Our Leaders

Mariah is a Pakistani-Australian living on beautiful Guringai country on the northern beaches of Sydney. She works fulltime as a management consultant and is also a blog writer for a women’s health practice.

Katie (she/her) is a proud autistic woman who lives and works on the Gadigal Land of the Eora Nation (Sydney). She is currently completing a double degree in Animal and Veterinary Bioscience and Data Science at the University of Sydney.

As a passionate Filipino-Australian advocate for youth, Elsie supports a holistic approach to mental health. She believes it’s important that young people have a sense of community, especially young people of colour and those experiencing the impacts of colonialism and intergenerational trauma.

Ezra Burnett (he/they) is a young queer, transgender and disabled youth advocate and organiser who grew up in Ballarat and currently lives in Naarm (Melbourne). He is extremely passionate about improving youth mental health with a focus on inclusivity and intersectionality and aims to centre the voices of marginalised Australian youth – especially queer and trans youth – whenever possible.

Maddie is 20 years old and is from Brisbane, Queensland. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Psychology and Bachelor of Justice majoring in Criminology and Policing at QUT. She is a proud Gunggari and Kalkadoon woman.

Tim is a university student who grew up on Yuin country on the NSW south coast. He is currently studying at Charles Sturt University in Port Macquarie and is a keen (but not always successful) fisherman.

Finlaey is a passionate mental health activist, youth sector professional and podcast host. Proudly queer and neurodivergent, she has lived experience of complex mental health and trauma, encountering injustice within the clinical space and the lived experience of her loved ones.

Lara works in research and policy in the not-for-profit sector and is particularly interested in public mental health, global health security and social policy. She hopes to help advocate for the growing mental health needs of her generation in an ever-changing world.

Maria is a first-generation refugee from South Sudan, arriving in Brisbane (Meanjin) in the early 2000s and has a dual Bachelor of Business (Marketing) and a Bachelor of Government and International Relations. Maria has a deep passion for advocacy in gender equality, immigration and mental health in diaspora youth.