Kristen has been involved with The Funding Network Australia since its inception, helping to shape the very first pilot events alongside co-founder Lisa Cotton in 2013, before serving on TFN’s Sydney Leadership Council and later becoming CEO in July 2022. Previously TFN’s General Manager, she has played a key role in refining TFN’s live collective giving model, developing its technology roadmap, and building strong, values-aligned relationships with clients, partners and supporters.

Kristen brings broad experience in marketing, stakeholder engagement and communications across the US and Australia, with leadership roles in both corporate and non-profit settings. She is a former Senior Vice President & Partner at FleishmanHillard in San Francisco, where she advised clients including Visa, Netflix and Dell, and has held senior marketing and communications positions at Compass Group Australia and Good Guys Inc. A certified leadership coach, Kristen is passionate about helping people and organisations unlock their capacity for good.

Andrea has over 15 years experience in the philanthropy and not-for-profit sector. Most recently, she was General Manager of Australian Communities Foundation for 13 years. Andrea is passionate about the social outcomes achieved by connecting donors with community needs. An energetic team player with extensive management and operations experience, Andrea is dedicated to organisational excellence. She is currently also a Board Member of Focus Individualised Support Services on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.

Rebecca Harris is a seasoned CSR and social impact leader with over a decade of experience driving global strategies, impactful programs, and sustainable partnerships. She has worked across tech and nonprofit sectors, specialising in stakeholder engagement, funding management, and purpose-driven leadership.

Her collaboration with The Funding Network (TFN) began with a corporate giving event and deepened during the pandemic, when she co-created a successful virtual format that ran for three consecutive years. This partnership reinforced her appreciation for TFN’s adaptable, impact-focused model.

Rebecca’s career includes roles at Sage Foundation and Schneider Electric, and she now consults on purpose-led projects like The Growth Project. Currently pursuing an MBA in sustainability and leadership, she thrives at the intersection of strategy, collaboration, and social innovation.

Rabia is a strategic communications specialist who helps for-purpose organisations find the story that matters and make it resonate. At The Funding Network, she steers brand, content and campaigns that connect donors, partners and Alumni with grassroots changemakers, strengthening collective giving across Australia and building TFN’s reputation and brand.

Over her time TFN, Rabia has refreshed the organisation’s voice to be contemporary, inclusive and impact-centred, lifting consistency and cut-through across every channel. She brings together brand strategy, creative direction and practical delivery, shaped by more than a decade in the sector including campaigns for Bob Brown Foundation, Cambodian Children’s Trust and Diversity Arts Australia. She’s passionate about making good work easier to do by refining the way tools and workflows fit together, removing friction, and creating a simpler journey for supporters from pledge through to impact reporting.

Jacinta Parsons is a master of the live mic. Whether she’s lighting up ABC Radio Melbourne’s Friday Revue with Brian Nankervis or steering Saturday Mornings into the weekend, Jacinta brings warmth, wit and razor-sharp curiosity to every conversation. She began her radio life at iconic community station Triple R before joining ABC in 2015 as Double J’s Music Director and has since produced and fronted national broadcasts from awards nights to music festivals. Off air, Jacinta is a bestselling author of three candid books – Unseen (2020), A Question of Age (2022) and the brand-new A Wisdom of Age (2025) – exploring chronic illness, women and ageing. Living with Crohn’s disease for two decades, she’s an outspoken health advocate who knows how to hold a room and keep it buzzing.

Maddi has a deep passion for driving positive change and making a meaningful impact. Maddi cares about many social causes and approaches the issues with an intersectional lens. She champions initiatives that are local, and community led and recognises the powerful impact lived experience can have on program development. Maddi loves to expand her knowledge and to keep learning and enjoys researching new trends and attending industry events and workshops.

With a background in media, communication, and international relations, Isabel is a staunch advocate of the power of collective action in generating systemic change within the local and global community. She is dedicated to bringing her experience in the performing arts space to create impactful events that inspire.

A globally experienced partnerships and philanthropy leader, Aaron McNeilly helps for-purpose organisations turn strategy into action. Over 15 years he has brokered cross-sector collaborations, secured catalytic funding and coached teams to deliver measurable impact including previous roles at The Princes Trust and Australian Communities Foundation. An engineer by training, he brings pragmatic problem-solving, systems thinking and a knack for convening unlikely allies. Now working independently alongside TFN, he thrives at the intersection of donors, corporates and community – building partnerships that scale grassroots change with optimism, empathy and a dash of humour.

Prerana is dedicated to curating impactful events and cultivating partnerships that advance TFN’s mission. With experience across a range of non-profit organisations – spanning strategy, communications, and stakeholder engagement, she is committed to designing events that foster collaboration, amplify diverse voices, and deliver long-term value to communities. Guided by TFN’s mission, she will take a thoughtful, strategic approach to building genuine partnerships and creating meaningful experiences that lead to lasting impact.

With a background in finance, Eesha is passionate about exploring how financial expertise can be harnessed for meaningful social purposes. She is dedicated to supporting The Funding Network’s mission by applying her analytical and organisational strengths to help grassroots non-profits thrive. She is motivated by opportunities to connect people with purpose and to support initiatives that drive meaningful change.