Chief Executive Officer
Anita is a passionate advocate for the rights of children and families, especially those dealing with complex life issues or living in vulnerable circumstances. She has a strong track record of forging impactful strategic partnerships across government, corporate, philanthropic, agency and sector organisations as a means to build a sustainable social enterprise.
Research Director
Anthony is a NHMRC Leadership Fellow. His research focuses on movement behaviours in children. In 2019 he was recognised on the ISI Highly Cited Researchers list. He is ranked by Scopus lifetime metrics as #6 in the world for ‘physical activity and children’. Anthony has led the development of national and global guidelines and standards. He is currently leading an international surveillance study of movement behaviours in the early years (called SUNRISE) which involves 35 countries, 60% of which are low or middle-income.
Academic Director
Marc leads transformational early childhood initiatives with the goal of improving developmental, educational, and social opportunities for vulnerable children in regional, rural and remote contexts. Marc works to translate current evidence on child development and early learning into the everyday care of children and professional practices. His research focuses on how children become socially and emotionally competent.
Senior Manager, Engagement and Translation
Leanne leads the work of the Early Start Engagement Team along with initiatives for translating research into practice. As an early childhood education professional she has led programs and organisations to advocate for children’s rights and to create opportunities for high quality early childhood experiences. She is an author, podcaster and researcher investigating the emergence and development of leadership in early childhood education.
Senior Manager, Operations and Business Development
Brenden is a skilled professional in both commercial business and government. His broad expertise includes operations management, human resources, accounting, marketing and stakeholder management. He is an effective manager who builds consensus and facilitates mutually achievable goals with staff, customers and stakeholders.
Manager, Discovery Space Education and Experience
Martha is passionate about making learning experiences fun, engaging and meaningful for children, whilst also finding creative ways to include adults in learning. Martha has over a decade of experience educating children and adults in various roles and is committed to working collaboratively across disciplines to share knowledge and provide learning experiences that are based on best practice and research.
