Groundswell Grantmaking Committee
May 2026
Wollie Gela - Community Organiser & Campaigner, Seed
Wollie Gela is a proud Darnley Island, Boigu Island, Angkamuthi, Kabi Kabi, Butchulla and Kaurareg man. He began his journey with Seed Indigenous Climate Youth Network in 2019 as a volunteer on the beautiful island of the Quandamooka peoples, North Stradbroke Island. Since then, Wollie has continued to grow in his leadership, returning to Seed as a Community Organiser and Campaigner. Wollie has been involved in many social justice spaces and has returned to the climate justice movement knowing that caring for Country is crucial. Without Country, we are nothing because we are of it, it is not of us. As an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander man, Wollie stands within a culture that has carried the responsibility of caring for Country through countless generations sustaining it not just for today, but for those yet to come. This is an inherited obligation grounded in Lore, kinship, and continuity.
Blair Palese - Director of Philanthropy, Ethinvest
Blair is Director of Philanthropy at Ethinvest, overseeing both the Ethinvest Foundation and the company’s Community Impact Foundation, established to support the charitable giving of our clients. She has more than 30 years’ experience in the charitable sector in Australia, the US and globally. Blair co-founded 350.org Australia in 2009 and was CEO for 10 years. She has been on the boards of and worked with numerous charities, government agencies and companies including as director of communications for Greenpeace International, head of PR for The Body Shop and as an advisor to Google X’s climate moonshot team, the C40 Cities for Climate Action, Green Building Council and the Australian Museum’s climate solutions project. Blair is also the founder and director of the Climate Capital Forum, bringing together leading thinkers and key policy makers to address critical issues on decarbonisation and renewable energy.
Brooke Collard - Producer and Writer, Goguljar Yok
Brooke Collard is a Ballardong/Whadjuk Noongar film producer dedicated to telling bold, culturally grounded stories across screen, VR, and games. Based in Broome, Western Australia, Brooke is a multidisciplinary artist of Noongar storytelling and contemporary screen practices, building platforms for community voices to be heard both locally and internationally. She is the founder of Goguljar Yok, a First Nations-led production company, and has produced award-winning short films including Marlu Man and Anangu Way. With a slate spanning webseries, documentary, and VR projects, Brooke champions First Nations creatives and fosters new pathways into the industry. Their work reflects a commitment to truth-telling, cultural preservation, and challenging the industry’s status quo through a lens of care, accountability, and innovation. Brooke has participated in national and international development labs, including Netflix’s Broad Horizons, SPA Ones To Watch 2021, and Docs By The Sea, and is actively forging relationships with global partners. Her work is not just about representation—it's about authorship, First Nations story agency, and transforming the screen landscape from the inside out.
Laura Mannix - Philanthropy & Community Lead at the Australian Communities Foundation
Laura Mannix (she/her) is the Philanthropy & Community Lead at the Australian Communities Foundation, where she leads donor education and organising, and collective giving initiatives, including ACF's Impact Fund and National Crisis Response Fund. She works at the intersections of philanthropy, social justice and community power. Laura holds 20 years’ experience across migrant justice, community development, and non‑profit leadership in Australia and internationally. As a bi-racial person working within philanthropy, Laura is particularly focused on dismantling colonised structures within the sector and shifting resources toward equity‑led, community‑driven change. She holds a BA in International Studies, a Graduate Diploma in Social Innovation, and serves on the Board of the Racial Justice Center.
Angel Owen - National Director, Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network
Angel is a proud Butchulla and Woppaburra woman and mother of three. She was one of five incredible young mob who originally supported the launch of Seed in 2014. Originally beginning her journey with Seed as a volunteer, Angel soon stepped up to become a Community Organiser, Director of Organising and Campaigns, and is now Seed’s National Director. Angel works tirelessly to inspire, empower and mentor First Nations young people to protect their Country, culture and communities from the causes and impacts of climate change. Angel deeply believes in the power and leadership of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the fight for climate justice and community led campaigns and solutions.
Brooke Phillips - Network Coordinator, Climate Action Network Australia
Brooke is passionate about building people-powered movements for climate justice. With over a decade of experience in the non-profit sector, she brings experience in community organising, campaign strategy, stakeholder engagement and program management. As Network Coordinator at Climate Action Network Australia (CANA), Brooke works behind the scenes to connect and strengthen a network of 180 member organisations, from major environment groups to grassroots and First Nations-led organisations, helping them collaborate for greater collective impact. She leads member engagement, communications, network gatherings and the CANA Small Grants Program, which supports grassroots leadership across the climate movement. Before joining CANA, Brooke held roles at Amnesty International Australia and Cancer Council Victoria, building a strong foundation across human rights, campaigning and fundraising. She lives on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, where she enjoys spending time in her community with her young family and friends.
Nadine Bush - Groundswell Giver
Nadine is an Australian interior, lifestyle and food stylist and producer with more than 30 years’ industry experience and has worked for leading brands in Australia and internationally. She was Decorating Editor and Stylist/Producer at Belle magazine for eight years and later served as Style Director for Live This multi-media brand for Murdoch Magazines and Channel Ten. Nadine began consulting with Jamie Durie’s Durie Design at the company’s inception in 1998 and became Creative Director in 2003, contributing to the company’s creative direction and growth. In 2017, she started her own brand strategy, marketing, communications and PR consultancy. And continues to work closely with a range of like-minded clients across strategy development, positioning and communications.
Nadine has always been an environmental advocate and climate activist. She engages in civic action through voting, direct communication with elected representatives, community advocacy and public demonstrations. In 2021, she became a member of Groundswell and also became involved in the Community Independents movement, where she volunteered for Kylea Tink’s election campaign for North Sydney.
Natalie Pidgeon - Groundswell Giver
Natalie is a successful senior executive with over 30 years of unparalleled global expertise in brand marketing, communications, and strategic leadership. Her career spans Australia, Asia Pacific, Europe, and America, where she has elevated blue-chip brands and businesses, creative agencies, and media organizations through transformative strategies that consistently deliver business growth. With proven success in board and C-suite environments, Natalie offers high-impact strategic oversight, effective governance, and a strong track record in resource development and philanthropic organisations across medical and increasingly climate. She is passionate about delivering long-term value to organisations by aligning purpose with performance and leveraging innovation to meet stakeholder expectations. Natalie Pidgeon is the Deputy Chair of the FSHD Global Research Foundation, contributing to the mission of advancing medical research and supporting muscle regeneration technologies. Natalie has been an active supporter of FSHD since 2013 and is inspired by the mission of Giving Life to Muscles.
Andrew Sneddon - Groundswell Giver
Andy is an environmental educator, project manager, and community organiser and is the Projects Manager at the Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE). Based on Gadigal/Wangal land (Inner West, Sydney), he is passionate about climate action, activism, education, and behaviour change. He is currently working with the Australian Association for Environmental Education, Rising Tide, Regen Sydney, and teaches yoga. His Master of Environmental Science (USYD) explored climate change, global environmental politics, and techniques for sustainability analysis. Andy is a trained Climate Reality Leader, and strives to support others working on climate solutions while building strong, resilient, connected communities that will adapt to our rapidly changing world.
James Kirby - Groundswell Giver
James is Executive Director of Kirby Capital Pty Ltd, his family investment vehicle, and is Vice Chairman of the James N Kirby Foundation, the family’s philanthropic foundation. He was previously executive director in his family’s engineering business. The James N Kirby Group was founded by his grandfather in 1924 and grew to become one of Australia’s leading manufacturers with operations in the automotive, refrigeration and air conditioning industries. After the sale of this business in 1999, James purchased Hungerford Hill Wines in the Hunter Valley, and managed this business until its sale in 2016. He has since been an active angel investor and advisor to multiple start-ups in climate-tech, food-tech and fin-tech businesses. James is a trustee of the Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation and Vice Chair of the Physics Foundation, University of Sydney. His interests include the arts, philanthropy, wine and technology.