WISE in Practice: Insights from the WISE Learn Book

About this webinar

What does it really take to build and sustain a successful Work Integration Social Enterprise (WISE), and what does effective funding of WISE look like?

Westpac Foundation and GoodWolf Partners have worked alongside WISE leaders, funders and sector experts across Australia to explore these questions in depth. The result is Working Better Together: WISE Learn Book - a new resource grounded in real-world experience, challenges and insights from across the sector.

This webinar marks the public launch of the WISE Learn Book and brings those insights to life through a practical, practitioner-led conversation.

The session will explore:

• What it takes to balance impact, sustainability and growth in a WISE model
• Common myths and misconceptions about WISE performance and scale
• Lessons from WISE leaders navigating challenges, trade-offs and turning points
• How the Learn Book, case studies and grant making guide can be used by practitioners, funders and the broader ecosystem

Whether you’re running a social enterprise, funding one, or working to support the sector, this session will provide practical insights and tools to inform your work.

Alexie Seller

CEO

 

Impact North

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Alexie is an internationally recognised social entrepreneur and community development leader, focused on building scalable, sustainable opportunities to enable Australia’s remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to thrive in business. Currently CEO of Impact North, she also previously co-founded and scaled Pollinate Group, reaching over 500,000 people, and brings deep expertise in social enterprise, innovation and inclusive economic development. Passionate about equity, Alexie is known for driving bold, collaborative initiatives that create lasting impact.

Sally Quinn

CEO and Co-Founder

 

Green Collect

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As the CEO and Co-Founder of Green Collect, Sally has led the enterprise’s growth as a dynamic business and innovative workplace. Over the last 20 years Sally has shaped Green Collect's pioneering role in the delivery of circular economy services, while creating an inclusive employment model that enables deep care for both people and planet. At the heart of her work is a dedication to creating meaningful and supportive work for people and communities facing barriers to employment. Bringing hands-on expertise as well as deep understanding of social impact, investment and collaboration, Sally has taken the enterprise through phases of start-up, growth and scale to enable deep social and environmental impacts. As Chair of SENVIC, the peak body for social enterprise in Victoria, Sally works extensively across industries to help create a fair and inclusive society through the ‘business for good’ movement.

Loretta Bolotin

Senior Consultant

 

GoodWolf Partners

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Loretta is a social impact strategist, entrepreneur, and consultant with over 15 years’ experience driving community outcomes and more than a decade of leadership in the for-purpose sector. She brings a practitioner’s insight and a strong track record of building trusted relationships and empowering underrepresented voices. Loretta’s early career was on the frontline of the humanitarian and refugee sector. As Co-Founder and CEO of Free to Feed, she built an award-winning social enterprise supporting people from refugee backgrounds, recognised for its innovation in community development and for generating over $3 million in direct wages for the refugee community. She has since applied her experience to consulting roles spanning philanthropy and funding design alongside strategy and support in the social enterprise and broader for purpose sector.

Nina Yousefpour

Director

 

GoodWolf Partners

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Nina is a social impact leader and Director at GoodWolf, helping organisations design, evidence, and grow their impact. She brings deep cross-sector experience from Australia and Canada across social enterprise, impact investing, philanthropy and systems change initiatives. Nina has contributed to landmark impact infrastructure, including Department of Social Service Social Enterprise Development and Investment Funds, Ontario Government’s Social Enterprise Development Fund, and Social Traders Social Enterprise Certification. At GoodWolf, she has led a range of projects for organisations such as Nundah Community Enterprise Cooperative, Orange Sky, RBWH Foundation, Hand Heart Pocket Foundation, Cool.org, and University of Melbourne. Nina also holds governance roles across the for-purpose sector, including Investment Committee Member for SEFA Backing the Bold, Board Chair with Food Connect Foundation and previously Chair of Green Fox Training Studio.

Sally McGeoch

 

Westpac Foundation

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Sally McGeoch is a social impact professional with over 20 years’ experience spanning corporate philanthropy, social enterprise and the non-profit sector. She is currently a Senior Advisor at the Westpac Foundation, responsible for grant strategy, capacity-building programs, and sector development initiatives. Previously, she spent seven years working with start-up social enterprises at Australia’s former School for Social Entrepreneurs. Her qualifications include a Master of Community Management (University of Technology), a Master of Environmental Management (University of NSW), and a PhD (Swinburne University) focused on the role of cross-sector collaboration in scaling work integration social enterprise (WISE). She is on the facilitation team at the Centre for Social Impact’s Giving Academy and serves on SEEDkit's Advisory Board, an online social impact platform hosted by the Melbourne Social Equity Institute at Melbourne University.

Lisa Waldron

 

Westpac Foundation

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Lisa brings a strategic, partnership‑led approach to philanthropy focused on long‑term social and sector impact. She works closely with social enterprise partners to invest in social businesses and build trusted relationships to unlock the talent of people breaking through barriers to employment. Working beyond traditional grantmaking and alongside partners, Lisa acts as a collaborator, convener and learner to strengthen individual organisations and the broader ecosystem, contributing to a more inclusive economy that works for everyone.

Jess Moore

CEO

 

Social Enterprise Australia

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Jess is passionate about social and environmental wellbeing, and people working together to create change. Her work has always been in social innovation, in peak organisations, social enterprise and people-centred services. She was a Director at the Social Enterprise Council of NSW & ACT. She was CEO at Community Resources, one of Australia’s largest jobs-focussed social enterprises, employing over 650 people. Prior to this, she led social enterprise Green Connect through startup and scale-up. Jess came into social enterprise from a background in public policy, advocacy and community development, and has led collaborations that changed government policy and decisions.