OUR SPEAKERS
TĀNE HUNTER
FOUNDER | SCIENTIST | AUTHOR | FORMER CANCER RESEARCHER
Founder of Future Crunch, scientist, author, and former cancer researcher published in Nature, spent years building AI and machine learning models at leading Australian research hospitals before turning his scientific lens on the forces reshaping business, technology, and society.
Through 500+ keynotes across five continents, including a 15,000-person audience at the LA Convention Center, Tāne has become one of Australia's most sought-after science communicators. He's the author of Full Stack Human, a neuroscience-informed playbook for staying sharp amid exponential change, and has advised the New Zealand government on their green hydrogen strategy, supported Australia's national energy transition.
He is also a former U.S. mountain biking champion, an ocean sailor with crossings from the South Pacific to the Caribbean, and the former manager and sommelier at New Zealand's Rural Restaurant of the Year.
REBECCA MAKLAD
STRATEGIC ADVISOR | CO-FOUNDER, HUMANITY SCHOOLS
For more than two decades, Rebecca Maklad has worked alongside futurists, scientists, entrepreneurs, authors and thought leaders exploring the forces reshaping business, technology and society. A long-standing member of Future Crunch, she previously served as CEO and Director and today works as Strategic Advisor and Principal Speaker alongside Tāne Hunter.
Rebecca has advised founders and experts on influence and authority, spoken for organisations including Telstra, Nine Entertainment, ANZ, EY, Australia Post, Smartsheet, World Vision and Cuscal, and hosted more than 125 conversations through The DNA of Purpose, a globally ranked podcast exploring purpose, leadership and human potential.
Her work focuses on the human side of technological change and the capabilities becoming more valuable in the age of AI. She is also Co-Founder of Humanity Schools, an education initiative helping schools develop human capability alongside academic achievement through keynotes, learning experiences and emerging research.
DAISY WONG
LEADER IN CYBER-SECURITY AWARENESS | DISABILITY ADVOCATE
Born and raised in Melbourne with Hong Kong heritage, Daisy Wong is a cybersecurity culture and awareness leader, disability advocate, and speaker with a passion for building adaptable, inclusive, and people-first security cultures. She currently leads Security Culture and Awareness at Medibank where she helps people navigate the evolving cybersecurity landscape.
Known for her bright pink wheelchair, matching hair, and even brighter leadership, Daisy uses her lived experience with spina bifida to champion visibility, access, and representation for women and people with disabilities in security. She also serves as Honorary Secretary for the Australian Computer Society Victoria Branch.
Daisy recently participated in an NDIS documentary to raise awareness on living with a physical disability as an Australian-born Chinese woman. Through sharing her story, she hopes to challenge stereotypes, highlight the cultural experiences that can shape disability, and show how she continues to live, work, advocate, and overcome barriers with resilience, humour, and a little bit of pink. You can watch the documentary here.
DR EHSSAN SAKHAEE
ENGINEER | SENIOR LECTURER IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE & LEADERSHIP
Ehssan is a cartoonist, leadership educator, engineer, writer, philosopher and mindfulness practitioner.
He has been lecturing at University of Sydney, UCLA Extension and Osaka University in the area of leadership, innovation and sustainability for close to a decade.
He has founded a tech startup for measuring soft skill development (PaLDIP) as well as an edutainment company (Wacky Wisdom) and Inspirational Management Australia using evidence-based personal and leadership development training.
MELISSA NEIGHBOUR
URBAN PLANNER
Melissa is an environmental town planner, community builder and sustainability specialist. She is the Owner of Sky Town Planning, a purpose-driven town planning consultancy based in Sydney.
She has developed and implemented award-winning sustainable development projects across Australia, and is on a mission to activate sustainable forms of living in urban spaces of the future. She is a founding member of the World Economic Forum Sydney Shaper Hub and was the National Convener for the United National Association of Australia Young Professionals Network.
BEHIND THE SCENES
SARAH GREEN
Future Crunch COO
Sarah has worked with some of Australia’s leading fashion, media, and talent agencies to promote emerging talent and to help brands like Scanlan Theodore, Jac + Jac and Bassike develop nation-wide sustainability programs.
With experience in both agency and client-side, Sarah’s ability to nurture client and team relationships is thanks to her warmth and attention to detail. As our resident Nerd-Herder, Sarah keeps our Future Crunch Team on-track, on-time and on-point and is more effective than any time management program around. If she’s away from her desk, you’ll probably find Sarah on the yoga mat.
TIA JEAN
Future Crunch General Manager
Tia is the current heart behind the boutique life and business admin company Organise.Curate.Design, blending creativity and organisation into a collective that is curating clarity out of chaos, through structured thinking, grounded action, and a little bit of admin magic.
At Future Crunch, she brings that same grounded magic to operations, partnerships and creative logistics - helping ideas move smoothly from thought to action. With a background in Psychological Science and Sociology from the University of Sydney, Tia’s work is guided by a lifelong curiosity about people, patterns and the way we fit together.
Sam McLean | Elite Agency
“FUTURE CRUNCH... WHERE DO I EVEN START? ABSOLUTELY INSPIRING, INCREDIBLY INTERESTING AND JUST OVERALL OUTSTANDING.”
