Bulelwa Freer is a distinguished professional with a multifaceted expertise spanning Credit Advising, Financial Coaching, Mentorship, and Authorship.

With a mission-driven approach akin to her tenure as a licensed Real Estate Agent, Bulelwa is committed to facilitating dreams by providing financial solutions that not only meet immediate needs but also pave the way for long-term wealth creation. She sees lending not just as a transaction but as a transformative journey, guiding individuals towards their aspirations in a commercially sound and sustainable manner.

Renowned for international marketing innovation, Bulelwa is a fervent advocate of best practices and ecologically driven projects. Her impactful contributions include the authorship of an English literacy report for McGraw-Hill Publishers, setting global benchmarks in literacy education through McGraw-Hill SRA English Laboratories.

In addition to her professional endeavours, Bulelwa excels in individual coaching, mentoring, and public speaking. Her debut book, "Romancing Your Money," resonates with readers seeking to foster a harmonious relationship with their finances.

Outside of her professional pursuits, Bulelwa indulges in a diverse array of interests, from voracious reading and world travel to language acquisition, currently mastering French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian and Latin. She prioritizes self-care through a regimen of healthy eating, regular exercise, walking and daily meditation, underscoring her holistic approach to personal and professional fulfillment.

Yemi Penn is a fearless businesswoman and thought leader on creating your own memo, meaning ‘she’ gets to write the script of her life and encourages others to do the same.

An engineer by profession and entrepreneur by passion, Yemi Penn has run 3 successful businesses in the past. She is now researching the alchemy of transmuting pain to power with a strong desire to learn new ways of being whilst challenging the status quo. Yemi invites the collective to ignite their rebellious curiosity in all aspects of their life, sharing the tools to do just that.

More recently, Yemi has added documentary producer to her repertoire as she shifts her core life’s purpose to raising the vibration of acknowledging and healing our individual and therefore collective trauma, something individuals, communities, and organisations alike have experienced over the past couple of years.

I am the CEO of the Cyber Leadership Institute, one of the fastest global communities of cyber leaders that actively collaborate and think critically to drive positive change within their environments and accelerate the creation of a resilient digital ecosystem.

The Cyber Leadership Institute has already equipped cyber leaders from more than 50 countries with practical strategy design, leadership, and executive communication skills, helping sharpen their influence on the c-suite and the board. Some of our graduates hold executive positions at the world’s iconic brands such as McKinsey, Accenture, Nike, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and USA Airforce, to mention just a few.

• Author of The Five Anchors of Cyber Resilience, named top five best cyber security books at the 2021 UK National Book Awards.
• Author of The Gift of Adversity, a poignant, hilarious, and impeccably written memoir that proves the remarkable power of education and grit to defeat poverty and despair.
• 2017 winner of ISACA International’s Best Book/Article Award, one of ISACA’s highest global honours, which recognises individuals for major contributions to cybersecurity and IT governance publications.
• 2020 Global Top 100 Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD - New York) - 4th Industrial Revolution Category. MIPAD is a unique global list that identifies high achievers of African descent globally in support of the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024), proclaimed by the UN General Assembly Resolution 68/237.

Tigist (She/Her) is an Ethiopian who was born in Sudan and came to Australia as a child under the humanitarian program. She trained as a Counselor and has experience working in the public and private sector, including advisory roles in various levels of government. Tigist has strong grassroots connections with diverse communities, with expertise in workforce development and consulting.

In 2018 “Pola Psychology,” was founded by Nasalifya Namwinga, Tigist Kebede joined in 2019 and together they established Pola Practice Pty Ltd in 2021.

Tigist Kebede employs trauma informed and intersectional frameworks into her practice and advocacy. She specialises in working with adults with particular interest in culturally responsive clinical practice. Tigist has experience working forensic, non-profit and health sector. She has a history with working with racial trauma, sexual assault, family violence and refugee trauma. Tigist is able to use a variety of therapy approaches, including Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Person Centred Therapy, Trauma Focused Therapy and Attachment theory. Through collaborative discussion and an understanding of her client’s needs, she provides inclusive and responsive care to people from a wide range of backgrounds.

Nasalifya Namwinga (She/Her) is a proud Zambian woman who was raised in the UK and New Zealand. With a deep passion for mental health and wellbeing, she embarked on a journey to become a clinical psychologist, completing her training and beginning her professional career in this field. In 2018, Nasalifya founded Pola Psychology in Melbourne, which has now transformed into Pola Practice, a thriving multi-practitioner mental health and wellbeing service co-founded with Tigist Kebede.

Nasalifya’s specialisation lies in culturally responsive mental health service delivery, where she brings her expertise in evaluation, research, and program development. She is passionate about engaging in research that challenges Eurocentric concepts within psychology. One of her practice areas of focus is providing executive coaching for people in leadership roles, approaching it from an intersectional perspective. As a board member for NETS Victoria and a textile artist and inaugural winner of Rising Voices poetry-slam, she has a keen interest in the intersection between art and well-being.

Window Property Group Founded by Onis Asare, Window Property Group aims to provide value to clients that are experiencing no luck sourcing property. At Window Property Group, we define luck as hard work meeting preparation and not wishful thinking. We exhaust all avenues to ensure that our clients are getting properties that meet their brief, whether it be for investments or your primary residence.

Using various innovative data resources and having access to an expansive network of property professionals, we make your dreams become a reality.

Onis Asare is an engineer by profession. Having begun his own property journey, he sought to help those achieve their dream of becoming a homeowner and landlord. His experience in the construction industry as a project manager allows Window Property Group to have unique leverage when it comes to negotiating and sourcing rare property deals.

Daniel graduated from Flinders University with a Bachelor of Law and Legal Practice and a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) in 2015 and was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of South Australia and the High Court of Australia.

He began working as a lawyer at Thomson Geer in Adelaide before going on to practise in Sydney at Salvos Legal. In 2017, after seeing regular media coverage about African youth crime in Melbourne, Daniel felt a need to relocate to Victoria and position himself as a role model for younger people within his South Sudanese community. He went on to work at a Melbourne Criminal Law Specialist firm, practising in summary and indictable crime.

Daniel has featured in the Herald Sun, the Law Institute of Victoria’s Journal & recently in the Age, sharing his journey from a refugee camp to settling in Australia and becoming an Australian legal practitioner. You can hear more by listening to his recent episode with Greens List where he was interviewed by Michael Green. The William & Lonsdale Podcast ‘Lives in the Law’ is available on our blog.

Before co-founding Ajak Wolan & Associates, Daniel worked at Victoria Legal Aid in the Summary Crime and Youth Crime team where he regularly appeared in the Magistrates’ Court, Children’s Court and the Bail & Remand Court.

• Criminal Law
• Corporate & Commercial
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution
• Family Law
• Wills & Estates
• Employment Law

Professional Memberships

• Member of the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV)
• Member of the LIV’s Criminal Law Section
• Co-founder and steering committee member of the African-Australian Legal Network (AALN)

Since arriving in Sydney from London almost 10 years ago, Chrissy’s innate talent for creating flawless colour, cuts, and styles on all textures has led her to being a sought-after stylist in Film & TV to being in demand as a global brand ambassador and educator for professional product houses, including Shea Moisture and Organic Suku.

Creative projects span shooting brand campaign imagery, research and development for new product launches, and colour trend forecasting – all on a global scale – as well as creating colour on the catwalk at Fashion Week in London, Milan, and New York.

Chrissy established Zemura in 2020, and it's her exacting eye for detail – from the salon’s authentically welcoming minimal aesthetic to the personalised service and luxurious hair looks served up within it – that sets the tone.

An innovative stylist of her generation - Chrissy appeared in titles including Elle, Instyle, Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Marie Claire. Her ability to look after all hair textures has landed on film productions such as Nine Perfect Strangers, Expats & Hunger Games.

Polished and personable, Chrissy’s breadth of technique and mastery of hair, especially textured hair, has made her particularly renowned for creating the most beautiful, expensive-looking styles and effortless, envy-inducing hair for her loyal and discerning clientele that includes actors, musicians, creatives, and a well-heeled crowd of fashion and beauty insiders.

Adetokunboh Adeniyi is a first-time restaurateur who launched Little Lagos Bistro & Bar with the intention of bringing West African music, food, fashion, art, and culture to Australia.

A nomad who has lived in 5 cities before settling in Sydney, Ade, as he is popularly known, was determined to see that Nigerian food became mainstream within the Australian culinary scene.

Starting with food stalls at markets in Sydney and Melbourne, then operating a food truck for several years before finally opening the first venue in Newtown, Sydney. Ade was named by Hospitality Magazine as one of Hospitality’s 50 game-changers in 2021 & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 by Business News Australia.

He is regularly featured in the media promoting the West African community in Australia and has recently opened a second venue in Brisbane.

Has been in the finance industry since 2011 within a variety of different roles. Currently as a Professional Mortgage Broker, Jesse’s main goal is to help guide his clients through the home buying process with care, efficiency and attention to detail. In addition to helping his clients navigate the Mortgage process, Jesse also enjoys sharing his experiences and knowledge on how important financial literacy is within the African community.

C.J has been in the finance industry since 2006. He has a passion for helping small business owners and individuals to manage and grow their financial wellbeing with a strong accounting and tax background.

Having started his accounting career as a Jr to now being an accounting manager, C.J brings a wide range of knowledge throughout his years to be able to provide clients with expert advice, professionalism, responsiveness and peace of mind.

Lionel is a Senior Financial Planner with over 12 years’ experience working in the Financial Services and Insurance industries. His early career saw him working as a Case Manager where he managed complex injuries and from there he made a transition into financial planning within a face to face advisory role.

Initially providing simple advice to individuals - Over the years has slowly moved into providing advice to high net wealth individuals focusing on building wealth and helping his clients achieve their long term lifestyle goals.

Outside of his professional life, Lionel is a keen football follower and pursues varied interest from trying cusines from around the world to travelling. Lionel also enjoys spending time with his family which is also an important part of his identity.

Rider works as a Financial Advisor Support with a Boutique Wealth Management firm. She also has a background as a Social Media Coordinator, working for organisations such as 10 Lessons Learned, The Professional Development Forum, and the Not-For Profit organisation called The Helmsman Project.

The Helmsman Project was an organisation working with young people to help them realise their potential and become leaders of their own life. Over the years Rider has developed an enthusiastic curiosity for personal development and now being in finance this has shaped her focus on building the capacity of young people within finance.

Edem Dokli has worked in the financial services recruitment industry for close to 2 years, ultimately gaining experience in headhunting, business development, sourcing, and recruiting at a variety of levels. As a Financial Services Recruiter, Edem takes pride in ensuring that candidates and clients are a strong match for one another – “I’m passionate about building people's careers rather than simply finding people jobs”.

Currently, Edem is responsible for recruiting top talent in the areas of Financial Crime, Regulatory and compliance, digital transformation, Divestment, mergers and acquisitions, Superannuation, Wealth and insurance.

Outside of the office, Edem is very passionate about giving back to her community and is the founder of an organisation called ‘We are the Movement’ which focuses on providing access to social services for people of Colour. These services include employment, education, mental health, legal assistance, financial, and youth programs.

Fundi is the visionary Founder of SK00L 0F FL0W and the ingenious mind behind the 7Ps Coaching Framework. With a profound commitment to growth and empowerment, Fundi's journey encompasses leadership development, team building, and executive coaching.

Through SK00L 0F FL0W, he crafts transformative experiences that inspire individuals to reach their highest potential. Fundi's expertise is channelled through the innovative 7Ps Coaching Framework, which encapsulates his mastery in leadership and holistic development. His services go beyond conventional coaching, delving into the realms of personal and professional transformation.

As a driving force in the realm of leadership, Fundi's contributions ripple across industries, fostering a culture of excellence and empowerment. His legacy is one of empowerment, igniting the journey of countless individuals and teams towards success and fulfilment.

From the tender age of three, Dr Helen Keteku-Adu always knew that she wanted to be a doctor. Encouraged by her parents (Paul and Gladys Keteku) to follow her dreams and open her own practice, she honoured their support by naming the practice after them.

Dr Helen Keteku-Adu has been providing quality care since she graduated from the University of Wollongong in 2013. PGK Medical’s approach to patient care and experience follows Dr Keteku-Adu’s vision of prioritising collaboration, education and personalised treatments to ensure each patient is cared for fully and extensively.

Gillian Dunn loves connecting people for meaningful conversation and is passionate about sharing cultural richness. She is a seasoned Music Industry professional, with a demonstrated history of leadership in the music industry.

With over 20 years working with APRA AMCOS, she has experience across Music Publishing, business relationship management and deep knowledge about royalties for the various rights within music and the ties to financial literacy that music creators need to understand.

She has a strong sense of community and social justice, and gets to flex that as a committee member of the Black Music Alliance Australia. She is kept grounded by her South African roots, two beautiful daughters and love of mountain biking.

Ruth Nyaruot Ruach is the co-founder and executive director of Next In Colour and a founding member of Way Over There (WOT) Collective. She is dedicated to empowering her community and creating sustainable practices for future African artists.

As a multidisciplinary artist, cultural curator, community arts worker, creative entrepreneur, and academic, Ruth uses her art to explore her identity, environment, and blackness, while healing and liberating herself. She honors her cultural heritage and its significance as a black woman on stolen land.