Liz Ham discusses gender inequality by explaining how women often juggle multiple roles due to biological and societal factors, face typecasting in commercial work, and encounter plenty of barriers despite comprising 80% of consumer decision-makers. Liz calls for systemic change from decision-makers and those in power versus expecting women to work (even) harder.
This is just a little tea talk with Tanarra about the outcomes of a system predicated on the fear of women's success. I've been examining fear a lot in the workplace, and how it manifests, what it keeps us from doing, and frankly, the violence it visits upon us.
Dr. Amanda Coles focuses on intersectional inequality in the creative industries. Amanda shares her belief that people make culture and not the other way round. The centre of her discussion with Angela focuses on challenges of employment and the economic structures that are holding back gender equality efforts.
There are many challenges when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Differences of dealing with and overcoming them. She encourages us to view diversity as a strength, not a weakness if we're to create meaningful and impactful change. Jess encourages us to engage and lean into our uniqueness.
Our talk is simply a conversation between two friends. So much of what women encounter is seen as ordinary, banal, just the way things are. People accept it as the norm. We hope our stories help people empathise and understand the cultural sea change that's needed if we truly want to change.
Somewhere around 2015 the first of the John genre articles arrived, trumpeting that there are more CEO's named John than women CEO's in their entirety. For the next few years, these articles became as reliable as champagne power breakfast invitations in the lead up to IWD.
Photographer and Film maker, Karima unfolds her story of finding herself in the creative industry, how to succeed she needs to get comfortable with uncomfortable and how her work can be a constant form of self-discovery.
With women being fired at 3x the rate of men, it's time to stop promoting talent-less leaders who rely on charm and charisma alone. Confidence ≠ Competence. We all need to shine on the basis of our talent, then women stand a chance.
Constantly aware of being in the privileged position of the white male founder of a successful branding business, Tom is interviewed by Ve on the extra efforts to ensure that Nice and Serious delivers on being a business that strives for equality.
I've been thinking about all the ways women are labeled—in social spaces, at work, in the public sphere. My colleague and friend, Lizzie Bildner, had recently been posting about gendered products/innovation, so I asked her to join me to unpack some of the ways we "package women".
This is a good news story of finding a place to work that has empathy, support and a good dose of balance between work and what really matters in life. male leaders and employers have every opportunity to make an immediate impact on the imbalances – here's what that looks like.
Since enough men drone on and on, this is a short talk. It's all about flipping the question from "what should we do?" to "what should we stop doing?" and dealing with the underlying structural issues that create inequity.
I went for an early morning run in Amsterdam. Sunny, warm, I gear up in my shorts. Men catcalled me, whistled at me. Why? What in my outfit was provocative? Must I cover myself to run in peace? As women, we run for performance, to feel better, get fit, not to provoke or seduce men.
Did you know that there are almost 500 different versions of the name Sam in different languages across the world, across both male and female genders? Tea takes us through the challenge with pronouns and how they might not be a solution – and neither may International Women's Day actually!
Commercial photographer, Erin shares how her childhood home life has shaped her views and approach to traditional roles today. Erin's discussion is an excellent commentary on the debates that can be commonly held across households across Australia and beyond.
Photographers, Liz Ham and Cara O'Dowd team up to discuss 'the list' of being constantly held back because of the common, yet unique labours of female bodies and burdens – and the disbelief that a solution may still be generations away.
There is much research and many stats around the lack of female business ownership. Nancy, Amber and I are the voices behind the stats – we’ve all co-founded and run sustainable creative businesses employing many other designers. I think we have stories worth sharing.
Sometimes it's as simple and obvious as having a drill taken from your hand, because that's a man's job. Sian and Tess share experiences of the bro club vs working in an environment that's respectful and inclusive of all of our differences and qualities.
A candid conversation between two women partnering up to start a business together. Raw, honest and ready to take on all the challenges, highs and lows of the creative industry. Welcome to the world Super Keen.
The notion of the Disney Princess conjures up fondness, nostalgia, but also stereotype and cliche. What if we could reimagine and reflect our girls as the strong, confident and resilient princesses of today? That's exactly the opportunity Stef King took as she shares this project created for Disney.
We recorded this discussion to add some context for where Never Not International Women's Day came from. We thought it was important to share our motivations and hopes for what this platform can become and how the world needs to change for the better of everyone.
To make meaningful change in workplaces all over the world we need to recognise that this is a cultural problem. We also need to recognise to show men what they can't see all around them. The norm. The norm that has let stereotypes rule and anyone but a privileged white male suffer.
Tea Uglow takes a broad look at the roots of discrimination. Seen from her 'side' Uglow sees gender as a language issue not a men or women problem. With explanations like why 'sex' is like phone chargers and how gender's like a sneeze, it's not expected IWD fare, but it's raw and from the heart.
Lester Jones shares the behind the scenes motivations and creative inspiration for his short film, The One – a visual discourse inspired by the monumental "me too" movement.
NNIWD collaborators and founders of Agender (an all female production agency), Cybele and Angela get into the depths of what it will take to find true equality.
Creative industry leaders and day-to-day partners Ashleigh Parker, Jonathan Lim (from production agency PUSH) join Agender's Cybele Malinowski and her partner, photographer Daniel Boud to tackle the hard truths about gender equality. From childcare barriers to workplace discrimination after motherhood, they reveal why women's careers still take a hit at 30. A raw conversation about sexual harassment, systemic inequality, between two sets of parents and creative industry leaders on what it really takes to level the playing field.
Kelly was included on a 'Top 25 creatives in the world' list in 2020. She was 1 of 2 women. How fcked is that? Here she chats with her friend Diane about the many wrongs that need to be righted until it's Never Not International Women's Day.
shEqual is a movement to create advertising equality. Alyssa Shaw, Program Director shares why it's so important that we transform advertising into a force to support gender equality and end violence against women and the next steps in doing something about it.
International Women's Day isn't a party. It's a protest. Don't accept the first answer, don't compromise on how things are going to be, if it feels wrong it probably is. Join Helen as she lays out the world as it is and as it can be. Stand up – we can't be what we can't see.
Photographer and Producer, Emily May discusses the challenge of elevating women's voices in the creative industry.
Gender and equity consultant, Lauren Zappa shares her experiences with Shequal, Women's Health Victoria and how women's careers are shaped by a plethora of biological and social factors.
Youngblood's National Chairs, Phoebe and Tiger lead the way in support and guidance for the next generation of talent in Adland. Their discussion is a plea for change and better representation based on first-hand experience.
A heartfelt monologue by Linh Diep, founder of mentoring program, Assisterhood. Linh shares how confidence can both inhibit and unlock the power to create change and hope that employers will strive to zero the gender gap in workplaces.
Belittled, mansplained, treated as if you're unable to add value is the wrong expectation to set for a young, female creative – but it's far too common. Steph shares her experiences, but also how she's challenging the status quo and building her own network of allies.
Letting it go, staying quiet, not speaking out, not sticking up for each other – it will be Never Not International Women's Day until we reverse these behaviours. Nads has spent years learning how not to take any shit. Watch, listen and join her and Nicole on sticking up for ourselves.
Journalist Tom Loudon from Little Black Book reveals the stark reality behind advertising's gender gap. From hiring practices that favour the "old boys' network" to creative work made "about women without women," this candid conversation exposes how systemic barriers keep women out of key creative roles. Loudon shares insights on media's power to amplify diverse voices and challenges men in the industry to step up beyond performative gestures. A must-watch for anyone ready to tackle the real issues holding back gender equality in creative fields.
Founder and Editor of Mavens and champion for gender equality, Leah Morris shares her journey to founding a communications vehicle that tells positive stories, shares inspirational change and is a true representation of a force for good throughout the creative industry.
Strategic, product, and business design leader, Jacalin talks about the importance of the depth of ethnicity in gender equality and taking the leap in pushing yourself to be seen and heard. Jacalin goes on to share how she now gives back through education and mentoring.
Erin and Kyle from Entropico, share their mission for gender balance on and and off-screen, and picking up the mantle to champion new diverse voices across the industry. The conversation winds through the difficult client-agency discussions that have to reconcile subtexts and undertones that affect more gender balanced decision making.
AnotherKind are female brand and culture specialists, on a mission to help companies meaningfully connect with modern women today and tomorrow. Tiara and Liane bring a mix of experience and academic investigation to a discussion around how advances in feminism and the feminine identity are outpacing attitudes and behaviours by businesses.
Erika shares a mix of research findings and lived experience as a cinematographer for over 40 years and now as the first female national president of the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS). The barriers to equality still exist from which school you went to, who you know and how you navigate a still predominantly male power landscape. Progress continues to be slow, but the determination and commitment to change is and needs to be relentless.
Every year International Women's Day comes and goes. Rather than go back to business as usual, we say it should Never Not be International Women’s Day. Welcome to a mind-changing, bias-ridding, downright mutinous loop of ideas and musings from women in the creative and associated industries everywhere that will run 24/7/365 on a loop forever, or until...we don’t need to talk about it anymore.
The events of 2025 are already reinforcing that women are still a long way from equality and equity. Globally, women bear the brunt of the physical, emotional and financial impacts of economic, financial and political decisions with their livelihoods affected at almost twice the rate of men.
As International Women’s Day comes and goes, we say enough really is f*cking enough.
Enough of our stoicism. Enough of our patience. Enough of the injustice. It will be Never Not International Women’s Day until all women including women of colour, women with disabilities, and queer or trans women, stop being penalised for being women.
Enough really is f*cking enough
Another day once a year where women will be tapped on the shoulder to be ‘celebrated’ and to ‘inspire’ others. Then we can all go back to ‘normal’ for another 364 days before we have to roll the eyes and do it all over again. Which, let’s face it – is more than a bit f*cked.
So why didn’t we just call this “Always International Women’s Day”? In the spirit of Never not Creative we thought it should be Never Not International Women’s Day. Not just ‘another’ event. Never just another event. Instead an event that won’t go away until… it’s redundant. The idea grew into a never-stopping, continuous and ever-updating loop that will be live forever for you to tune into no matter where you are or what time it is across the world. So that was it.
The only decision left to make was who to invite, and when to launch. The day after Never Not International Women’s Day seemed fitting, and the speakers… well you can see for yourself. Identify as a man? You’re a biiiiig part of the solution, so you’re in there as well. Help us out and get other male eyeballs on this content.
If you’d like to submit a talk, or indeed a Pecha Kucha, poem, song, rant, meme or something that fills in your own personal blank around “It should Never Not be International Women’s Day until…”, share your idea here.
Our Speakers
Tanarra Schneider
Tanarra is a Managing Director at Accenture Interactive, leading Design in the Midwest. Over her 20+ year career, she’s designed everything from corporate education programs to healthcare apps to business models, both as a consultant and as a member of “in-house” design teams. Tanarra is a product of a very eclectic background. She’s been a dancer, cook, event planner, designer and — most recently — a mother.
Dr. Amanda Coles
Dr. Amanda Coles is a leading Australian researcher and policy advisor on equity, labour, and workforce development in the creative industries. Based at the Deakin University Business School as a Senior Lecturer in Employment Relations, her work is grounded in deep collaboration with industry partners and focuses on practical outcomes for creative workers. She is nationally recognised for producing evidence-based research that informs public debate and drives change—most notably through projects such as A Wider Lens, commissioned by the Australian Cinematographers Society, which earned her a finalist nomination at the 2022 Screen Well Awards. Dr. Coles is currently working with Creative Workplaces, the Australian Government’s creative sector workplace body, contributing to research and national strategies on safe, fair, and inclusive working conditions across the arts and creative industries. Amanda is a Co-Researcher with the Interuniversity Research Centre on Globalisation and Work in Canada and serves as Deputy Editor of the Journal of Industrial Relations.
Tea Uglow
TL Uglow ('Tea') is Creative Director for Google's Creative Lab in Sydney. She works with cultural and creative organisations around the world exploring the space between technology and the arts and what can happen where they intersect. Tea has a history in the arts, a love of literature, and a problem with staying focused. She speaks graphics geek, a bit of web‑dev, some Python, a touch of digital strategy, remedial project management, and really bad French. In May 2018 Tea was celebrated as one of Australia's #OUT50 LGBTQ Leaders by Deloitte and in the same month Editions at Play was awarded a Peabody-Facebook Futures of Media Award.
Jane Duru
Jane is a writer and editor with over 15 years’ experience in branding and journalism, working across Sydney and London. Jane is passionate about bringing verbal identity to life in distinctive, creative and compelling ways. She believes by bringing a strategic and creative lens to design, we can create the blueprints for how brands use language to communicate. Her work has been recognised and awarded by D&AD, AGDA and The Best awards.
Karima Asaad
Karima Asaad is a renegade behind the lens, a visual artist, director, and photographer who doesn’t just capture moments - she seizes them by the throat. Her work is bold and intimate, inviting viewers to engage with the candid beauty of life as it naturally unfolds. There’s an authenticity in every frame, an energy that comes from embracing the real and the spontaneous.Having worked across Europe, Australia, Asia, the US, and the Middle East, Asaad’s global experience has shaped her unique perspective. Her collaborations with major brands have sharpened her storytelling, infusing it with a dynamic spirit that keeps her work feeling fresh and alive.Her camera has found itself amidst the corporate worlds of TRESemmé, Vaseline, Westfield, the Virgin Group, Puma, KFC, Disney, and beyond, capturing moments that feel intimate, alive, and authentic.Born into an Egyptian-Lebanese family and spending part of her childhood in remote New South Wales, Asaad had to craft her own idea of femininity - one that shatters convention and takes no prisoners. That rebellion seeps into her art. “Women get it,” she says. “They see themselves in the work. They feel it. It’s visceral.”Her work doesn’t just speak to women—it howls. And she’s here to collaborate with brands who aren’t afraid to listen. “It’s aliveness I capture. Nothing less.”
Erin Moy
Erin Moy is an Australian writer, producer, and Walkley-nominated documentary filmmaker, and one of the founders of Entropico and WOOM. After starting her career in print journalism, Erin founded Australian production company Entropico in 2013 and has grown it into a world-class creative company with offices in Sydney, Los Angeles and New York. Entropico has produced world-class advertising campaigns for clients including Google, Beats, Samsung, Square and Adidas, has Webbys, Spikes, AWARD pencils and a Cannes Lion on the office mantel, has made short films that have screened at institutions and festivals including MONA, ACMI, Serpentine Gallery, Phoenix and Sydney Film Festival, and in 2023, Entropico made its feature film debut on global streaming platform Netflix with ONEFOUR: Against All Odds – a film that Erin co-wrote and produced. The film received a minutes-long standing ovation at its SXSW premiere and reached #2 on Netflix. Erin is a problem-solver and a storyteller, and in 2023 used those skills to co-found WOOM, a startup that fights period shame, empowers workforces and elevates workplaces with accessible and beautiful period care. WOOM was built around a desire to create positive change in workplaces, and has received extensive praise across international media.
Jacalin Ding
Jacalin Ding is a seasoned product design leader and business strategist with over 15 years of experience in building and leading design teams and products. She has collaborated with startups, enterprises, and agencies across New York, Vancouver, Tokyo, Singapore, and Sydney.As a strategic business designer, Jacalin has worked directly with CEOs and founders, helping to raise millions in funding for their businesses. She has also successfully built a side business that generates multiple six figures in annual revenue. Since 2018, Jacalin's courses have empowered over 10,000 designers to connect design with business success. She has coached designers from leading companies including Google, DoorDash, LinkedIn, Visa and Atlassian.
Sumita Maharaj
Sumita is a senior designer with over a decade of experience in broadcast, advertising and design. For Sumita, brands are living, breathing entities. Her approach to design stems from a belief that we live in a dynamic, motion-first world. Her diverse experience and hands-on approach to creativity equips her with the agency to lead cross-functional design projects large and small.
Leah Morris
Leah Morris is a senior copywriter and founding editor of Mavens, a movement to champion gender equality through communications. Leah grew up in the Victorian bush on the land of the Pangerang people. Moving to Melbourne (Naarm/Birrarung-ga) in 2014, she forged a career through valued mentorships with industry leaders who recognised her passion and hard work. Leah cut her teeth at boutique agencies, later moving to Big Red, HBK and most recently R/GA. Past clients include Coles, flybuys, Suzuki, STIHL, Dulux, Lifestyles and Toyota. Leah is a passionate mentor, most recently with The Aunties and D&AD Shift.
Nicola Mansfield
Over her career, Nicola has pioneered numerous agency services for customer experience, retail strategy, workplace strategy and brand for place. She has built offerings in professional service consultancies, led agencies, created client-side brand functions and founded startups. She has worked across most sectors including place, retail, property and financial. She has worked extensively in Australia, Asia and Europe.
Gabby Lord
Gabby Lord is a small human with a boss surname. More importantly, she’s an Australian designer and art director who has achieved great things wherever she has been across the world. From Australia to Germany, the US and beyond. She is now the Co-Founder of Super Keen Studio with Lauren Wong.
Angela Liang
Angela is Executive Producer and Co-Founder of Agender, a Gender Equity Studio challenging who gets to shape visual culture. She does it so her daughter doesn’t grow up seeing images of the world made predominantly through a man’s experience. Angela thrives on turning nothing into something; building creative infrastructure that brings ambitious ideas to life, while keeping every step rooted in care and equity. For her, producing is activism. It’s how she puts values into motion; reshaping the way we work, who gets hired, and how stories get told. A career highlight? Seeing Agender’s work under the iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House, sitting cross-legged on the warm pavers on a sunny day, watching strangers pause their stroll to take it in. If she wasn’t producing, she would be covered in charcoal and paint alongside an equally messy child (soon it will be a child AND newborn!) in a home studio.
Cybele Malinowski
Cybele Malinowski is a highly acclaimed Australian photographer and director whose work seamlessly blends the worlds of advertising, fashion, and art. Cybele connects us. Her photography and film work is a deep dive into being. She liberates her subjects and allows them the space to find and inhabit their beauty. Her work can be playful but it’s always revealing. Her unique vision and ability to connect with her subjects have garnered international recognition leading to collaborations with prestigious publications like, Harper’s Bazaar, Rolling Stone, Wallpaper and i-D.Her keen eye for detail, honed by her architectural training at Sydney University, informs her multidisciplinary approach, encompassing still photography, short documentaries, music videos, and creative direction. Cybele's contributions to the industry have been celebrated with numerous awards, including being named the 2022 Australian Women in Music Awards Photographer of the Year, and winner of the Margaret Cameron Award in 2024.Beyond her commercial success, Cybele is a passionate advocate for equality within the photography industry. As co-founder of Agender, she champions women's rights and strives to create a more inclusive and equitable landscape for female photographers. Her commitment to empowering women extends beyond the professional realm, as she actively mentors and supports emerging talent.
Jess Gosling
Jess Gosling is a UK Civil Servant, an Award-Winning Entrepreneur, Public Speaker, Academic & International Strategy / Culture / Diversity / Leadership Consultant. Named 27th in the Top 100 Women Future Leaders 2020, Jess has consistently strived to bridge the gap between culture, diplomacy and innovation. Last year she began her PhD in interdisciplinary thinking, focusing on how soft power is understood, what metrics we use and how successful it is as a term. In January 2021, Jess launched Gosling & Co. to challenge the perceptions around self-promotion, unconscious biases and imposter syndrome facing women and under-represented groups.
Lauren Wong
Living and working in New York, Lauren is a BIPOC and female-identifying brand strategy leader with deep experience in brand strategy, design research, innovation strategy, and trends analysis. Lauren has a passion for building brands with and for historically excluded founders/communities. She is now the Co-Founder of Super Keen Studio with Gabby Lord.
Alex Skougarevskaya
Alex is a pragmatic design leader and juggler of life (featuring three small children and a dog, Frida) who loves organized chaos and systemic thinking. She was a founding member of the Atlassian Design System and is currently redefining the future of work for Confluence, Atlassian's remote collaborative workspace product for all teams.
Andy Polaine
Dr. Andy Polaine is a designer, educator, coach and writer who helps clients build and grow their own design and innovation capability, transform their organisations and themselves. He is co-author of the Rosenfeld Media book, Service Design: From Insight to Implementation, now a standard text for Service Design. He holds a PhD from the University of Technology, Sydney. He can be found online at polaine.com, on Twitter as @apolaine. He writes a popular newsletter called Doctor’s Note and hosts the Power of Ten podcast.
Carol Mackay
After 30+ years running a graphic design firm, Carol pivoted from client-focused projects to consult to the design industry. Now with the Design Business Council Carol uses her experience, and research, to help designers build robust, sustainable businesses, and help businesses integrate, and profit from, design. Carol is a mentor, friend and advocate for many in the creative industry and a great friend of Never Not Creative.
Nancy Bugeja
From first establishing HM, 22 years ago, Nancy has always believed that design is everything – it’s an integral part of everybody’s life. It helps guide people, communicate messages and can offer a solution to even the most complex issue. This philosophy still rings true today. As a creative Managing Director, Nancy is a constant innovator, continually exploring the ways in which her work is applicable to new methods of communication.
Manon Rossi
Manon is a digital marketer with international experience with brands including Nike, L’Oreal and Google. Manon has a passion for challenging ideas and building diverse and inclusive content. She is an advocate for the rights of women and successfully and smartly uses digital platforms to raise awareness and improve outcomes for women.
Tom Tapper
Tom is the Co-Founder and CEO of B-Corp certified agency Nice and Serious. In 2008 he co-founded Nice and Serious with a clear purpose: to make creative work the world needs. Since then he’s exclusively worked with pioneering charities and brands to make creative work that amplifies social and environmental causes. From international brands like IKEA, Unilever, Innocent and Ben & Jerrys, to pioneering charities like Greenpeace, WWF, Rainforest Alliance and Parkrun.
Jess Lilley
Jess is a co-founder at The Open Arms, a creative company that strives to weaponise empathy to help communities thrive. After a near 20 year career as an award-winning writer and creative director in some of the world's most renown ad agencies, Jess realised the culture of the ad world just wasn't working for her (or her family). She joined forces with a couple of great people to create something a little different. Their goal is to make work with a social purpose that leaves their patch of the world a little better than they found it. Jess continues to balance work with personal creative projects across public radio, photography, film and theatre. theopenarms.com.au
Amber Bonney
Amber is the Founder and Managing Director of award-winning business The Edison Agency. Amber’s a branding and identity strategist, guest lecturer, speaker and current President of Creative Women’s Circle. With over 20 years experience across diverse industry sectors, Amber has a vested interest in both traditional and disruptive design methods that activate, provoke and inspire. Amber helps organisations and brands connect, transform, excite, gain trust, disrupt, transform and be seen.
Lizzie Bildner
Lizzie Bildner is a Chicago-based branding and marketing consultant. You’ve probably used one of her client’s apps on your phone (Twitter, Uber, Wingspan) or in real life (Lola). Lizzie’s CV includes an impressive list of the worlds most celebrated design consultancies from IDEO to Interbrand. She’s great friends with Amanda Munilla.
Amanda Munilla
Amanda has spent her career creating brands that match business ambition. She’s delivered strategic and innovative solutions in partnership with global brands like AT&T, Uber, Google, Johnson & Johnson and the Carlsberg Group. Amanda leads a cross-discipline team to deliver work that transforms businesses and the experiences employees and customers have with companies. She’s currently the Managing Director of Wolff Olins in San Francisco (and great friends with Lizzie Bildner).
Daniele Fiandaca
By his own admission, Daniele Fiandaca is the very definition of privilege: white, male, straight, middle class and privately educated. As Founder of Creative Social he often spoke about issues facing the creative industry including the lack of gender diversity. Daniele setup the Token Man community to create a safe space for conversation and get men to improve their education and get a better understanding of the challenges women face. Daniele is Founder of Utopia, a culture change business that re-wires organisations for the Age of Creativity.
Deborah Rey-Burns
Deborah helps events and organisations to connect with the superhero thinkers of today - the thought leaders and change-makers working on the bleeding edge of business and culture. Founder of Propela and Curator-at-large for ReDesign Business and The Future Of_, Deborah has built a global network of moon-shooting experts that can help companies thrive.
Kelly Bayett
Kelly co-founded Barking Owl, a commercial sound and music company in Los Angeles. As a female leader she's focused on inclusivity, female empowerment and cultivating a diverse staff, including 73% women and minorities. It's her mission to give women a voice in the male-dominated advertising and music industries.
Kyle Blanshard
Kyle Blanshard is an Australian producer with over 20 years of industry experience in both the UK and Australia. He currently serves as Executive Producer at the global creative production company Entropico. Blanshard has produced and executive produced features, commercials, shorts, and television projects worldwide.Blanshard's production credits include "Lotus Eaters," Alexandra McGuinness’ debut feature, and Oliver Murray’s "40 Years of Rave Culture." He also worked as a development producer at both Warp Films and Pulse Films.
Helen Job
Helen Job has worked in future forecasting for two decades, leading multi-disciplinary, global futures, and strategy teams for Flamingo, WGSN and MTV in New York and London. Helen co-founded disruptive futures, insight and strategy collective The Akin and most recently TCOLab, a problem solving lab within creative agency TCO. Alongside her corporate work Helen is an educational practitioner. She conceptualised the Global Trend Forecasting Curriculum for Parsons School of Design, in New York and is a visiting lecturer for the University of the Arts, General Assembly and Hyper Island in London.
Nadine Spencer
Nadine ‘Nads’ Spencer is a Female Leader and a Creative & Content Director with over 15 years experience in the industry. Every single person on this Speaker List has an amazing career both behind and ahead of them, but it’s what we leave for our successors that will make the change. Instead of a list of brands, agencies and awards that she has worked with and won, Nads chose to share her self-written Leadership Philosophy.Dear Reader, I am not a mother, yet I have many children. I am not a teacher, yet I have many pupils. I am not a fighter, yet I will go to war for those I believe in. I am not a healer, yet I will always try mend their wounds. I am not perfect in any way, I fall, I slip, I make mistakes, but I learn. I am not here because of someone else or because of luck. I am not here because I found a way to jump the queue. I am here because this is where I belong, and where I belong is leading next to you.
Tom Loudon
Tom Loudon is an experienced journalist and writer based in Sydney, Australia, with a passion for storytelling and creativity.With a solid academic and professional background in writing, journalism, and production, Tom honed his skills in various roles, including as editor-in-chief at Glass Media, before joining Little Black Book as a reporter in 2023, where he covers the Australian and New Zealand production industries.
Linh Diep
Linh is one of the brightest young talents in Australia, a two-time B&T 30 under 30 winner and a determined advertising Account Director with a relentless passion for behaviour change. Throughout her successful career, Linh has managed successful campaigns for a diverse range of industries and clients including all levels of Government, Pharmaceuticals, Retail, FMCG, Tertiary Education and not-for-profits. As a self-diagnosed Yes-Woman, Linh is heavily involved in the industry, having founded the Assisterhood mentorship program and co-chaired Youngbloods nationally.
Emily May
Emily May is a Multidisciplinary Producer and Photographer based in Sydney, Australia.Born in Sydney and raised in Jakarta, Emily May has spent her career honing her multi-disciplinary take on creative and strategic direction for over a decade. From brand work, advertising campaign, motion, and social media, Emily May has been transforming brands with an iconoclastic engaging viewpoint.Blending the emotive and the unusual with layers of vibrant storytelling, Emily May works with brands to build their strategic vision and formulate visual strategies for digital and print media. Emily has continued to push creative boundaries while delivering work with lasting impact, building powerful visual languages to develop an instantly recognisable brand image for her clients. Clients and Publications include: Adidas / Adobe / Elle / GRAZIA / Hush Puppies / Hypebae / Innisfree / InStyle / Marie Claire / MAXIM / NYLON Magazine / Queen Victoria Building / RUSSH / Samsung / Suku Home / Superga / The Galeries / The Strand Arcade / Tim Tam / ubank / Vogue Australia And multiple exhibitions both in Australia and overseas, as well as Close - a photography book.
Stef King
Stef is a photographer who has worked with everyone from celebrities and athletes to everyday people making a positive impact on the world. Her ability to bring out the natural beauty and strength in her subjects has made her a favourite for both advertising and editorial work.Her beauty work is bold and cinematic, marked by striking compositions and use of light, she has an innate ability to find beauty in the in-between moments, the ones that feel real, raw, and full of energy. Meanwhile, her lifestyle photography feels effortlessly real—whether she’s shooting on the street, in the studio, or out in nature, her images tell stories that are rich in detail and emotion.With a background in fashion and beauty, Stef has always thrived in collaborative environments, believing that every person on set contributes something unique and valuable to the shoot. After all, it takes a village.Stef is represented by Flint Productions throughout Australia
Steph Pedersen
Moments that Steph captures are crafted from a distinctly feminine perspective, offering more than just a visual experience. She takes the time to connect with you on a deeper level, crafting imagery that feels both poetic and intimate.Drawing inspiration from European painters and cinematographers, her work tells stories through a lens shaped by empathy, sensitivity, and a uniquely feminine point of view. Whether she's working in Sydney, London, or New York, each piece invites you into an intimate moment, to connect and experience something deeply personal.
Liz Ham
Liz Ham has been working professionally as a photographer for over twenty years. Straddling the genres of documentary, portraiture and fashion, her photographs are infused with narrative, exploring ideas around identity and subculture. In 2017 her monograph ‘Punk Girls’ was released internationally by Manuscript Publishing. Liz has been a finalist in the National Photographic Portrait Prize, The Blake Prize, The Olive Cotton Prize and The Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize. Ham’s work has been exhibited and acquired by institutions such as The Powerhouse Museum, Sydney; The Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney; and the State Libraries of New South Wales and Victoria.
Cara O'Dowd
Cara is a commercial fashion and portrait photographer known for her emotive campaigns and intimate portraits. Having a press photographer grandfather, the medium runs through her veins. She gained recognition from just 7 years old for capturing sports events and mastering darkroom techniques early on.Cara earned her Commercial Photography degree at RMIT before moving to New York and then London, where she honed her lighting skills, working alongside renowned fashion photographers and gaining invaluable industry experience.In 2021, during Sydney's 100-day lockdown, Cara set up a front-yard studio, gifting her neighbours with portraits as a gesture of kindness. This grew into a large-scale exhibition in Hurlstone Park, showcasing 100 portraits, which Cara herself pasted up at night. It culminated in a coffee table book and an SBS documentary, marking a defining moment in her career.Currently, Cara is working on “Loud Mouth,” a photographic series documenting loud women influencing Australian culture today.
Sian Fay Kerr
As a still life photographer and curious mind, Sian creates worlds that exist beyond just pictures. Her work challenges the traditional, blurring the lines between art and advertising and allowing each medium to blend naturally with the other. To explore emotion and tell stories beyond what’s expected. To embark on a creative journey that challenges the eye and asks you to see the world differently. Where creativity is ever evolving and entices us to create something new.
Tess Lehman
Tess Lehman is a freelance photographer based in Newcastle NSW. An Olive Cotton Award and Galah Regional Photography Prize finalist, her work has themes of spirituality, queerness and family and the connections that ties us together.
Lauren Zappa
Lauren Zappa is a social purpose consultant with 15+ years' experience in health promotion and gender equity. This includes previously leading the shEqual initiative that promotes gender equality in Australian advertising and Adland. Lauren is passionate about translating complex issues into practical training, campaigns and programs that result in social impact.
Erika Addis
Erika Addis is acclaimed for her cinematography on long form and series documentaries, short and experimental films. She shot and produced the award-winning Serious Undertakings (1983). She is the first female national president of the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS). She has taught post graduate cinematography courses around the world, and she is a trailblazer for cine women for over 40 years.
Lester Jones
Originally from London but based in Sydney, Lester is an experienced Director and Photographer working across a variety of areas from long form features to short films as well as advertising, fashion, sport, documentaries and art projects, through all of which he likes to combine considered cinematic visuals with an emotive humanised connection. Working across all areas of production from Creative Direction through to Writing, Shooting and Editing, Lester genuinely loves creating...a bit of a cliche but it's true and he always has projects on the go.
Phoebe Peralta
Phoebe’s life has been uniquely immersed in marketing since the age of eight when she started working in her family’s small business and learning from her parents, both lifelong marketers. After interning with the Effies in NYC, Phoebe found her place in advertising and, since making the leap, has built a wealth of experience leading accounts and driving complex integrated campaigns for some of Australia’s most iconic brands across retail, FMCG, finance, beverages, sports, and non-profit. Outside of her day-to-day, Phoebe is the National Chair of Youngbloods, leading initiatives to connect and empower young people in Adland.
Tiger Hongmung
Before he made the leap to Art Director, Tiger Hongmung studied Communication Design at Swinburne University (with honours) where he formally trained as a designer.He landed his first ad gig at Cummins&Partners as a Motion and Graphic designer. And, after a year of blood, sweat and beers, completed Award School with second place and a schmick new job title. During Tiger's career, he has been lucky enough to work on clients in both Melbourne and New York including Marriot, Autograph Hotels, DoorDash and The Wiggles.Outside of work, he's a photographer and 3D digital artist, having exhibited digital works in Melbourne, and managing to sell NFT’s, when that was a thing. When he's not creating, he likes to be outdoors. Preferably on the precipice of a crystal clear lake, skimming a perfectly smooth stone and watching as it ricochets countlessly (maxed out at 16).
Erin Masters
Erin Masters, is a commercial photographer with the privilege of working alongside global brands to create captivating and marketable content. Specialising in business branding, events, corporate headshots, and outdoor advertising, she brings a fresh and creative approach to every project. Erin's focus is on producing beautiful, stylish images that authentically capture the essence of a brand, always ensuring the highest standards of quality.Throughout her career, Erin has had the opportunity to collaborate with renowned brands such as Medtronic, Westfield, The Boathouse Group, Okanui, Australia Post, Gentle Habits, JCD, oOh Media, IRIS Group, Black Dog Institute, and more. Outside of commercial photography, the ocean calls her, and she succumbs—camera in hand—to become, simply, herself. When she sees the world through her lens, everything else fades away. No obligations, no labels. Erin is no longer the devoted mother or wife, nor the dyslexic girl at the back of the classroom struggling to keep up. In those moments, it’s just Erin, the ocean, and her art.Erin is represented by Fine Print Co.
Ashleigh Parker
Ashleigh, a strategic leader who's been building independent agencies for 15+ years. Since 2015, Ashleigh has been running cross-functional teams and scaling businesses to $20MM+ revenue, working on campaigns for brands like Levi's, Google, Sonos, Cash App, and Nike across the USA, Australia, and Asia-Pacific. Currently Managing Director and Partner of PUSH Australia, Ashleigh previously spent seven years growing Imprint Projects Los Angeles office. She loves finding the sweet spot where community, brand, and business objectives intersect. Whether it's launching offices during COVID, developing 360 marketing strategies, or building artist partnerships for music-focused brands. Ashleigh's approach is collaborative and straightforward: actionable strategy, simple and direct communication, with the support of interdisciplinary teams and a global network bringing diverse perspectives.
Jonathon Lim
Jonathon Lim is a Sydney-based creative director and co-founder of PUSH, a creative studio founded in Shanghai in 2014, now with offices in Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore, and Sydney. With extensive experience directing documentary projects in Asia, Jonathon has been at the forefront of capturing Asian youth culture and underground movements. His work includes Asia Rising, a feature documentary exploring the rise of Asian hip-hop culture; creating PUSHFEST- Asia's first skateboarding film festival and commercials for Nike, Adidas, Google, The North Face and Toyota.
Daniel Boud
Daniel Boud is a Sydney-based photographer specialising in arts and culture as well as commercial campaigns. Known for his sophisticated, emotive use of lighting and striking portraiture, he has been a finalist in the National Photographic Portrait Prize and the Head On Portrait Prize. Daniel’s extensive portfolio of local and international talent includes musicians, actors, dancers, drag queens, athletes, chefs, artists and more. It spans everyone from Nick Kyrgios to Cate Blanchett, Ai Wei Wei and Kevin Parker. For ten years Daniel was Time Out Sydney’s Chief Photographer.
Liane Dowling
Liane explores the intersection of gender, branding, and media, examining how advertising and media both reflect and reinforce cultural norms, from the creative department to the work itself. With a background in Fine Arts, a 15-year career in advertising, and a Master’s in Cultural Studies, Liane brings a unique blend of creative and critical thinking to shape brand narratives with cultural depth and to challenge the assumptions they’re built on.
Tiara Valder
Tiara is a bold, curious creative director and writer who loves collaborating with agencies and clients to create considered, courageous, and culturally relevant work. As co-founder of the former Parlour, with an MA in Creative Writing and a background in film and television, Tiara is passionate about representing the female experience with authenticity and modernity—telling stories that transcend advertising.
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About Never Not Creative
Never not creative is a community of creatives who want to make our industry a better place we hope to support inspire and come together to create the ideas tools and solutions that improve the wellbeing of everyone in the industry and promote the value of creativity in the world. Never Not Creative was started because we don’t believe enough is happening to collectively address the future of our industry and some of the challenges it faces.
There are plenty of excellent communities out there that celebrate work and talent, and that provide networking and profile building opportunities. Never Not Creative fills in the gaps to make sure that, as creatives we can look after ourselves and each other. Ensuring we’re at our best for whatever creative challenge is in front of us.
Who’s behind NNIWD?
Prue Jones
Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Prue is a long term veteran of the creative industries, having graduated from design school in 1993 and gravitating to the world of advertising where she has held multiple CDships, before moving back to the world of design and into corporate. She is also an avid public speaker, National Board Director of the Australian Graphic Design Association, Co-host of Australian Design Radio and dedicated to seeing the creative industry become more inclusive in all aspects.She’s also entirely ticked off that not much has changed in womens’ favour in the 25+ years she’s been in it.
Ve Dewey
Throughout her career, Vanessa has been driven by three things: cultures, connections, and communities. She continually looks both outward and inward to foster inspiration, forge creative communities and encourage risk-taking, curiosity and bold action. As a result her career isn’t a straight line. With her roots in graphic design she has led global re-designs of iconic brands, created her own role in HR which provided educational & inspirational opportunities for 600+ creatives, is now Co-Creator of Never Not Creative, the Global Co-Lead of the Decolonising Design Coalition at the RSA and an MBA candidate at Central Saint Martins London.
Andy Wright
Andy is the creator of the Never Not Creative community and co-chair of the creative, media and marketing industry Mentally-Healthy Change Group. He's been working in the creative industry for many years across the UK and Australia. From running the local offices of global agencies like Interbrand and R/GA, he was also an original co-founder of For The People in Sydney.Andy’s day job is as CEO of Streamtime, project management software with a mission to create healthier creative businesses. When not doing any of the above, you might find him somewhere in Scandinavia chasing the Aurora Borealis and a bit of peace and quiet. Andy’s been part of a number of all-male management teams. He’s keen to redress the balance.
