Philanthropic funders, foundations, and FGII guests are welcome to attend this event.
When
Thursday 11 September 2025
Online:
12:00pm - 1:30pm AEST (ACT, NSW, QLD, VIC)
11:30am - 1:00pm ACST (NT, SA)
10:00am - 11:30am AWST (WA)
In-person (hosted by Minderoo): 10:00am - 12:30pm AWST
- 09:45am - 10:00am | Guest arrival, morning tea
- 10:00am - 11:30am | FPO presentations and Market Update
- 11:30am - 11:40am | Break
- 11:40am - 12:00pm | A discussion: The State of Impact Investing in WA, hosted by Impact Seed and Minderoo
- 12:00pm - 12:30pm | Lunch and networking
Location, hybrid event
Online: Meeting link will be provided after registration.
In-person: Minderoo office, Perth WA 6000. Exact venue address will be provided after registration.
Aim
-
- To present an overview and investment considerations of investment-ready organisations
Overview
The Foundations Group for Impact Investing (FGII), launched in 2023, is designed to support market-building initiatives for foundations and charitable funders interested in starting or currently undertaking impact investing.
The FGII plans to support market building through education and origination. The origination activities will primarily be delivered via the Market Information Days.
Do you know a Foundation or Charitable funder who would benefit from joining? Please help spread the word. Find out more about becoming a FGII member.
About Market Information Day
The Market Information Day on Thursday 11 September will be held hybrid in Perth. This event is an opportunity to share impact investments in the market and invite discussion.
The Market Information Days are designed to educate attendees about the social impact investment landscape and opportunities from social impact funds, charities and social ventures. The event will focus on learning in a mutually supportive environment; newer investors learn from the questions posed by their more experienced peers, and those presenting can benefit from feedback on their ideas.
Please note:
- Presenters will share their thoughts and views in conversation but will not offer any financial advice.
- A brief survey will be provided for completion at the end of each presentation.
Audience
Philanthropic funders, foundations and FGII guests are welcome to attend this event.
For questions about this event or FGII, please contact the FGII Program Director Michelle Di Fabio at fgii@philanthropy.org.au. Find out how to become a FGII member here.
Philanthropy Australia (PA) membership is not required to join FGII.
Speakers
|
|
Chris de Cuyper - Founder and Managing Director, Fremantle Seaweed
Chris de Cuyper is the Founder and Managing Director of Fremantle Seaweed, a company that grows the red seaweed Asparagopsis that has been proven by CSIRO to lower methane emission from cattle when added as a feed supplement.
Chris’s started his career as an electrician in the mining industry before moving into construction project management.
|
|
|
Founding Fremantle Seaweed in 2020, he has been on a steep trajectory in the aquaculture industry. With his proven project delivery record and passion for the ocean, Chris is pioneering the responsible development of the offshore seaweed industry. As an elected Non-executive Director of the Aquaculture Council of WA, Chris is supporting the seaweed sector at the regulatory decision-maker level.
Chris has a passion for the ocean and loves nothing more than being out on his boat. Through Fremantle Seaweed his purpose is to make a significant impact to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
|
|
|
Harikesh Pushpapathan - Partner, Stoic VC
Harikesh is a Partner at Stoic VC; an early stage venture fund solving our world’s most intractable problems endemic to our human bodies and the world around us. by a) Redesigning human health b) supercharging compute c) rebalancing the earth. To do this, we partner with Uniseed – commercialisation body managing 65% of Australia R&D output.
I currently sit on a few committees including Uniseed, Antler and NSW government’s Biosciences fund.
|
|
|
Prior to this, I spent a few years investing personally, at other funds, fundraising for startups and building my own telehealth business. When I’m not investing or recovering from sporting injuries, I love to write – both in music and blogs.
|
|
|
Dr Intan Oldakowska - CEO, EarFlo
Dr Intan Oldakowska is a biomedical engineer and entrepreneur focused on developing medical devices. In her research, she collaborates with clinicians to design and develop innovative medical devices that solve unmet clinical problems and have commercial potential. She completed her PhD at Curtin University developing a novel expandable orthopaedic screw, which led to the spin-out company REX Ortho. More recently, she co-founded Earflo and is now CEO of Earflo, developing a non-invasive device to improve treatment of chronic ear infections in young children.
|
|
|
Her companies have received several awards, including the 2023 WA Innovator of the Year (Emerging Innovation category) and 2024 INCITE Award for Start-up of the Year. Alongside her work in medtech start-ups, she teaches the next generation of medtech entrepreneurs how to innovate in this space through Perth Biodesign and Biodesign Australia, and lectures Biomedical Engineering students at the University of Western Australia.
|
|
|
Joss Engebretsen, Portfolio Manager - Portfolio Manager, Barwon Disability Accommodation Fund (BDAF)
Joss Engebretsen spearheads the Barwon Disability Accommodation Fund (BDAF), a leader in addressing Australia's critical shortage of Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). BDAF is dedicated to being a trusted custodian of high-quality, scaled SDA properties, ensuring safe and appropriate homes for individuals with severe and complex disabilities whilst delivering a good and consistent market-level return for investors. |
|
|
With over 15 years of experience in real estate, Joss brings deep expertise in property design, development, and asset management. His passion for delivering purpose through property and his profound understanding of the sector drive BDAF's commitment to providing essential, long-term housing solutions for those with extreme functional impairments or very high support needs. Investing in BDAF means contributing to a vital social mission while achieving impactful outcomes.
|
Market Update
|
|
Chuck Berger – Executive Director, Investment, Impact Seed
Chuck Berger leads Impact Seed’s social enterprise and impact investment areas, which aim to connect impact capital to social enterprises and other socially, environmentally, and cultural beneficial projects and investments in Western Australia.
|
|
|
Before joining Impact Seed, Chuck was CEO of the Kimberley Development Commission, where he secured over $30m in resourcing for a range of regional projects, with a strong emphasis on Aboriginal economic empowerment. He has also led not-for-profit organisations Kimberley Community Legal Services and Outdoors Victoria, and served on several Boards.
Chuck was the Australian Conservation Foundation’s in-house counsel and Strategic Director for a decade, where he played an instrumental role catalysing the creation of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. He holds law degrees from Yale Law School and the University of Frankfurt, Germany.
|
FGII chair
|
|
Ben Smith - Head, Impact Investing, Paul Ramsay Foundation
Ben is Head of Impact Investing at Paul Ramsay Foundation. Alongside his role at PRF, Ben is the Vice Chair, and Chair of the Investment Committee, for NatWest Social and Community Capital. Furthermore, he holds the position of Impact Investor in Residence at Centre for Social Impact Flinders University.
|
|
|
Prior to joining PRF, Ben was Head of Impact Investment at Esmée Fairbairn Foundation – the UK’s largest impact investing foundation. Ben previously established UnLtd’s – the UK’s largest early-stage social enterprise supporter – social investment department and first funds. Other notable activities in the space include co-authoring the CFA UK’s Impact and Investing Certificate, co-Chairing the UK’s Social Impact Investors Group and holding Impact Finance lecturing positions at Cranfield University and University of Westminster.
Originally a management and strategy consultant, Ben is also a former Board Member of Birmingham Symphony Hall and Aston University. |
FGII Program Director
|
|
Michelle Di Fabio - Program Director for the Foundations Group for Impact Investing (FGII), Philanthropy Australia
Michelle leads the Foundations Group for Impact Investing (FGII) at Philanthropy Australia. The FGII launched in 2023, is designed to support market-building initiatives for foundations and charitable funders interested in starting or currently undertaking impact investing.
|
|
|
Michelle is experienced in strategy, program delivery, education and impact investing. Michelle has held roles including Head of Strategy for Hostplus Superannuation, Relationship Manager for the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and is the Founder and Director of Strategic Global Advisory (SGA).
Michelle is passionate about education and collaboration, and a lecturer in Impact Investing (Sustainable Investment) at The University of Melbourne.
Michelle qualified as a Chartered Accountant at PwC and is an alumnus of The University of Melbourne, University of Manchester and Oxford University, where she was awarded a leadership scholarship to study the Social Impact Investing Programme at the SAID Business School. Michelle is a board member of Dodgeball Australia, National student body Financial Management Association of Australia (FMAA) and former Alumni Deputy Chair at The University of Melbourne. |
Find out how to become a FGII member here.
Learn more about Philanthropy Australia membership.
