Yoko Akama is Associate Professor in the School of Design, RMIT University. Her practice is shaped by various Japanese philosophies of between-ness and mindfulness, to consider how plural futures can be designed together. She is a recipient of several national and international awards for collaborative work with self-determining Indigenous nations and regional communities preparing for disaster. Recent works include a co-authored book on Uncertainty and Possibility by Bloomsbury, and co-leading the Designing Social Innovation in Asia-Pacific network with Joyce Yee. She is also the co-founder of Service Design Melbourne network and active in building its community.

Other events:

Being community and culturally-led: Tensions and pluralities in evaluating social innovation

Professor Cameron Tonkinwise is an international expert in Design Studies and Transition Design and the head of the Design Innovation Research Centre at UTS. He writes and speaks extensively on the power of design to drive systems-level change to achieve more sustainable and equitable futures.

Dan Hill is Director of Strategic Design at Vinnova, the Swedish government’s innovation agency. A designer and urbanist, Dan’s previous leadership positions have produced innovative, influential projects and organisations, ranging across built environment (Arup, Future Cities Catapult), education and research (Fabrica), government and social innovation (SITRA), and media (BBC and Monocle), each one transformed positively via digital technology and a holistic approach to design. He has lived and worked in the UK, Australia, Finland and Italy.

He is a Visiting Professor at UCL Bartlett Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose in London and an Adjunct Professor at RMIT University in Melbourne and University of Technology Sydney. Dan is also one of the Mayor of London’s Design Advocates. Amidst much published work, in academic journals, books and media, he is the author of the influential book “Dark Matter & Trojan Horses: A Strategic Design Vocabulary” (Strelka Press, 2012) and since 2002 has written the groundbreaking blog, City of Sound

Ash is a Principal Social Innovator at The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI). His practice is shaped by diverse experiences in domains of human computer interaction, engineering and humanitarian aid and development. At TACSI, he leads multi-disciplinary teams that help co-create better products, services and policies to influence positive social outcomes. This has led him to work in the areas of disability, social housing and child protection and care.

Lauren Tan is a Specialist Director at Deloitte Consulting Australia who leads Design for Business, a team that enables Human-Centred Design to be used to tackle complex business, government and societal challenges. She received a PhD in Design (2012) after investigating designer roles in addressing and tackling social issues. She is a published co-author of the book Design Transitions: Inspiring Stories. Global Viewpoints. How Design is Changing (2013). Lauren has presented at numerous global conferences on the topics of service design, co-design, design methodology, design education and the role of the design in social impact. She has also presented at TEDx Montreal (2010).