Clea North is a proud Aboriginal woman and descendant of the Mithaka and Gunggari people of south-west Queensland. Clea has dedicated her entire working life to education, and has worked specifically in roles that support the engagement, wellbeing and achievement of First Nation students. Her current role as Senior Leader, Schools and Education Practice with Life Without Barriers, enables her to advocate for systemic changes in education. Clea is passionate about schools and education becoming a place that supports the cultural safety and identity of First Nation students to ensure they have access to quality, culturally responsive education and equitable futures.
Rona is a proud Kaytetye woman from Central Australia who works with high impact organisations to create systems that centre First Nations people, knowledge and solutions.
Rona is the founder of Common Ground and brings 7 years
of professional experience working across First Nations organisations and not for profits. Rona was previously the Director of First Nations at YLab, a social enterprise that puts young people with diverse lived experiences at the centre of designing and developing innovative and impactful solutions
to complex social issues. Over her career, Rona has worked in policy at the Central Land Council, the Research Unit for Indigenous Languages at the University of Melbourne, Reconciliation Victoria, and the Foundation for Young Australians.In 2020, Rona was a finalist for the Victorian Young Achiever awards, was awarded a Westpac Social Change Fellowship. In 2019 Rona won a Diana Award and was named a 'Woman of the Future' by Women's Weekly.Through her work with First Nations communities across Australia, Rona aims to create future systems that centre First Nations people, knowledge and cultures.Rona currently resides in Mpartnwe on Arrernte Country.