Our Board

Aakanksha Manjunath

Aakanksha is an intersectional feminist and first-generation migrant. Her lived experiences with complex and chronic violence underpin her resolve to create a more just and equitable world. Her background involves extensive grassroots campaigning work around the world on a wide range of social issues. She is an active member of a number of committees at various organizations tackling gender-based violence in public spaces and also mentor’s young activists with a focus on community organizing and transformational leadership.

Kathryn Bellion

Kathryn Bellion is an executive HR professional who has worked in law, finance, and health and medical research leading large teams of skilled professionals. An experienced Board member, Kathryn is passionate about working for organisations seeking equity of access to education and opportunity and strongly focused on respect and wellbeing for individuals personally and professionally to thrive in life. Kathryn is legally qualified and holds dual Masters in HR and Commerce.

Laura Conti

Laura is a feminist activist and storyteller, and fierce advocate for women leaving/from Fundamentalist Christian groups. She co-founded Social Enterprise #GoKindly, a social enterprise that supports women from underrepresented backgrounds after 17 years of working in Finance. She has a BA (Chinese Language, Women’s Studies) and a BCom (Accounting). She is a CA, CPA and AAICD. Laura defines herself as an intersectional feminist, who laughs loudly and often. She divides her time between the lands of the Wurundjeri (Melbourne) and the Wamba Wamba (North West Vic/Far South West NSW).

Lisa Seary

With over 20 years’ experience in both public and private organisations, Lisa is a Finance and Operations Executive with a passion for delivering operational excellence and building highly engaged teams. Her roles across Telstra and Lion, working across multi-location teams have provided her with extensive experience in the delivery of Business Transformation programs, Financial Management and Policy and Governance reform. Recognising the impact of Change Leadership to the success of organisations, Lisa holds an MBA specialising in Change and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Priya Serrao

Priya Serrao is a public policymaker at the Victorian government and a qualified lawyer. She is also a non-executive director at YouthNow and holds an advisory position at CISA’s Future Female. With a strong interest in issues of social justice, she enjoys using digital media as a tool for advocacy, education, and awareness-raising. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Monash University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Melbourne. 

Steffi Chang

Steffi Chang leads the philanthropy program at Plan International Australia, which is an international NGO specialising in girls' equality. As a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) with over a decade's experience in the not-for-profit sector, she has raised over AUD$20 million for various causes including gender equality, international development, public welfare, medical research, and the environment.

Steffi currently also co-chairs the Australian Philanthropy Network. In 2020, she was named Fundraising Institute Australia’s National Young Fundraiser of the Year.