#SIITR25 program
Who, where, what and when (2025)
Each of the three conference days incorporate a variety of opportunities to learn, connect and reflect on social impact in your own regional community. Our 2025 conference program is inspired by the Nirvana song “come as you are”. The program themes are listed below:
Day 1: Come as you are
Is your regional community ready for what’s next? Are you? Benchmark your individual and collective readiness through plenaries, workshops, and Impact Labs exploring the five Readiness Indicators; Clarity, Capacity, Connection, Collaboration, and Advocacy.
Day 2: As you were
Wellbeing in regional communities often takes a back seat. Today we explore it from every angle: personal, cultural, financial, and systemic, grounded in Connection and Collaboration.
Day 3: As you want to be
Time to turn insight into action. Build a practical plan using the Readiness Indicators to guide your next steps. Connect with allies, investors, and ideas that will carry you forward.
- 50+ Speakers
- Workshops
- Master Classes
- Pitchfest
- Social Events
Day 1 - Wednesday, 3rd September
Registration from 8am conference will commence at 9am sharp
08:45
Welcome to Country
Welcome to the Clarence Valley
Official opening
09:40
Why place matters
PANEL CONVERSATION
Join our panel for a robust conversation on PLACE and learn how current trends in this practice are relevant to your regional community.
Morning Tea
10:40​
The state of readiness - what our communities need now
PANEL CONVERSATION
Is your community ready for change? Are you? Consider the notion of readiness and apply this thinking at a micro and macro level as you think through what it could mean to you.
11:50
The state of readiness - what our communities need now
WORKSHOP: Demystifying the Impact Economy with Elise Parups
With $7 trillion in funds under management in Australia—but less than 3% of GDP going to impact investing—how are we using our capital to drive real change? Join Elise Parups for a one-hour sprint to unpack everything from philanthropy to impact-aligned capital with commercial returns and everything in-between. Demystify the jargon, identify networks and powerful influencers that shift capital for good and unlock your enterprise’s potential. In this workshop, you will explore options to uncover what kind of capital your venture needs, and how to navigate the financial ecosystem it at the right stage, at the right phase, for the right impact.
12:50
Break for Lunch - experience a range of local produce, get involved in the cooking process and hear from a wellness coach.
14:30
Impact labs
Hear from a range of host community (Grafton) practitioners and work through a facilitated process to explore real-life opportunities in the selected impact area.
Align this learning to your community.
Social enterprise development
Facilitated conversation on establishing a social enterprise in a regional community.
Social Enterprise Development
Learn alongside a cluster of Grafton based community practitioners about challenges and opportunities in establishing a social enterprise. Work through several case studies and come up with pathways to move forward.
Main Street Activation
Learn about the South Grafton community and consider how you might activate your main streets.
Main Street Activation
South Grafton is a vibrant and creative part of the Grafton community. In this lab you will visit the community and meet and hear from locals, learn about opportunities and brainstorm a range of ways to activate the community.
Food
What do our local food systems look like? Is there more we can do to support local farmers? How can we create more opportunities to eat local produce?
Regenerative Economies
There is so much to learn about our local food systems. How can we all play a bigger role in supporting our local farmers?
Impact investment: Housing
This conversation will be facilitated by Jesse Taylor. Significant opportunities are brought about by public/private investment. Hear about how this could work in Grafton.
Impact investing: Housing
How could alternate funding models work in housing? Explore a range of opportunities that are relevant in the Grafton community and consider how this may apply in your region.
Youth Futures
Description TBC
Impact investing: Housing
Coming Soon
16:00
Afternoon tea
16:30
SIITR National Pitchfest
The SIITR National Pitchfest is a popular feature of the annual SIITR event schedule.
Join our panel, 2023 winner Amanda Di Medici and our pitch-ees for this exciting event supported by StartSomeGood.
18:00
Welcome event
Hosted at the Grafton Cathedral
Join us for canapes and a cool drink, network with colleagues and unpack day one.
Day 2 - Thursday, 4th September
Registration from 8am conference will commence at 9am sharp
09:00
Welcome to Day 2
Welcome to Day 2
Panel
PANEL: The work of healing
Holding ourselves and our communities. The role of healing in community work.
10:10
Morning Tea
11:00
Breakout Sessions (Round 1)

Learn from others who are working and investing in regional communities.
Developing Community Capital
Speaker: Meaghan Burkett - Ethical Fields
Building place based capital
1 Developing Community Capital Meaghan Burkett – Ethical Fields Whether you’re working on housing, local enterprise, health, climate, or community wellbeing — every place based initiative needs money, assets, and other forms of capital. This workshop will help communities and collaborators to build the practical know-how to engage with and grow the capital they need to drive change. Explore how regional communities and partners across Australia are creating local capital systems and solutions that fund what matters and put control back in local hands. You’ll come away with practical frameworks, inspiring examples, and clear steps to start building your own capital toolkit — no finance background needed.
Navigating Systems
Speaker: Ryan Martin – Centre for Policy Development
Data informed decision making
In this practical session, systems thinker and policy researcher Ryan Martin will guide changemakers through the often-invisible structures that shape their work. The session will help practitioners understand the broader systems they are a part of and how they shape funding, governance, and service pathways. By making the invisible visible, participants will learn how to navigate complex systems more effectively and connect with others facing similar dynamics. Through examining case studies and facilitated peer discussion, this session offers a rare opportunity to reflect, reframe, and find strategic allies across sectors.
Inclusive place-based design
Speakers: Coming soon...
Leading in regional communities
Workshop 3
Data decision making
Speaker: Teresa Bullock-Smith – REMPLAN
Employment based social enterprise
In this workshop, participants will explore how evidence-based planning can drive meaningful and lasting impact in regional communities. Drawing on over three decades of experience working with demographic and economic data, the facilitator will guide delegates through the importance of starting with a clear understanding of who lives in your community, who’s moving in or out, and how the local job market is shifting over time. From housing affordability to inclusive employment and service planning, place-specific insights help regions act proactively—not reactively. The session will also highlight the value of cross-sector collaboration, showing how breaking down silos between economic development, social services, and infrastructure planning can embed social impact into everyday decision-making. Most importantly, it will explore how to turn complex data into clear, compelling visual insights that inspire collective action.
Podcasting for Impact – Telling Regional Stories with Purpose
Speaker: Liz Keen
Employment based social enterprise
The media landscape is shifting rapidly—especially in regional Australia, where the closure of local newspapers has left a gap in how communities access and share information. At the same time, trust in traditional media is declining, and misinformation is on the rise. Amid this upheaval, podcasts are emerging as a trusted source of information—listeners are engaging more than ever, and many trust podcasts more than both social and mainstream media. This workshop explores the power of podcasting as a tool for social impact, particularly in regional contexts. Participants will learn how locally produced podcasts can spotlight community voices, communicate research in engaging ways, and foster stronger, more informed local networks. Drawing on experience from purpose-driven shows like We Are Lonely (Medibank), Conversations on Country (SWFW), and After the Disaster (Red Cross), the facilitator will share practical insights on creating podcasts that resonate, inform, and drive change.
12:30
Break for Lunch
13:45
Breakout Sessions (Round 2)

Learn from others who are working and investing in regional communities.
Impact Investment
Speakers: Coming soon
The Importance of PLACE
Coming soon​
Authentic Youth-leadership opportunities in everyday community practice
Speakers: Coming soon
Leveraging AI to support your not for profit
Coming soon​
Using Artificial Intelligence to support your capacity to create local change
Speakers: Coming soon
Harnessing Personal Strengths for Community Empowerment and Growth
Coming soon​
Employment generating social enterprise
Speakers: Coming soon
From Theory of Change to Community of Change
Coming soon​
Impact measurement
Speakers: Coming soon
From Theory of Change to Community of Change
Coming soon​
15:00-1630
Interconnectedness
The interconnectivity of things
A fun activity helping us to consider how our ecosystems connect, what might be missing, the strength of our connections and all that lies between.
18:00
Conference Gala Dinner - The Hero's Journey, Unleash your Superpowers
Our 2025 dinner theme was chosen by last year’s best dressed Aunty Vicki Taylor. YOUR SUPERPOWERS.
You’ve carried communities. Held the line. Shown up when it mattered most. Now, it’s your turn. The Hero’s Journey: Unleash Your Superpowers is your invitation to step out of the everyday and into the extraordinary — for one unforgettable night of colour, courage, and connection. Come dressed as your superhero self. This is not optional — it’s part of the spell. Who will you be when you stop hiding your power? What happens when hundreds of heroes gather in one place, ready to remember who they are? Join us. Let go. Power up. And prepare for a night like no other.
22:30
Home time
Day 3 - Friday, 5th September
Registration from 830am, conference will commence at 910am sharp
09:10
Welcome
Welcome to Day 3
Kerry Grace, Ready Communities
How do you want your community to be? Exploring readiness.
Activity 1: Clarity and Understanding
Activity 2: Connection and connectivity
Activity 3: Capability and capacity
Activity 4: Collaboration for purpose
Activity 5: Advocacy and promotion
10:30
Morning Tea
ACTION PLAN
Unpack your conference learning and create a plan to take back to your community.