Join us for our fringe event ahead of the Social Enterprise Job Summit. This interactive workshop style event will explore how social enterprise can evolve. From niche initiatives to mainstream models that influence broader economic and labour markets.

Proudly Sponsored by The Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship (ACRE). This session will bring together experts and leaders to share strategies and insights for scaling social enterprise impact.

As this workshop is a fringe event to the Social Enterprise Jobs Summit, we strongly encourage you to register for both to maximise your experience.

Please note that registration for the Summit is separate from your workshop ticket and must be purchased separately. Secure your Summit tickets via the following link: Social Enterprise Jobs Summit. 

Program Overview

Download a copy for the PDF program here.

• Social Enterprise Transitions to the General Labour Market

The case for support of SE’s increases exponentially if participants and the successful practices of SE’s are transferable to the general labour/business markets. There has been a long history of well-intentioned but unsuccessful approaches to achieving open employment for people with significant barriers to employment. Case studies on management and work practices from both SE and mainstream businesses will demonstrate this is achievable.  

• Social Enterprise Investment Market Creation

Australia lags the developed world in establishing a social impact investment market. The previous coalition government established the Social Impact Investing (SII) Taskforce to develop a strategy for the Australian Government’s role in the social impact investing market. The Taskforce final report was released in December 2023 and is yet to be actioned.

Australia’s social problems far exceed the resources available to government to address them, especially in the current challenging fiscal circumstances. This underlines the critical importance of attracting private capital to boost public investment, drive innovation and increase our economic, social and environmental resilience.  We examine the establishment of a social impact investment market in the UK and elsewhere with lessons for Australia.

• Social Enterprise and Disability

The participation rate for people with a disability in employment has remained static for over 20 years. We explore workplace models in a SE setting to improve outcomes for people with a disability.

Productivity-based wages in Australia have a long and at times controversial history. The current ADE awards and supported wage assessments may not meet Australia’s obligations under the United Nations. SE’s need to address this issue and we examine options for the future, including the recommendations of the Disability Royal Commission.

• Wrap up and Networking (refreshments will be provided)

Speakers & Facilitators

Facilitated by Amplify Alliance's Bryan McCormick.

Matt Pfahlert: MC

Matt is a pioneering social entrepreneur, with a long-standing commitment to rural Australia and its young people.

As co-founder and CEO of ACRE, Matt is driving the renewal of Australia's rural communities so that future generations may thrive.

 Sally Quinn - Speaker

Sally is the CEO and Co-founder of Green Collect, a pioneering social enterprise in the sustainability sector and in inclusive employment and training practices. Over the last 20 years she has led the enterprise as a dynamic provider of resource recovery services demonstrating innovation and best practice in the circular economy.

Sally has taken the enterprise through the phases of start-up, growth and scale, enabling deep impact through delivering services to a wide base of clients across Melbourne. At the heart of her work is a dedication to creating meaningful and supportive work for people facing barriers to employment, such as homelessness, disability and refugee experiences. As Chair of SENVIC, the peak body for social enterprise in Victoria, Sally works across industries to help create a fair
and inclusive society through the ‘business for good’ movement.

Dr Peter Smith - Speaker

As the Founder and Director of the Centre for Disability Employment Research and Practice (CDERP), Dr. Smith has pioneered research into customised employment, social enterprise models, and disability employment transition strategies. He has held numerous academic fellowships including at Cornell University (USA) and the University of Melbourne where he led research collaborations funded by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and the Department of Social Services (DSS).

Dr. Smith has published extensively on social enterprise models for inclusive employment, customised employment and disability employment policy in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, and government reports. He has developed and authored multiple training programs through CDERP College, including the only Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE) Certified Customised Employment program outside of the USA. His work continues to shape the future of disability employment practices and policy in Australia and internationally.

Kyle O'Brien - Speaker

Kyle is the APAC Director for Revolent Group, an leading organisation that specialises in building Workforce Development Talent Programs for the Tech Industry. He has a particular interest in social integration and making positive change in the community through impactful employment initiatives. With experience spanning both corporate and social enterprise sectors, Kyle believes they can both learn a lot from each other!

Dr Catherine Brown OAM - Speaker

Catherine has a long commitment to supporting innovative solutions to tough environmental and social challenges. She is currently an Enterprise Professor at the Melbourne Business School and the Melbourne Law School with a focus on blended finance and research impact respectively. 

Catherine is Chair of the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network and a Board member of Impact Investing Australia. Catherine led the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, the largest and oldest community foundation in Australia, for 12 years until early 2024. In 2016, the Foundation placed a climate lens and a gender lens across its work and added impact investment to its asset allocation. Priority impact areas included affordable housing, economic inclusion and social enterprise, climate change (mitigation and resilience), and sector capacity building. 

Catherine is the author of Great Foundations: A 360° guide to building resilient and effective not-for-profit organisations (ACER Press, 2010). She completed a PhD titled Unlocking the innovation potential of philanthropic organisations at the Centre for Social Impact, Faculty of Business and Law, Swinburne University in 2019. She holds a current lawyer’s practising certificate and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Catherine was awarded a Medal in the Order of Australia for services to charitable organisations in 2020. 

Libby Ward-Christie

Libby Ward-Christie is Director of the Melbourne Business School, Centre for Social Purpose Organisations. Libby brings a wealth of experience in applied social purpose research, education and engagement. Her specialist knowledge spans social entrepreneurship, social finance and philanthropy, impact measurement and evaluation and for-purpose strategy and governance. She has worked with hundreds of not-for-profit and other social purpose organisations undertaking engaged research and providing advisory services.

Libby's achievements demonstrate an ability to bring the worlds of community, business, philanthropy and government together to innovatively and sustainably address disadvantage, informed by rigorous research and evidence. She has extensive networks across Australia’s for-purpose ecosystem and the ability to engage people from all sectors toward collective social-purpose goals.

Libby has an MBA from Melbourne Business School with Dean’s Honours, she is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a recipient of an Melbourne Business School Alumni Award for her work with social-purpose organisations. Libby is currently finalising a PhD focusing on social entrepreneurship.

Dr Michael Moran is an Academic Specialist and Lecturer in Social Enterprise at the University of Melbourne, a Fellow of the Australian Welfare and Work Lab in the Faculty of Arts and Fellow of the Centre for Social Purpose Organisations at the Melbourne Business School. Prior to joining Melbourne, he was a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Social Impact (CSI) Swinburne University and National Education Director for the CSI network administered by the UNSW Sydney. His current research focus is on resourcing dynamics – how organisations are funded and financed – including through blended social finance and impact investment; outcomes-based contracting in public sector commissioning, particularly social impact bonds, and the role of support programs (accelerators and incubators) in developing early-stage social enterprise. 

Our Sponsor

Thank you to our incredible sponsor The Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship (ACRE). A globally recognised social enterprise dedicated to unlocking the power of entrepreneurship and social enterprise to forge a thriving future for rural Australia. 

For over a decade, ACRE has been educating around the model of social enterprise. We offer learning and development programs, support and advice to build entrepreneurial skills and social enterprise knowledge in individuals, organisations, government and community.