Stacy Benge is a passionate early childhood professional and author who brings practical, real-world insight to early learning. With a firm belief that children learn best through simple, authentic experiences, she advocates for child-led play as the foundation for strong development.

Stacy holds a Master of Science in Human Development and Family Studies and spent a decade in the classroom teaching children from birth to five. For over 20 years, she has shared her expertise with early learning professionals through dynamic, thought-provoking presentations that inspire educators to embrace the power of play.

Stacy is the author of The Whole Child Alphabet: How Young Children Actually Develop Literacy, a lively and intelligent book that transforms how educators approach literacy. Connecting movement, play and child-led activity to the foundational skills necessary for early literacy development, The Whole Child Alphabet is a timely invitation to active, joyful learning.

Nat serves as Chief Executive Officer at the FrameWorks Institute. Nat oversees the organisation’s pioneering, research-based approach to strategic communications, which uses methods from the social and behavioural sciences to measure how people understand complex socio-political issues and tests ways to reframe them to drive social change. Nat joined FrameWorks in 2008; since then, he has led work across the FrameWorks portfolio, with a special focus on issues related to early childhood development and mental health, criminal justice, and aging.

An expert in psychological anthropology and communications science, Nat publishes widely in the popular and professional press and lectures frequently in the United States and abroad. He is a senior fellow at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, a visiting professor at the Child Study Center at Yale School of Medicine, and a fellow at the British-American Project.

Jayne brings philosophy, pedagogy and methodology together to explore new ways of seeing and talking about ‘becomings’ in the early years. Building on her earlier experiences as an early childhood teacher followed by many years as a teacher educator, Jayne has sought to advance visual modes of seeing as a portal for critical engagement with what our sector brings into view in the name of learning.

Jayne invites educators and students to expand their perspectives of learning by creatively and critically engaging with visualities, exploring their rhetorical power and pedagogical potential. Her research seeks to co-curate more inclusive, dynamic and reflective representations of learning for all through this route. She is a widely published author who has translated resources to support such viewings and continues to advance research representations that invite us to see anew. As PESA and AVP Fellow, OMEP Aotearoa life member, co-founding Editor, and Editor-in-chief of Video Journal of Education & Pedagogy and now Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Early Childhood Jayne foregrounds research and practice that makes a real difference for young learners all over the world, in whatever spaces they occupy.

Dr Richard ‘Harry’ Harris, formerly an anaesthetist, is an author, adventurer and film maker, best known for his pivotal role in the extraordinary 2018 Thailand cave rescue. With over 40 years of diving experience and a background in retrieval and remote medicine, Harry helped lead the daring extraction of 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave system—an operation that involved the unprecedented use of anaesthesia in extreme conditions.

Named joint Australian of the Year in 2019 alongside his dive partner Craig Challen, Harry is passionate about the power of teamwork, decision-making under pressure and taking measured risks. He is a powerful advocate for encouraging young people to step outside their comfort zones to build resilience, confidence and mental wellbeing.

Now also serving as the Lieutenant Governor of South Australia, Harry continues to inspire others through storytelling, public speaking and his Real Risk podcast, where he shares insights into courage, curiosity and what it truly means to take real risks.

Helen is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia but was born and educated in Perth. She is Australia’s first Indigenous doctor and child psychiatrist. Helen is the Stan Perron Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Perth Children’s Hospital and University of Western Australia and Honorary Research Fellow at The Kids Research Institute Australia.

With a particular focus on Indigenous mental health and children’s wellbeing, Helen is Chair of Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia and a board member of Beyond Blue. She was a Commissioner for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (2013–2017) and the National Mental Health Commission (2017–2021).

In 2020, Helen was the joint winner of the Australian Mental Health Prize and named the WA Australian of the Year for 2021.

Helen is also an artist and children’s author, and several of her books have been shortlisted for children’s literature awards.

Lennie is the co-lead for the education program in the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child. She also researches curriculum development, play-based pedagogy, leadership and the role of digital technologies in children’s learning, development and wellbeing. Lennie was a Chief Investigator on the Australian Learning Frameworks Update (2020–22).  She was recognised for contributions to tertiary education and early childhood teaching as a Member of the Order of Australia, alongside receiving Engagement Australia’s Outstanding Engagement for Research Impact.

Susan is a leading international expert in early childhood language, social interaction and digital engagement. As Director of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, she leads research focused on ensuring young children are healthy, connected and educated in a digital world. Susan is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and holds an Honorary Doctorate from Uppsala University, Sweden.

With nearly two decades in the sector, Angus utilises his qualifications in Psychology and Behavioural Science, his Playwork Certificate, and countless hours Playworking on the front line to inform his play pedagogical approaches, ensuring the delivery of outstanding Playwork-inspired training and programs. Angus has inspired countless educators and teachers, empowering them to embark on their own play journeys within their work environments. His commitment to advancing play, and an increased knowledge of Playwork, has left a lasting impact on individuals and educational communities alike.