Apiary Fellows 2025

Previously, Ana held key roles at UNICEF, Dubai Cares, and Plan International, focusing on parenting, caregiver support, public financing, and strengthening the multi-sectoral system.
With advanced degrees from SOAS, University of London, and the University of Barcelona, as well as executive education from Harvard, Ana is dedicated to ensuring all children have a strong start in life.

Angela Bodini is a dedicated ally of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, with a rich cultural background of Italian, Polish, and Jewish heritage. Based on Yuin Country in NSW, she works with SNAICC – National Voice for Our Children, supporting Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) in strengthening early years programs. Angela's work fosters meaningful relationships, amplifies children's voices, and assists ACCOs in navigating the National Quality Framework, training, and funding opportunities. She is passionate about holistic support and committed to empowering children and families with respect and dignity.

Angelle spent most of her life in New Zealand before making the exciting move to Australia in 2024, where she now calls Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, home. As a member of the Grow Well team in Anyinginyi Public Health, Angelle is passionate about health promotion, particularly in supporting Mums and Bubs during the critical early years of childhood development.

Being Torres Strait Islander, Angelle understands the significance of cultural sensitivity, empathy, and respect when working with Indigenous communities and strives to create meaningful connections, listen with care, and contribute to positive, lasting change. Angelle truly believes that by fostering a nurturing and supportive environment for children, we are investing in a healthier, stronger future. In her role, Angelle is continuously learning and working alongside the community to promote positive health choices, ensuring that families have the knowledge and resources to support their little ones.

As the founder of The Healing Hive Play Therapy, she is passionate about the power of therapeutic play in supporting children's social and emotional well-being.

Holding a Master’s in Child Play Therapy and Early Childhood Education, Belinda integrates neurosequential knowledge into classrooms and therapy settings, working closely with families, educators, and allied health professionals. Her work is dedicated to encouraging resilience, connection, and healing through play, ensuring children thrive within their unique ecosystems of relationships.

Beginning her career working directly with children, her passion for advocating for quality outcomes led her to leadership roles over the past eight years. She has managed multiple services, supported new centre openings, and mentored teams in delivering high-quality education and care. Now overseeing 38 services, Breanna is dedicated to fostering a culture of excellence by aligning compliance with a genuine celebration of early childhood learning.

Beginning her career in statutory child protection, she worked directly with families to ensure child safety and well-being. Now a Regional Manager at Uniting, she leads an Early Intervention portfolio, driving proactive, family-centred support. With a strong commitment to collaborative and innovative approaches, Courtney is dedicated to empowering communities and ensuring every family has access to the resources they need to thrive.

Currently a Pedagogical Leader at Gowrie Victoria, she is dedicated to ensuring continuity of learning, enhancing educator capability, and fostering excellence in pedagogy and practice. With a strong commitment to children’s rights, Debbie champions nurturing, empowering environments and encourages critical reflection and innovative learning. Her leadership supports professional growth, collaboration, and the continuous improvement of early childhood education.

Ellen Casey is the Head of Program and Pedagogy at Swinburne Children’s Centres, where she works with service and organisational leadership teams to create supportive learning environments. She is a passionate advocate for children, social justice, and the critical role of early childhood education in shaping sustainable futures. With a diverse career background, including roles as a paramedic, primary and early childhood educator, and early years leader since 2021, Ellen holds a Master’s in Environment and Sustainability, focusing on leadership for sustainable development. Ellen's thesis explored the connection between gender equality and sustainability in early childhood education.

Emma holds a postgraduate diploma in specialist community public health with a Registered Nurse background, and has been focusing her career on child protection, safeguarding, and addressing child sexual exploitation.
Emma's personal experience as a young parent fuels her commitment to breaking cycles of adversity and improving outcomes for children and families. Through early intervention and collaboration, she works to create opportunities for children to thrive. Emma is dedicated to expanding the Glugor Young Parents Program, aligning it with the QLD government's Early Years Strategy to strengthen partnerships, secure resources, and enhance the program’s impact in supporting young parents and their children.

Further, with a background in the not-for-profit sector, she is committed to the principles of co-design and co-production of research.
Her work in policy and economic consulting as a manager at Deloitte Access Economics focuses strongly on child development and tackling disadvantage at the intersection of Early Childhood Education and Care, First Nations and Gender Equity policy. She has a particular interest in projects with a place-based approach to addressing disadvantage, which have been a key focus across her work in the last two years.

Helen Pentecost is an experienced Nominated Supervisor, Educational Leader, Manager, Quality & Operations Leader, and Approved Provider, deeply committed to community impact and inclusion. She is passionate about creating accessible, high-quality educational environments and focuses on meeting the diverse needs of every child.
In her current role at 3Bridges in Sector Development, she works across multiple functions to improve outcomes for the communities served. Helen is also the co-host of the We Belong Podcast, where she discusses sector-related topics and advocates for fostering a sense of belonging in education and care, ensuring every child, educator, and leader feels valued and supported.

Passionate about supporting children and families facing developmental challenges and disadvantages, Jean has served as an Educational Leader at a local preschool and led significant changes in allied health support within early learning environments.

Jean joined The Hive Mt Druitt in 2020, where she guides early years initiatives, including early learning and child health programs, from a personal connection to early intervention through her own child's speech challenges. Jean has a Master of Education in Early Childhood Leadership and works to improve outcomes for children, emphasising on collaboration to achieve better results for children and families.

Passionate about advocating for high-quality education for all children, Jono is especially focused on addressing the funding imbalances for 3-5-year-old learners.
As the Educational Leader at Windsor Community Children’s Centre, he champions risky play opportunities, safety for children and educators, and an anti-bias curriculum. Jono, who is completing his Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Teaching), was honoured with the Dianne Chandler Award in 2023 for his engagement with current ECEC trends and research. He also presented at the Social Justice in Early Childhood 20th anniversary conference in 2024.

She has owned and managed a children’s centre and worked directly with children and families in various settings, both in Australia and internationally.
Recently, Julia became a qualified counsellor and is dedicated to expanding her knowledge of early neurodevelopment and parent-child relationships, particularly focusing on oral language skills. She is passionate about translating research into practical programs that help parents and families support their children's developmental milestones.

Kirrin has twelve years of experience at the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and has also been deeply involved in children’s literacy, serving on boards such as Raising Literacy Australia and the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature.
She is a judge for major Australian children’s literary awards and also strongly focuses on community engagement as a qualified firefighter with the Rural Fire Service. Based in Canberra and regional NSW, Kirrin holds a Master's in Education and advocates for the early years in human development, particularly through ARACY’s Nest framework for child wellbeing.

Her deep cultural heritage and strong lineage instils in her a profound sense of identity, resilience and commitment to excellence. Lisa brings 14–15 years of experience in teaching and Aboriginal Education Support, alongside 25 years in administration, leadership, community engagement, and sports development. She has significantly contributed to Indigenous governance, including her election to the inaugural First Nations Voice to Parliament (SA) for Region 4.
Lisa’s achievements include being the second Aboriginal female to complete Year 12 at Mt Gambier High School and receiving a Deakin University Academic Scholarship. She is deeply involved in sports, serving as a mentor and advisor in AFL, VFL, and community football, and has led initiatives promoting Aboriginal educational success and cultural leadership. Lisa's work is dedicated to empowering communities, strengthening cultural identity, and cultivating excellence for future generations.

His research focuses on social-emotional learning, neurodiversity, supporting international student teachers, and the benefits of esports in education. A passionate advocate for neurodiverse learners, Marty applies universal design principles to teaching and learning and co-leads the Neurodiversity @UniSA Special Interest Group.
He is also committed to increasing gender diversity in the early childhood education workforce, leading UniSA's MENtor Program for Males in ECE and supporting the Minderoo Foundation’s Dad's Action Plan. Marty has delivered numerous conference presentations and keynotes internationally, including in China and New Zealand.

Passionate about creating safe and inspiring environments for children, she focuses in driving systemic change through collaboration and innovation. Michelle is also a Senior Partnership Officer at Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership.
As co-founder of Calmer Kids, Michelle developed neuroscience-based resources to support resilience and mental health. With expertise in leadership and stakeholder engagement, she champions preventative approaches for lasting social impact.

Perpethua is deeply passionate about early years’ education, recognising its vital role in providing children with the opportunity to thrive and transform during their developmental stages. Professionally, Perpethua is the Aboriginal Engagement and Community Support Officer for the Women’s Heart Health Study at Westmead Hospital. She also works as the Engagement Team Support Officer for Balarinji, where she brings extensive experience in community engagement and development.
Perpethua has ambitions to establish her own early year’s enterprise and is currently studying pursuing a Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Health Promotion at The University of Sydney.
In her personal time, she loves spending quality moments with her children and family, enjoying activities such as fishing, camping, and hunting.

As the Early Childhood Improvement Manager, she leads a team focused on driving reforms to enhance early childhood services. Nicole has a strong background in managing quality assessments, moderating sector compliance, and building partnerships between government, service providers, and communities. She has successfully developed and implemented strategic plans that advance early childhood education and care, all while maintaining a results-driven approach to ensuring high standards and positive outcomes for children, families, and communities.

Having a background in long day care services and management, Rachel is deeply committed to quality ECEC practice and supporting a skilled workforce through thoughtful professional development planning. She believes in the power of early education to shape neural pathways and improve outcomes for all children and passionate about nurturing children's holistic well-being. 

Guided by the belief that "Every child deserves a champion," Rajat focuses on creating nurturing, child-centered environments where all children, including those with additional needs, can thrive. His teaching philosophy highlights play-based learning that encourage curiosity and resilience. Beyond his work in the classroom, Rajat is committed to professional development and mentoring future educators, having participated in Early Years Learning Networks, Teachers' Conferences, and the Effective Mentoring Program.
Currently preparing for an Assistant Director role, Rajat is dedicated to supporting fellow educators and advancing high-quality early childhood education. His cultural learning experiences also have enriched his ability to integrate culturally responsive teaching practices.

Under his leadership, TEAM has grown from a small Facebook group into a robust network of 275+ members, providing advocacy, mentorship, and leadership development for male professionals in the sector.
In addition to his work with TEAM, Ramesh is the founder of Flourish Digital Enterprise, where he supports early childhood professionals with personal branding, website solutions, and lead generation. He is also an editor at Thriving in ECEC and a passionate speaker and trainer, dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in early childhood education.

With over 30 years of experience in early childhood and primary education, Sally has specialised in disability services for the past 15 years.
She has worked in transdisciplinary teams at institutions like the Royal Children’s Hospital and Melbourne City Mission, serving children and families across Melbourne. As a leader, Sally focuses on building high-performance teams and encouraging skill development, innovation, and collaboration to achieve long-term, life-changing outcomes for those accessing early intervention programs.

Samantha Kolasa has over 20 years of experience in the community services sector, focusing on children, youth, families, aged care, and disability services. She holds qualifications as a psychologist, an MBA (Human Resources), and a Company Directors qualification.
Samantha has worked closely with government at all levels. She is committed to supporting high-quality services and the voice of the client, with a particular focus on diversity within the sector. Additionally, Samantha is also passionate about mentoring and provides external coaching and provided guidance to staff and colleagues.

Steevie is passionate about inclusivity, having earned Certificates 3 and 4 in Auslan to ensure all children, including those with hearing impairments, are fully included. She strives to create a nurturing environment where children are supported to be themselves and families feel confident in the care provided.

Rebecca Martin is a proud Aboriginal woman with 27 years of experience in early childhood education. She is dedicated to creating culturally safe, inclusive, and high-quality learning environments and currently serves as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Liaison Educator and Educational Leader at Sesame Lane Childcare and Kindergarten, where she ensures the authentic integration of First Nations perspectives in early learning. 

Passionate about reconciliation and advocating for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, Rebecca facilitates cross-cultural understanding, breaks down systemic barriers, and promotes self-determination. She is committed to empowering communities through education, advocating for equitable access to culturally responsive services, and strengthening family partnerships to shape children's educational journeys.