Lynette Riley a Wiradjuri & Gamilaroi woman from Dubbo and Moree; she is a Senior Lecturer, in the Sydney School of Education & Social Work, The University of Sydney. Lynette has completed her PhD thesis on “Conditions of Academic Success for Aboriginal Students”.

Lynette trained initially as an infants/primary teacher through Armidale College of Advanced Education 1975-1977. Lynette has almost 40 years’ educational experience, working specifically to improve Aboriginal education and administration within: primary schools; high schools; Vocational Education and Training; NSW Department of Education, state office and Universities. Lynette has been a classroom teacher in primary and high schools; an Aboriginal Education consultant for schools across NSW; an Aboriginal Development Manager for VET across central and western NSW; Manager of the Dubbo TAFE Campus; State Manager for NSW DET, Aboriginal Education; and a senior lecturer at UNE and Sydney University. In these positions Lynette has run many projects and sat on numerous committees. Lynette is currently on the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Observance Week Committee; Board Member on the Aboriginal Languages Trust for NSW; Board Member, Foundation for Breast Cancer Care; and Chair for Yirigaa. Lynette is an Associate Professor and Program Director for Indigenous Studies and Aboriginal Education, with the Sydney School of Education and Social Work, at the University of Sydney.

Lynette has been required to not only theorise about education to and for Aboriginal students, and their communities; and interwoven interactions with non-Aboriginal people; but to actively find solutions creating sustainable change for Aboriginal programs, entwining understandings and knowledge of cultural education and competence for all people.

Lynette is also an artist having presented her Kangaroo Skin Cloaks – a traditional Aboriginal art form - at several exhibitions since 2012; and one of her greatest accomplishments is raising 7 children and having at present, 11 grand-children.

Ben Barnes began in consultancy, and moved to the public sector in 2012. Ben was the Principal Research Scientist at the NSW Centre for Road Safety. He is now Director of Evaluation at the Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation in the NSW Department of Education. He leads a team of over 25 internal evaluators and data analysts. Ben is on the NSW Australian Evaluation Society (AES) Committee and was co-convenor for the 2019 AES conference in Sydney.

Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews identifies as Bidigal of the D'harawal nation, and is a researcher and lecturer who centres and promotes Aboriginal Australian standpoints and perspectives across a diversity of disciplines (most notably education and psychology). He has managed and led numerous research grants and community projects investigating a diversity of topics including mental health, mentoring, identity, Aboriginal Knowledges, education, University Indigenous Graduate Attributes, martial arts, racism, and bullying. His projects have led to the development of a strong foundation in robust and diverse research designs, with an increasing dedication to Indigenous Research Methodologies. From this, he is continually developing his experience in applying quantitative and qualitative methods within his scholarly work, and is a strong advocate for Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Indigenous (D’harawal) Storywork frameworks. His research has also attracted a number of national and international awards (e.g., AARE Betty-Watts Indigenous Researcher Award), and he has produced the Healing the Wounds of the Heart documentary focusing on developing resiliency against racism for Aboriginal youth. Gawaian is a member of the Maiam nayri Wingara Indigenous Data Sovereignty Collective, National Indigenous Researchers and Knowledge Holders Network, D’harawal Traditional Descendants’ and Knowledge Holders’ Circle, and Banyadjaninga South-Western Area Aboriginal Group.

Samantha is the first Torres Strait Islander to graduate with a BA in Modern Asian Studies from Griffith University. She is very proud to have published her grandfather’s life story, Life B'long Ali Drummond: A Life in the Torres Strait. Samantha is also the author of Pamle: Torres Strait Islanders in Canberra and published numerous articles.

In 2020 Samantha became the Director Ethics and Research Leadership, AIATSIS (Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies). From 2018 Samantha has also been Visiting Research Fellow, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR), Australian National University. Samantha was also Visiting Research Fellow, Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) in 2009-2010 and Academic Coordinator, Jabal Centre, Australian National University in 2008.

Samantha has worked in several Australian Public Service agencies for over 20 years, and in non-government organisations. Samantha has represented women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interests on local, state and national boards and is the Treasurer, First Nations Australia Writers Network; Chairperson, ACT Torres Strait Islanders Corporation; and Treasurer, Us Mob Writing Group.

Seth is a Project Officer for the Officer Illawarra South East Region at Aboriginal Affairs NSW.

Jodie is a Project Officer for the Sydney Newcastle Region at Aboriginal Affairs NSW.