You will see people on stage you’ve never seen before who absolutely belong on a stage.

The Line Up

Day 1: 12/11

Building strong businesses

10AM-6PM

ENTERTAINMENT

Georgia Fields (musician)

DJ Dan Toop

Renae Brennen (musician)

Aarti Vincent - Comedian

TED STYLE TALKS

  • Rhiannon Tracey (The Next Step) - ‘Building a legacy after a tragedy’.

  • Dante St James: AI and LinkedIn

PANELS

  • How to monetise an online community

  • Marketing that moves the needle (and the money)

STREAMS

  • Tradie Panel: How to get ahead as a Trades business

  • Leadership panel with Jen Sharpe

  • Speed dating with Sheree Rubinstein (One Roof)

  • Workshop: 5 acting lessons that will make you more confident with sales with Nataleigh Elzein

  • Wellness activation

  • Chill out Zone: custom t-shirt with Tahnee from Gammin Threads

Keynotes, artists and workshops

PANELS

How to monetise an online community

  • Stylist, Influencer and Online Business Owner of CM Style Squad

    Caitlin Marwaha’s gift to women, at every life stage, is confidence in their bodies. The clothes? Just a tool in her kit.

    A personal stylist turned online business owner, Caitlin has helped thousands of women show up with confidence by curating wardrobes that work for them, without breaking the bank.

    As the influential creator behind @bycaitlinanne, she guides her community to shop and dress for their bodies, choosing shapes and colours that flatter, not frustrate.

    From bold colour palettes to bold business moves, Caitlin is the definition of showing up with style and substance.

    If you’re ready to show up, stand out, and feel damn good doing it, this is the woman to learn from.

  • Bloggers Sammi Dobbinson and Mandy Couzens from Mamma Knows West

    Meet Melbourne’s dynamic duo, Sammi Dobinson and Mandy Couzens, the women behind Mamma Knows West and the Mamma Knows Websites across Melbourne.

    What started as a shared love of playgrounds and local cafés has become the go-to guide for families across Melbourne’s West then grew Melbourne-wide.

    Through sharp photography, honest reviews, and a knack for uncovering hidden gems, they’ve built a hyper-engaged community and a booming digital brand.

    With over 6 million site visits a year across the websites, the Mamma Knows brand dishes up the best parks, play centres, cafés, markets, and free or low-cost adventures for families, week in, week out.

    And they’ve done it all while raising kids of their own and building a business from the ground up.

    If you want to learn how to grow and monetise a massive audience without selling out, Sammi and Mandy are the clever cookies you want to hear from.

  • Serial Entrepreneur, LinkedIn Top Voice at Dante St James

    We don't know how Dante St James does it.

    He’s the Expert-in-Residence at the Darwin Innovation Hub. He consults. He trains. He speaks. He mentors startups. He’s even bought a café and retail store in another state, and is rebuilding them from scratch.

    He’s what you’d call multi-passionate, but somehow, never chaotic.

    While the rest of us cling to the edges of our calendars, Dante is calm, kind, and reliably present, for his work, for others, and himself.

    How? According to Dante, the future of work isn’t about doing less; it’s about building a business that doesn’t depend solely on your time and energy.

    At Ripple Festival, he’ll be classic Dante: popping up all over the place, talking automation, AI, ethical tech, and the power of LinkedIn.

  • This panel will be facilitated by Fi

Marketing that moves the needle

(and the money)

  • Founder of Jam Packed Agency, Social Media Strategist

    Jarrah Brailey signed up for Instagram at age 11 and never looked back. By 15, she was curating content, testing strategies, and basically running her own social media lab. By 18, she was running a glamping brand’s socials for $10 a day, and growing their following like a pro.

    At 19, she launched Socials by Jarrah. By 21, she had a team. By 25, she’d rebranded as Jampacked Agency, a full-service digital marketing powerhouse, and increased revenue by more than 50% using the very strategies she teaches.

    Now 26, Jarrah leads a team of digital marketing obsessives, hosts a podcast, and helps businesses scale through smart paid ads, sharp strategy, and standout storytelling.

    She’s part of a new generation of agency founders who got their start online, and built their businesses from the ground up.

    At Ripple Festival, she’ll be sharing what it really takes to build a socially-first brand in the scroll era, and how to turn clicks into conversions without selling your soul.

  • Marketing Analytics Specialist, Founder of Penn & Lytics

    Brooke Huckerby helps small business owners and marketers stop guessing and start knowing when it comes to their marketing.

    With more than 12 years of experience in digital marketing, and 8 of those spent focused on analytics, Brooke is known for transforming messy data into clarity, action, confidence, and results.

    She doesn’t believe in guesswork or vanity metrics. Instead, she brings a sharp strategic lens and clear frameworks to help clients uncover what’s working, what’s not, and where their next best move is hiding.

    Brooke’s work is grounded in confident humility and intellectual accountability; she’s not here to overwhelm you with dashboards. She’s here to make data feel doable, useful, and even a little bit fun.

    And most days, she’s doing it with her corgi Penny (Head of Vibe) by her side.

  • Founder of Ads Haus, Meta Ads Specialist

    It’s hard to imagine marketing without paid social ads.

    Meta has transformed the way we do business, giving brands the power to scale fast when backed by the right strategy, creativity, and psychology.

    That’s why we needed Tenai Seymour of @ads_haus on the Ripple Festival stage. A Meta ads expert with a deep understanding of consumer psychology, Tenai’s strategies don’t just drive revenue—they build brands and boost bottom lines for small businesses.

    She’s also calling BS on the big agencies that woo founders with slick sales pitches, only to offload their accounts to juniors who burn through ad budgets. Instead, Tenai takes a smarter, more human approach—one that’s collaborative, ethical, and rooted in real results.

    Adding to her unique perspective? She’s running a successful online business from Stanthorpe, in Queensland’s stunning Granite Belt region. Because small business happens everywhere, not just in the big cities.

  • Website Strategist and Founder of Lemon Crush Design

    Your website is your most powerful marketing asset. 

    Are you treating it like it is?

    Your website shouldn’t just look good - it should be a powerful tool that drives your business forward. The purpose of social media is to get your audience off social media and onto your website. Many founders waste their marketing efforts on content that keeps their audience on Instagram.

    Janine is coming to Ripple Festival to explain the difference between a website you HOPE will work, and one you KNOW will perform.

    Too many businesses invest in websites that don’t work. Why? Because they’re designed without a solid strategy. After helping over 150 businesses transform their websites, Janine knows success comes from strategy before design. Her clever approach combines proven marketing principles with beautiful design to create websites that actively bring you business.

  • Founder, Campaign Del Mar

    Marketing and Campaign Strategist, and marketing trainer.

    This panel will be facilitated by Mia.

How to get ahead as a trades business presented by

  • Digital Marketing specialist for home improvement brands and Managing Director of Vastly Digital

    With a straight-talking approach and a deep understanding of what actually works for trades and home improvement businesses, Lex has helped countless Aussie companies generate quality leads, improve their conversion rates, and scale.

    She brings a refreshing dose of brutal honesty to the digital marketing space along with a healthy obsession with systems, conversions, and clever tech.

    Expect actionable steps, no bullshit, and a refreshing look at what really works in the home improvement space.

  • Master builder and founder of Progressive Bathroom Renovations

    Nathan Dunn is the kind of tradie who wipes his boots at the door, and actually shows up when he says he will.

    With over 15 years of construction know-how, Nathan combines old-school craftsmanship with modern tools like 3D design plans to turn tired bathrooms into Pinterest-worthy spaces.

    He’s not just licensed and insured, he’s a hands-on director who manages every job from the first consult to the final polish. His attention to detail, clear communication, and commitment to quality have earned him raving five-star reviews and industry accolades, including “Best Bathroom under $30K” at the 2022 Master Builders Victoria Awards.

    At Ripple Festival, Nathan’s here to prove that trades don’t have to mean chaos, and that good work (and good manners) never go out of style.

  • Website strategist and designer at Lemon Crush Design

    Your website is your most powerful marketing asset. 

    Are you treating it like it is?

    Your website shouldn’t just look good - it should be a powerful tool that drives your business forward. The purpose of social media is to get your audience off social media and onto your website. Many founders waste their marketing efforts on content that keeps their audience on Instagram

    Janine Staunton @lemoncrushdesign is coming to Ripple Festival to explain the difference between a website you HOPE will work, and one you KNOW will perform.

    Too many businesses invest in websites that don’t work. Why? Because they’re designed without a solid strategy. After helping over 150 businesses transform their websites, Janine knows success comes from strategy before design. Her clever approach combines proven marketing principles with beautiful design to create websites that actively bring you business.

  • Accountant and Business Strategist

    This panel will be facilitated by Fi.

More panellists announced soon

The Line Up

Day 2: 13/11

Brands that create ripples

ENTERTAINMENT

Comedians: announcement coming soon

Artists:

Maddison Connors (Yarli Creative)

Tahnee Edwards (Gammin Threads)

10AM-6PM

KEYNOTE

  • Kon Karapanagiotidis, CEO Asylum Seeker Rescue Centre

  • Lucy Thomas OAM and Rosie Thomas OAM (Project Rockit): Using small business as a force for social change

  • Odette Barry: details to be confirmed

PANELS

Panel: Creativity is the currency of the future.

Panel: Impact is the future of business

Keynotes, artists and workshops

Watch this space for an exciting comedian announcement

PANELS

CREATIVITY IS THE CURRENCY OF THE FUTURE

  • Gruen Panelist, Gambol Founder

    “You’ll find the future where people are having the most fun.” — Camey O’Keefe

    Creative strategist. Play advocate. Gruen panelist. Lego Serious Play facilitator. And a total brand geek (her words, not ours).

    Camey O’Keefe has spent over 25 years helping businesses — from scrappy start-ups to Fortune 500 giants — become more creative, collaborative, and way more fun.

    With a deep understanding of both brand and the science of play, she’s helped organisations unlock serious results through serious play — the kind that boosts creativity, shifts culture, and transforms how people work.

    At Ripple Festival, Camey will share how to build a brand and a business that doesn’t just function — it plays.

  • Creative Director at Stef Hanson Productions, Videographer and Photographer

    Your marketing needs to make an impact. Stef Hanson @stefhansonproductions makes sure it does.

    A
    s a creative director, videographer, and photographer, Stef unearths stories and captures them in ways that make grown women cry (the good kind, promise). She has a knack for disarming people just long enough for them to bare all—because that’s where the magic happens.

    Best known for her witty puns, dreamy drone shots, and attention-grabbing video campaigns, Stef is the person you call when you need marketing that stands out but you’re all out of creative juju.

    A former triathlete, she doesn’t do anything by halves. And neither should your brand.

  • Founder of Young Folks Agency

    Creativity is the currency of the future and Erin Morris is investing heavily 🎨💡

    As the founder of @youngfolksagency a conscious marketing agency driven by ethics and impact, Erin is redefining what it means to do marketing differently and do it well. With a sharp strategic mind and a deep love for brands that are purpose-led, people-first and planet-conscious, Erin brings fresh thinking to every conversation.

    She’s worked with some of Australia’s most iconic sustainable brands, been featured in SmartCompany, The Design Files, Peppermint, and Wellbeing Magazine, and has grown Young Folks into one of the most respected conscious marketing studios in the country.

Impact is the future of business

  • CEO and Founder of Asylum Seeker Rescue Centre and advocate.

    “When we lead with love and give everyone a seat at the table, we build a community brave enough to transform the world.”

    Kon Karapanagiotidis is the founder and CEO of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), Australia’s largest independent human rights organisation, supporting over 30,000 refugees and asylum seekers each year.

    A human rights lawyer, social worker, teacher, and proud son of Greek immigrants, Kon built the ASRC from a class project in 2001 into a movement, powered by 125 staff, 1,200 volunteers, and over $250 million raised through grassroots generosity.

    Kon’s story is one of radical hope. Raised in rural Victoria in a working-class migrant family, his early experiences of racism and hardship became fuel for justice. By 18, he was already volunteering in homelessness, Indigenous, youth, and HIV/AIDS services. 

    By age 28, he launched the ASRC from his kitchen table with a vision: no one would be turned away.

    Today, the ASRC delivers legal, educational, employment, health, housing, advocacy, and social enterprise programs that centre on humanity, dignity, and care.

    At Ripple Festival, Kon will share the kind of truth that cracks hearts open and rebuilds them stronger.

  • Bloggers, Managing Director Mount Zero Olives

    Meet Richard Seymour, the flavour-obsessed, sustainability-driven force behind @mountzeroolives

    As Managing Dir
    ector of Mount Zero Olives, Richard has been at the helm of this family-owned business since 2005, continuing the legacy started by his parents, Neil and Jane Seymour, in 1993.

    Under Richard's leadership, Mount Zero has evolved from a single olive grove at the base of Mount Zero to a collaborative network of like-minded Victorian olive growers. Their lineup now includes a premium range of Australian pulses and grains, unrefined pink lake salt and the best olive oil and olives you'll ever taste. The team is dedicated to quality produce grown here, and doing everything with sustainability baked in.

    At Ripple Festival, Richard will join the Impact-Led Business panel, sharing insights on what it actually takes to build a purpose-driven brand that champions sustainability, community collaboration, and exceptional quality.

  • Founder Gammin Threads, First Nations Artist and Advocate.

    There’s power in what we wear, and no one channels that power quite like Tahnee Edwards, founder of @gamminthreads.

    A proud Yort
    a Yorta and Taungurung woman, Tahnee is a designer and community worker whose creative expression is a love letter to culture, resistance, and pride. Gammin Threads isn’t just a label, it’s a movement that celebrates community, strength and staunch aunty energy, with bold colours, cheeky slogans, and powerful messages woven through every stitch.

    At Ripple Festival, Tahnee will run a hands-on workshop inviting you to create your own piece of wearable meaning, something that represents your voice, values, or just for pure joy. You’ll walk away not just with something tangible, but with the experience of being part of a space where creativity, self-expression and culture meet.

    You’ll press, print, design and play with Tahnee guiding you the whole way.

You’ll also see both of us on stage too. But not like you’ve seen us before.

More names announced as we get close to the festival.

If you want to support this never-been-done before and valuable small business festival, buying a ticket is the best way to do that. Then we can announce more incredible speakers and performers. Let’s do this.