Team

She has worked to help deliver better funding and access to kindergarten education in Victoria, driven by the belief that every child deserves the best start in life. With a particular interest in supporting and valuing the profession, she has negotiated various industrial agreements to improve the pay and conditions of Victorian early childhood teachers and educators.

Martel enjoys looking strategically at issues that impact the sector and how to work with governments, policymakers and stakeholders on outcomes that make children's lives better.

Fiona has previously worked as an organiser, member engagement and researcher at the Health and Community Services Union Victoria (HACSU) - representing workers in the disability and mental health sectors through NDIS rollout, privatisation, and the Royal Commission into Mental Health.She held the role of executive member of HACSU women’s committee and founded a worker-lead climate action network. As a peace and anti-nuclear weapon activist, she has attended nuclear weapon prohibition conferences and spoken at rallies in Australia, Russia, and Japan.

Fiona has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Japanese Language and Anthropology.

Having cut her teeth several years earlier in the complex area of acquired brain injury and working alongside some of the leading Victorian disability advocates, she has ever since been captivated by systems change and its ability to bring about lasting significant impact. Throughout Rachael's career she has been privileged to learn about social change from the people that are leading the way, working with them to ensure an environment and conditions that support them to achieve their objectives. She has had the unique opportunity to work with community leaders in a variety of settings in Australia and overseas, from local grassroots international development and youth services to state and national organisations bridging research, policy and practice initiatives.

She believes that encouraging collective learning, collaboration and leadership is fundamental in enriching existing as well as newfound high-quality ECEC programs, the likes of which are critical in building strong and equitable societies across Australia from the ground up.

Over the course of this year, Kate will be stepping into Rachael’s role whilst she is on parental leave, managing the daily running of The Apiary Fellowship and the Transforming Early Learning Initiative. Following this, she will transition into managing the new Innovation Hub which aims to share existing as well as generate new evidence to galvanise government, business, and sectoral action.

Prior to her current role, Kate worked at i-APS, where she developed her expertise in program management and design, third-party monitoring and evaluation, strategic planning, and partnership building. Her ability to effectively manage diverse teams and foster collaboration among international stakeholders was evident in her work on several large-scale projects with partners such as UNICEF, Syria Relief, and Plan International.

Kate holds an MSc in International Development with Conflict and Humanitarian Action from the University of Bath. Her studies focused on understanding the complex systems that underpin social change and the importance of a holistic approach to international development and humanitarian action.

Her experience of collaborating with people with Parkinson’s and their families to inform and shape the programme to their needs, has led her to develop a keen interest in the power of collaborating with communities to develop better solutions.

As Apiary Coordinator, Sophie will support the effective management of The Apiary, allowing her to combine her passion for collaboration and project delivery to achieve better outcomes for children in Australian.