her own money coaching business called Talking Money.

Talking Money is about changing people’s lives by providing the tools, support and framework to empower them to have clarity, awareness and efficiency around their money.

Melissa creates a safe space to have a real conversation about money and is passionate about uncovering how our relationship with money impacts our motivations and behaviour every…single…day!

Melissa has spoken extensively as a guest speaker and has also been a contributor in numerous magazines and newspapers including Marie Claire Australia.

Melissa has been a member of the Financial Planning Association since 1997.

Melissa hold a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance), Diploma of Financial Planning, and is a Certified Financial Planner (non-practising)

Melissa likes to keep fit and healthy and enjoys spending time with her two children, Olivia and Lachlan. Good company, food and wine are essential!

Simon is the CEO of RIAA — an organisation with 280+ investment organisation members who jointly manage over $9 trillion in assets globally — where he has worked for the past seven years to elevate sustainability issues as core investment risks and opportunities, and shift capital to support a more sustainable, equitable and prosperous world.

Simon is also co-chair of the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative, a financial services sector collaboration consisting of 90 organisations who are working to develop a roadmap for the sector to contribute systematically to Australia’s contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change. ASFI brings together leaders spanning Australia’s major banks, superannuation funds, insurance companies, financial sector peak bodies and academia to develop a Sustainable Finance Roadmap by mid-2020, in consultation with diverse sectors and stakeholders.

Simon has operated at the intersection of economics, finance and sustainability for nearly 20 years and has international experience as an economic adviser, investment analyst and sustainability consultant across finance, corporate and not-for-profit sectors.
Simon is active across the region and internationally in responsible investment and sustainable finance.

Some people talk about the future. Simon chooses to live it. He researches trends and emerging technologies, then runs experiments on himself, his business and sometimes his family. Armed with his first-hand experiences, Simon helps others implement the future and successfully navigate the risks, challenges and opportunities it brings.

Along the way, these experiences have also resulted in a couple of books: Analogosaurus: How to avoid extinction in a world of digital business is about how to engage people in the opportunities of technology and The Digital Champion: Connecting the dots between people, work and technology is both a practical guide to identifying and implementing technology opportunities.

Simon’s fresh, insightful keynotes reflect the same philosophy of continual experimentation and improvement that he brings to the rest of his life. Inspired by live music performances, Simon uses cutting-edge video and sound mixing software to deliver an immersive visual and audio experience that reinforces what makes live events unique.