Groundswell Grantmaking Committee
September 2025
Ben Abbatangelo
Ben is Gunaikurnai & Wotjobaluk writer, strategist, investor, and former professional athlete. He is currently in the early stages of founding a venture fund and studio dedicated to supporting rebels with a generational conviction and cause. With nearly a decade of global leadership experience, Ben has become a trusted partner for entrepreneurs and collectives pioneering new paradigms.
His work spans the intersections of planetary health, Indigenous rights, politics, economics, technology, and education, across the private, public, and non-profit sectors. As a multi-disciplinary story holder, maker and teller, Ben contributes to various domestic and international publications. In 2023, he was recognized as a Walkley Finalist, Australia's equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize.
Ben is formerly the Deputy CEO of AIME, Advisor to the Global CEO at Seek, and the Director of Strategy & Investments at First Nations Futures. He is a Non-Executive Director of Victoria University Online.
Linh Do
Linh Do is passionate about climate justice and leadership development. She's spent the last decade working across advocacy and engagement, media and social enterprise. Linh leads the Wattle Fellowship at the University of Melbourne. She is also chair of Climate Action Network Australia and a board member of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation.
She was most recently Australia and Pacific lead for Climate Reality, Al Gore’s leadership program having brought over 800 people together for Climate Week Queensland. Outside of work, she can be found consuming ice cream, walking extremely quickly and dabbling in podcast creation.
Melina Ey
Dr Melina Ey (she/her) is a lecturer and cultural geographer at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Her research traces practices of resistance, care and repair in a climate changing world, with particular focus on community-led, more-than-human and localised responses and collaborations.
She lives and works on Wonnarua, Awabakal and Worimi Country.
Rachael Cavanagh
Rachael Cavanagh is a respected Cultural Fire Keeper and Indigenous knowledge holder with over two decades of experience working across Australia’s environmental sector. Her work bridges cultural practices and contemporary environmental management, offering a powerful voice for Country and the custodians who care for it.
As a consultant, Rachael works with organisations, governments, and communities to embed Indigenous knowledge systems, science, and cultural ways of being into environmental policy, land management, and climate resilience strategies. She is a leading advocate for Indigenous-led decision-making and cultural governance and has been instrumental in supporting Indigenous stewards to reclaim and strengthen their roles as leaders and protectors of Country.
Rachael’s speaking engagements reflect her deep commitment to empowering Indigenous voices – especially those of Indigenous women – restoring their central place in the nurturing of Country, Kin, and Culture. Her presentations are grounded, transformative, and deeply connected to lived experience, offering audiences not just insight, but a call to action for shared responsibility in healing Country. Rachael brings truth, clarity, and cultural depth to discussions around good fire management, climate justice, Indigenous rights, and the sustainable, ethical care of land, water and sky in Australia and Globally.
Phillip Cornwell AM
Phillip Cornwell AM is a former partner at a major commercial law firm. He was recently appointed to the board of Climate Defenders Australia as Chair, and joined the Nature Conservation Council of NSW’s Legal Subcommittee. Phillip is also Vice President of Bush Heritage Australia, Chair of the Midlands Conservation Partnership, and was, for the last 10 years, a Director and Chair of the Australian Pro Bono Centre. He is a member of the AEGN and volunteers for Zali Steggall OAM MP. Phillip recently retired as Director and Deputy Chair of Suicide Prevention Australia, where he was awarded Life Membership. This year Phillip was honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to conservation and the environment, community health, and to the legal profession.
Jane Thomas
Jane has worked across the for-purpose, government and consulting sectors for 25years. Her current role is Program Manager at The Myer Foundation & Sidney Myer Fund, where she has responsibility for the sustainability and environment program. A grant making focus in the current period is supporting organisations that seek to influence action on climate change. Prior to this role, Jane was Executive Officer of Aussie Farmers Foundation, managing a grantmaking program supporting rural, regional and remote communities across a number of areas including disaster relief and recovery and sustainability. Jane came to philanthropy after many years working in strategic communications and media management in a range of non-profit organisations including national youth mental health foundation headspace, SunSmart at Cancer Council Victoria, the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund and youth homelessness charity Ladder.
Sally Coggiola
Sally is passionate about empowering communities to solve social and environmental challenges. For over fifteen years Sally has worked on projects and programs that put people at the heart of making progress on climate change. She has led work to engage business leaders, local government, schools, farmers, elite athletes, health professionals, regional women and a wide range of community groups. Sally is the Community Engagement and Advocacy Director at Environmental Leadership Australia (ELA).
Prior to joining ELA in 2021, Sally was Director of Organising with the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, Australia ’s largest youth-run organisation. She was previously Outreach Manager at WWF Australia, and Campaign Director at Suncrowd, helping communities organise bulk buys for solar panels and batteries. Sally is passionate about sports and is Company Secretary of Footy for Climate, a nonprofit supporting the AFL community on climate solutions. Sally has a deep appreciation for regional and rural Australia, she grew up exploring the coasts of NSW and comes from farming families, with history in sugar cane farming in Far North Queensland, and beef cattle in the Southern Highlands of NSW.
Mijica Lus
Mijica Lus is a community advocate, youth leader, and passionate changemaker working across the Pacific and Australia to empower Pasifika and First Nations communities. As the founder of the Aurosokwo Project, Mijica leads initiatives that celebrate Pasifika culture through film, art, and youth development, while also addressing climate change, equity, and education in regional and Pacific communities.
She is the 2024 Young ACT Woman of the Year and currently serves as the ACT Representative for Pacific Climate Warriors, the ACT UN Young Professionals Association representative, and a member of several youth advisory councils, including the Australian Red Cross and Volunteering ACT.
With a strong background in community services, law, and policy working in policy and paralegal supporting clients in the domestic violence space. Mijica brings a deep understanding of grassroots advocacy, cultural identity, and inclusive community development.
Her lived experience as a Papua New Guinean woman who grew up across the Pacific and now resides in regional Australia shapes her passion for uplifting First Nations and Pasifika voices. As a Groundwell shortlisting panel member, she is committed to ensuring funding reaches impactful projects led by and for these communities.
Michaela Healey
Michaela Healey has been an enthusiastic Groundswell supporter for six years keen to ensure more caring and concerned citizens across Australia understand the impact they can make through supporting climate action and positive change as Groundswell members. Michaela’s background combines senior executive experience in corporate roles in banking, industrial and resources companies with director roles in for purpose organisations including Free to Feed, The Man Cave, Berry Street and Good Stuff Global. Michaela has also been a contributor and faculty in the Cambridge University Sustainability Leadership Program and a Kilfinnan Australia mentor. Her experience in advocacy, leadership, governance, social enterprises, start ups and fund raising enable her to appreciate the challenges that change agents can face and the importance of supporting leaders who want and are able to make a difference.