2019 summit speakers
Silvia Vasquez-Lavado
Mountain-climber and social entrepreneur
Silvia Vasquez-Lavado's life has taken her all over the word. She has led more than one million people to march for girls' rights in Peru in 2018, addressed the world's leaders at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and inspired thousands of people with her humanitarian work.
Silvia's work in tech in California and global human rights has attracted plaudits from Fortune 500 magazine, CNET and the Peruvian government for her work in technology and social justice. Since 2014, her Courageous Girls initiative has supported the healing and empowerment of sexually abused girls through physical endurance, creative and mindfulness techniques.
As an avid adventurer and entrepreneur, Silvia has combined her many passions. She has climbed the tallest summit on each of the seven continents and became the first Peruvian woman to summit Mount Everest. It's exciting to think of where she will lead us at Newday Summit this year!
Silvia's work in tech in California and global human rights has attracted plaudits from Fortune 500 magazine, CNET and the Peruvian government for her work in technology and social justice. Since 2014, her Courageous Girls initiative has supported the healing and empowerment of sexually abused girls through physical endurance, creative and mindfulness techniques.
As an avid adventurer and entrepreneur, Silvia has combined her many passions. She has climbed the tallest summit on each of the seven continents and became the first Peruvian woman to summit Mount Everest. It's exciting to think of where she will lead us at Newday Summit this year!
Corey White
Comedian, film-maker and author
Corey White shares harrowing personal experiences in ways that spark recognition and provoke tears – often of laughter. Corey grew up in foster care and survived domestic violence. He's recovered from drug addiction and, like many, works through serious mental illness. There have been few dull moments in his 31 years.
In his short time as a comedian, Corey has won plaudits at the world's comedy festivals and fans through his appearances on ABC television, including 2018's hit, 'Corey White’s Roadmap to Paradise', a documentary series that finally solves "all the world’s problems".
Corey's memoir, 'The Prettiest Horse in the Glue Factory', is released in July. And we just may have some copies for him to sign at the summit.
In his short time as a comedian, Corey has won plaudits at the world's comedy festivals and fans through his appearances on ABC television, including 2018's hit, 'Corey White’s Roadmap to Paradise', a documentary series that finally solves "all the world’s problems".
Corey's memoir, 'The Prettiest Horse in the Glue Factory', is released in July. And we just may have some copies for him to sign at the summit.
Nicola Lipscombe
HeartWise Leader
Nicola Lipscombe is a heart-centred speaker who connects with genuine depth and warmth.
This belies Nicola's near obsession with academia, a passion that has led to degrees and certifications in Pharmacy, Higher Education, Neurolinguistic Programming, TAA, Management Practices, Mental Health First Aid, Resilience and a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology. But she's not doing this for little letters after her name... learning is not just something Nicola does. She's a knowledge seeker.
After spending most of her career in the pharmaceutical industry leading from her head, Nicola's doctors made an alarming discovery: in 2011 a tumour the size of a grapefruit was detected on her lung – and it had started attaching itself to her heart.
With the safe removal of the tumour, Nicola started to listen more to her heart and HeartWise Leadership was born. Nicola will share from her experience and translate cutting-edge research into practical and engaging advice to help you and your organisation lead for the greater good.
This belies Nicola's near obsession with academia, a passion that has led to degrees and certifications in Pharmacy, Higher Education, Neurolinguistic Programming, TAA, Management Practices, Mental Health First Aid, Resilience and a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology. But she's not doing this for little letters after her name... learning is not just something Nicola does. She's a knowledge seeker.
After spending most of her career in the pharmaceutical industry leading from her head, Nicola's doctors made an alarming discovery: in 2011 a tumour the size of a grapefruit was detected on her lung – and it had started attaching itself to her heart.
With the safe removal of the tumour, Nicola started to listen more to her heart and HeartWise Leadership was born. Nicola will share from her experience and translate cutting-edge research into practical and engaging advice to help you and your organisation lead for the greater good.
Dr Tom Nehmy
Award winning clinical psychologist
Tom didn't make it as a racing driver, so he became a black belt in karate and then a psychologist and professional speaker. Even today, he wants to keep pushing himself out of his comfort zone to reach more exciting, expanding horizons. More than anything, Tom gets joy out of teaching others how to expand theirs.
Tom is now a Director of Healthy Minds Education & Training, a leading provider of preventive mental health services to schools and companies in Australasia.
Tom's is the author of 'Apples for the Mind' a result of years of work helping people to overcome challenges and discover the foundation of their quality of life: wellbeing. The two most misunderstood aspects of wellbeing are psychological skills and the link between wellbeing and performance.
At Newday, Tom will address the misunderstandings by revealing the things you need to know now in order to create emotional balance, peak performance and lifelong wellbeing.
Tom is now a Director of Healthy Minds Education & Training, a leading provider of preventive mental health services to schools and companies in Australasia.
Tom's is the author of 'Apples for the Mind' a result of years of work helping people to overcome challenges and discover the foundation of their quality of life: wellbeing. The two most misunderstood aspects of wellbeing are psychological skills and the link between wellbeing and performance.
At Newday, Tom will address the misunderstandings by revealing the things you need to know now in order to create emotional balance, peak performance and lifelong wellbeing.
Megumi Miki
Quietly powerful
As a softly spoken introvert, Megumi used to believe that her quieter nature was a disadvantage. Throughout her career with some of Australia's largest organisations, including banks, super funds, insurers and government departments, Megumi came to realise that the ‘fake it till you make it’ approach was not only unfulfilling for her; it was unsustainable.
In 2016, Megumi launched Quietly Powerful to share the successes, challenges and learnings from a new approach to leadership.
In our uncertain and interconnected world, Megumi believes that the ‘alpha’ or ‘hero’ leadership style alone is outdated and inadequate. Quietly Powerful expands the definition of what good leadership looks, sounds and feels like and empowers quieter professionals and those outside majority groups to fulfil their potential.
In 2016, Megumi launched Quietly Powerful to share the successes, challenges and learnings from a new approach to leadership.
In our uncertain and interconnected world, Megumi believes that the ‘alpha’ or ‘hero’ leadership style alone is outdated and inadequate. Quietly Powerful expands the definition of what good leadership looks, sounds and feels like and empowers quieter professionals and those outside majority groups to fulfil their potential.
Mickey Kumatpi O’Brien
Cultural educator
Mickey Kumatpi Marratyu O’Brien is an Aboriginal person and descendant of the Kaurna (Adelaide Plains) and Narrunga (Yorke Peninsula) peoples. He has been providing cultural advice for many years and is a proud ambassador for the Kaurna people.
Culture is an important part of Mickey's life and he honours the responsibility passed down to him by his father, well-known Kaurna elder, Uncle Lewis O’Brien, by incorporating culture into every Welcome to Country.
Mickey connects with audiences through his engaging storytelling ability where he delivers powerful lessons passed on to him through his people, culture, history and experiences. Reminding audiences that, "cultural knowledge and respect is part of every story and each human journey."
Culture is an important part of Mickey's life and he honours the responsibility passed down to him by his father, well-known Kaurna elder, Uncle Lewis O’Brien, by incorporating culture into every Welcome to Country.
Mickey connects with audiences through his engaging storytelling ability where he delivers powerful lessons passed on to him through his people, culture, history and experiences. Reminding audiences that, "cultural knowledge and respect is part of every story and each human journey."
Nick Lee
Health advocate
With a beautiful family and a role as director of multi-national consumer goods company, Nick Lee had good reason to be happy and optimistic about his future. That changed in an instant when his wife Jodi was diagnosed with stage IV bowel cancer at the age of 39. After battling with the disease for 2 years, Jodi passed away in 2010.
After Jodi’s death, Nick made the brave decision to leave his job and use his experience to do all he could to stop others suffering a similar experience. He established The Jodi Lee Foundation to inspire others to protect themselves against bowel cancer and make positive choices to improve their health. The work of the Foundation has saved many Australian lives. This passion to improve the health of ordinary people continues to grow.
Nick has a wealth of corporate experience and is able to relate his own personal experience to current thinking about mental health, coping with stress and making the right choices when confronted with critical hurdles in our lives.
After Jodi’s death, Nick made the brave decision to leave his job and use his experience to do all he could to stop others suffering a similar experience. He established The Jodi Lee Foundation to inspire others to protect themselves against bowel cancer and make positive choices to improve their health. The work of the Foundation has saved many Australian lives. This passion to improve the health of ordinary people continues to grow.
Nick has a wealth of corporate experience and is able to relate his own personal experience to current thinking about mental health, coping with stress and making the right choices when confronted with critical hurdles in our lives.
Durkhanai Ayubi
Writer and restauranteur
Durkhanai is an Afghan-born migrant to Australia. She is a restaurateur, running restaurants with an ethos of food as a means for sharing stories, breaking down barriers and reshaping narratives. She is also a writer, with opinion pieces in various publications nationwide and an editor and co-founder of an online magazine, Sultana's Dream, written by Muslim women from across Australia.
Durkhanai is an Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity – a global Fellowship which brings together change makers from across the world with a shared vision of advancing fairer, healthier and more inclusive societies. She is currently writing a book on food and migration.
Durkhanai is an Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity – a global Fellowship which brings together change makers from across the world with a shared vision of advancing fairer, healthier and more inclusive societies. She is currently writing a book on food and migration.
Matthew Wright-Simon
Engagement specialist, event emcee
Matthew Wright-Simon is delighted to be working with Katrina and the Newday Leadership team on bringing this event together and hosting our inspiring leaders on stage as our Emcee. As he did in 2018, Matthew will link the intimacy of what's shared with the big picture and the events that shape our lives as leaders.
Matthew engages changemakers to confront tough personal, social and economic challenges — while having as much fun as possible in the process. His diverse commercial work is informed his roles in thought leadership, philanthropy and conservation with TEDxAdelaide, the Awesome Foundation and Landscape Partnerships, an environmental NGO he co-founded several years ago.
Matthew engages changemakers to confront tough personal, social and economic challenges — while having as much fun as possible in the process. His diverse commercial work is informed his roles in thought leadership, philanthropy and conservation with TEDxAdelaide, the Awesome Foundation and Landscape Partnerships, an environmental NGO he co-founded several years ago.
