Jess Perrin - Foundation Director, Eureka Benevolent Foundation

Jess Perrin is the inaugural Foundation Director of the Eureka Benevolent Foundation (EBF), a family foundation established in 2007 by Belinda Hutchinson and Roger Massy-Greene. EBF focuses on early childhood and education, and on disadvantage in the developing world, seeking to influence and empower lasting change. The foundation’s strategy is to give a small number of larger, long-term grants to support catalytic change in our focus areas.

Jess is a seasoned partnerships and philanthropy executive, with over 18 years’ experience delivering social impact programs globally. Her career has spanned for purpose organisations, the private sector and the United Nations. Most recently, as Head of Social Innovation and Digital Inclusion at Infoxchange, and prior to that as Head of Global Programs at the Thomson Reuters Foundation in London. She holds a Masters of International Communications and Development from the City University of London and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Dr Samara Hand - Lecturer in the School of Law, Society and Criminology, University of New South Wales (UNSW)

Samara is a Worimi/Biripi scholar and Lecturer at UNSW Law & Justice. She is a co-founder of the National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition, an Indigenous youth-led organisation committed to backing the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in education. She was previously their Director of Research and Impact and has worked for the NSW Department of Education and the Aurora Education Foundation.

Megan Enders – Founder and Principal, Montage (WA)

Megan has expertise in the areas of collaboration, organisational leadership and change management, gained through executive roles in both the 'for purpose' and ‘for profit’ sectors. Megan has also held executive roles, and worked in the Prime Minister’s Department and for a Federal Minister.

John Bush (NSW)

John is a collaborative, outcomes-focused senior leader in philanthropy, social impact and education, with an abiding commitment to addressing disadvantage and helping young people to thrive. Over nearly thirty years, he has developed expertise in philanthropic strategy, grant-making and evaluation, policy influence, leading education social enterprises, designing and delivering transformative social impact convenings, and recruiting and developing exceptional talent for social impact.

John led the development of the education, school-age learning and young people strategies for the Paul Ramsay Foundation, which together delivered more than $170,000,000 in grant and evaluation partnerships. These partnerships have measurably improved outcomes for hundreds of thousands of Australian young people. 

All of John’s work in philanthropy has been informed by his leadership experience in schools and start-up nonprofits and his classroom teaching experience in the United States and Australia.

Bella Conyngham - Director, Engagement (NSW/ACT), Philanthropy Australia

As the Director of Engagement for NSW and ACT, Bella leads strategic engagement efforts with members, fostering collaboration across the region. She is deeply passionate about the philanthropic and not-for-profit sectors and serves as a Board Observer for the Australian Endometriosis Foundation (formerly known as Endo Articles). 

Bella is also an active member of NEXUS, a global community of emerging philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, impact investors, and allies from over 70 countries, dedicated to enhancing philanthropy and social change.