Throwing Caution to the Wind:

Tiana Storm has always been a philosopher at heart, deeply curious about what it means to be human. Her studies in Sociology, Entrepreneurship and Hypnotherapy, alongside travels and community experiences across continents, have shaped her belief that our stories allow us to celebrate our differences, discover our shared humanity and recognise the profound interconnectedness between us all.

Rae Knopik is a creative and entrepreneur whose twenties and thirties have been shaped by a 15-minute decision that took her from Italy to Canberra. She has spent more than a decade working across storytelling, brand, events and community engagement in Australia, Europe and the US. She founded an award-winning Canberra-based feminist not-for-profit and has served as secretary of Women in ICT since 2022. Rae was named the 2022 Canberra Young Business Woman of the Year.

Kate Grarock is an Environmental Scientist, Hiker, Filmmaker, and Speaker. Kate is passionate about inspiring others to get outdoors and enjoy all the benefits of living a life connected to nature. She is an expedition leader at Bush Blitz, travelling to remote parts of Australia, looking for new species of plants and animals. Kate was also a part of SBS ground-breaking series Alone Australia, where she had to survive all alone in the wild, building her own shelter, finding her own food and self documenting her survival journey.

Amanda Whitley is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of HerCanberra, the capital’s leading lifestyle media brand. Founded in 2011 after her premature daughter’s birth led to a career change, HerCanberra has grown from a spare bedroom startup to attracting over 180,000 monthly readers and a social media following of more than 150,000. Amanda was named ACT Woman of the Year in 2016.

A seven-year-old ‘English rose’, Cath Ingram swapped rural England for Belconnen in 1970 and has called Canberra home since. After 37 years as Canberra Chairman and Senior Partner at an international consulting firm, she leads a portfolio life of coaching, governance and non-executive roles, including Independent Chair of the IMF’s Governance Committee. Otherwise, she’s tending vegetables, chasing her escapee Lagotto, learning Pilates and powerlifting, and savouring Act 4 of life.

Biff Ward, a founding member of Canberra Women’s Liberation, has been an activist, educator and writer. In her 80s, she sows seeds as an activist mentor and takes profound enjoyment in watching the revolution in younger women’s activism. She believes that storytelling has the potential for limitless power.