Our Presenters
Session1: Why inclusion matters – Sarah Roberts
Sarah is an Associate at Capire Consulting Group and was commissioned by Engagement Institute to develop the Inclusive and Accessible Engagement Toolkit. Her experience includes stakeholder engagement across the public health, education, and government sectors, with expertise in systems change and co-design. She is particularly skilled in engaging diverse communities.
Sarah has delivered complex engagement projects across rural, regional, and metropolitan Victoria, including the establishment of Australia’s first regional gender service for transgender and gender-diverse children, young people, and their families. She has been instrumental in the development of inclusion frameworks across community health and tertiary education settings and collaborated on the development of the Department of Education’s first Gender Equality Action Plan.
Sarah is passionate about the importance of building connections and relationships through engagement and has worked closely with LGBTIQ+ communities to develop organisation action plans.
Session 2: Designing & delivering inclusive engagement – Pino Migliorino AM
Pino is the founder and Managing Director of Cultural Perspectives, a leading consultancy specialising in community engagement, strategic communications, research and multicultural policy.
With over 40 years’ experience, Pino is widely recognised for his work supporting inclusive engagement with culturally and linguistically diverse communities across government, not-for-profit and private sectors.
Pino has led hundreds of public information campaigns and engagement strategies, including major initiatives for organisations such as the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Australian Electoral Commission and Positive Partnerships, where he developed a co-designed Multicultural Engagement Strategy to better support families of children on the autism spectrum from CALD backgrounds.
Alongside his consultancy work, Pino has held senior leadership and board roles across the multicultural and community sectors and currently serves as Deputy Chairperson of the Engagement Institute Board.
In recognition of his contribution to multicultural communities and refugees, Pino was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2017.
Session 3: Embedding & sustaining inclusion – Amanda Newbery
Amanda is a nationally recognised expert in communication and engagement. As the founder of Articulous Communications, she has led transformative projects across government, infrastructure, climate, and community sectors.
Known for her high-energy facilitation and strategic insight, Amanda helps leaders and organisations navigate complex conversations, build trust, and engage meaningfully. A licensed Engagement Institute trainer, she is also a long-standing ABC Radio panellist, contributor to national engagement standards, and a pioneer in digital engagement, developing tools such as avatars, AR/VR applications and evaluation software.
Session 4: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement – Tammy Baart
Tammy is a proud Dharug woman, systems thinker and the founder of Blak Ignited, where she works alongside organisations, leaders and communities committed to moving beyond intention and into meaningful, lived change.
Grounded in Indigenous ways of being, thinking and doing, Tammy supports organisations to shift away from performative approaches and towards relational leadership — where culture is honoured, accountability is shared, and relationships sit at the centre of decision-making. Her work focuses on building Indigenous Cultural Intelligence, strengthening leadership capability, and reshaping systems to be more human, just and connected.
Tammy’s approach blends lived experience, Indigenous wisdom, emotional intelligence and systems thinking with practical application. Through workshops, advisory work, cultural audits, leadership development and resource creation, she supports leaders and organisations to embed cultural safety, move from awareness to behaviour change, and create environments shaped by those most impacted.
Session 4: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement – Melissa Hagedorn
Melissa is a community engagement and digital participation specialist with over 15 years’ experience working across government, not-for-profit and corporate sectors. She is currently a Client Executive at Capire Consulting Group, where she supports organisations to design and deliver meaningful, inclusive engagement processes.
Mel is known for her work in digital engagement, service design and customer experience, with a strong focus on accessibility, social licence and authentic community participation. Since 2017, she has worked with more than 300 organisations to build their digital engagement capability through coaching, webinars and ongoing support.
A committed advocate for inclusion, Mel was a finalist for the Women in Digital Indigenous Leadership Award and is particularly proud of her role in delivering Australia’s first Braille ballot paper for the 2009 Queensland State Election. She is also a Board Member of the Engagement Institute, contributing to the sector she is passionate about.
Session 5: Māori engagement – Makaore Wilson
Makaore Wilson is Manager, Māori Customs and Protocols Lead for Aurecon, bringing a strong Māori perspective and worldview to engagement, education, and collaboration.
Makaore has over 15 years’ experience in the New Zealand education sector, with deep expertise in teaching, pedagogy, Māori cultural development, te reo Māori development, and digital fluency. His work supports culturally responsive practice and inclusive approaches.
A leader in engagement and collaboration, Makaore works at the intersection of government, community, and major projects, helping bridge expectations and foster meaningful participation. His background in Māori immersion education and cultural confidence informs his inclusive leadership style and strategic approach.
Makaore is also the Chair of the Engagement Institute’s Māori Cultural Advisory Group, contributing to the advancement of culturally grounded and inclusive engagement practice.
Session 5: Māori engagement – Helen Grant
Helen Grant is a senior engagement leader with over 15 years’ experience across local and central government. She specialises in social impact, social risk, partnerships, and inclusive engagement that reflects Aotearoa’s diverse communities.
As Head of Strategic Programmes at Auckland Transport, Helen leads strategy for major city centre infrastructure projects. Her background spans housing, urban development, social impact, and organisational change.
Of Pasifika and Scottish heritage, Helen holds academic qualifications in Sociology, Spanish, and Sustainable Development. A collaborative and values-driven leader, Helen is neurodiverse, a mother of two, a Board member of the Engagement Institute and an active member of the Engagement Institute’s Auckland network, supporting the evolution of engagement practice locally and globally.