PROGRAM

DISCOVER MORE ABOUT OUR PANELLISTS AND SPEAKERS

Kaylee McKeown - Olympic Gold Medallist

Kaylee McKeown is the first Australian to win four individual Olympic gold medals after triumphing in the women's 200m backstroke at the 2024 Paris Olympics. McKeown is also the first swimmer to successfully defend 100m and 200m backstroke titles in Olympic history and collected Australia's 10th gold medal in the Paris.

McKeown now has five golds in her Olympic career, with a women's 4x100m medley victory at the Tokyo Games three years ago also in her collection.

As a driving force within the Australian Dolphins Team, Kaylee sets a high standard, leading by example and supporting her teammates. Her resilience shines through her athletic achievements but also in her personal journey, as she continues to support her family following the loss of her father. Kaylee embodies strength, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to her sport and team.

Abbie Williams - Founder of Letters of Hope

Abbie Williams is the Founder and CEO of Letters of Hope, a not-for-profit social enterprise that has sent over 5,000 letters of support to individuals in more than 27 countries. After finding great comfort in handwritten letters from her grandparents, Abbie was inspired to create a global initiative that connects people through the power of written words. Her work has had a profound impact, improving mental health outcomes and increasing help-seeking behaviors among recipients.

Abbie is a passionate mental health advocate, drawing from her lived experience of mental illness (Bipolar) to inspire others. She is an Ambassador for the Australian & New Zealand Mental Health Association and a certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor. She has been recognised for her work through being awarded as the 2024 Gold Coast Young Australian of the Year, and a finalist in the 7News 2024 Young Achiever Awards. Abbie’s warm and engaging speaking style has made her a sought-after keynote speaker, and her presentations focus on the transformative power of kindness, compassion, and social connection in mental health.

In addition to her leadership of Letters of Hope, Abbie is dedicated to empowering others to take action and make a difference in their communities. Her story is a testament to resilience, and her work continues to inspire change and foster hope worldwide

Schuyler Weiss - Managing Director, Bazmark & Academy Award Nominated Producer

Schuyler Weiss is an Academy Award nominated producer based in the Gold Coast, Australia. He has worked with Baz Luhrmann’s production company, Bazmark, since 2005 and currently serves as Managing Director and producing partner to Luhrmann and his creative partner Catherine Martin. In addition to producing Luhrmann’s latest epic feature Elvis, which garnered eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Weiss also executive produced the long-anticipated re-mounting of Luhrmann’s Australia as a limited series for Hulu and Disney+, titled Faraway Downs.

Outside of his work at Bazmark, Weiss recently produced the widely acclaimed 2024 feature film How To Make Gravy, based on Paul Kelly’s iconic song.

In the US, Weiss co-founded New York-based Tandem Pictures in 2010, which he built into a successful film and commercial production company and sold in 2016. He has produced numerous independent films, including three features selected for the Sundance Film Festival.

Weiss’s work in entertainment spans film, TV, commercials, live events, VR and even co-writing a song with Elton John.

Angela Brown – Restaurants Executive Chef, The Star Gold Coast
 
Chef Angela Brown is an award-winning culinary professional with a career spanning over 20 years across Europe and Asia. Starting at just 16, she quickly gained recognition for her creativity, winning several top awards and receiving widespread acclaim.

Angela has worked in some of the world’s most prestigious establishments, including Sofitel London St. James, Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor (Cambodia), Hotel des Arts Saigon (Vietnam), opening the Fairmont Sirru Fen Fushi in the Maldives and played a key role in the rebranding of Hotel de la Paix into SO Sofitel Hua Hin, including launching three new dining outlets. Between 2013 and 2015, she gained further acclaim as a competitor on Iron Chef Thailand.

Returning to Australia in 2021, she took on the role of Senior Sous Chef at JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa, overseeing five dining outlets and earning the resort’s first Chef Hat in 2023. In March 2024, Angela joined The Star Gold Coast as Restaurants Executive Chef, where she leads a world-class team in delivering exceptional dining experiences across the resort’s array of prestigious venues.

Beyond the kitchen, Angela also loves photography, painting and drawing. She is a passionate advocate for female food and beverage leaders, offering guidance to young talent and providing a path to share ideas and challenges, making her a true visionary in the culinary world.

Karen Lunn - CEO WPGA Tour of Australasia 

When Karen Lunn won the AIG Women’s Open at the Woburn Duke’s Course in 1993, she knew she had achieved something special.

The Australian, who was 27 years old at the time, produced a dominant victory to claim the title. Lunn won by eight strokes, still the third-largest winning margin in history. Now, 28 years later, Lunn is still amazed at her accomplishment.

“I don’t think it really hits me until every year when I go back to the Women’s Open,” Lunn said. “They have all the pictures of previous champions, and it’s pretty special to look up there and see your photo and the scores that you had".

Lunn most certainly belongs in that class of player, and is one of the most influential golfers in the last 30 years on the circuit. After winning the AIG Women's Open in 1993, she went on to win the LET Order of Merit that year and eventually become the Tour’s Chairman of the Board in 2004 after winning 10 events on the circuit over her career.

Sam Squiers - Award Winning Sports Presenter and WPGA Board Director

Sam Squiers is an award-winning Sports Journalist, Presenter, Author and the founder of Sportette. Sam is a Sports Presenter for Fox Sports News and has worked with Australia’s leading media and sports organisations including Fox Sports, Channel 9, NRL, Surfing Australia, Channel 7, Sky News and Southern Cross Austereo. Over the course of Sam’s career she’s become a strong advocate for women in sport and is in demand for keynote speaking engagements on the issue. In 2014, Sam founded Sportette to provide an avenue to tell the incredible stories of our female athletes and it grew to be a leading think tank on Women’s Sports.

In 2020 Sam released her debut children’s novel “Princesses Wear Sneakers”.  A heartwarming tale of a princess’s passionate pursuit of her sporting dreams, PWS sends a powerful message to girls about sport from a key early age. In 2024, Sam’s second book “Running with Wings” was published in Australia and the UK and champions not only the joy of sport, but also the vital message of inclusion.

In 2023, Sam featured on the Disney+ doco “Matildas: The World at Our Feet” and was a FIFA Women’s World Cup Beyond Greatness Champion (Ambassador). While juggling her media commitments and keynote speaking engagements, Sam is also a Women’s Professional Golfers Association (WPGA) Board Director and a mum to her own two little girls Imogen (Immi) and Elle.