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Purpose Conference, Australia’s largest purpose-driven business event, is returning after a four-year hiatus, with more than a thousand forward-thinking speakers, businesses and brands participating.

Being held on 19th and 20th October at Carriageworks, Sydney, this year's event will see over 600 attendees over two days engage in an immersive experience of talks, workshops, creativity and networking.

The event program features a range of world-class speakers, including:

• Richard Boele, Chief Purpose Officer, KPMG
• Nicky Sparshott, Chief Executive, Unilever Australia & New Zealand
• Dr Sasha Courville, Chief Impact Officer, Bank Australia
• Simon Holmes à Court, clean tech investor and convenor, Climate 200
• Dan Adams, co-founder and Chief Executive, Amber Electric
• Steph Curley, Activism Manager, Ben & Jerry’s
• Leigh Dunlop, Chief People Officer, Future Super
• Julia Kay, Chief Executive and co-founder, Great Wrap
• Manuri Gunawardena, founder and Chief Executive, HealthMatch
• Mike Smith, founder and Chief Executive, Zero Co
• Josh Ismin and Dr Sam Banister, Co-founders, Psylo

Established in 2015 by purpose sector leader Sally Hill, the event aims to provide best practice knowledge around the fast-evolving landscape of sustainable and social impact, with solutions and leadership for businesses to address the world’s most urgent and complex challenges.

Hill (pictured below) explains "the demand for Purpose Conference to return has been driven by the mainstream business sector and people who didn’t previously have a focus on purpose-driven business. They are seeing this huge opportunity opening up as business and investor mindsets shift to climate tech, electrification, circular economy, social return on investment and natural capital. 

"We are now seeing crystal clear indications the businesses which will succeed over the next five to 10 years are the ones that will make their profit in a way that is symbiotic with the natural world, and good for the quality of life of all people.

“Simply put, there is no longer room for businesses still creating new problems, rather than working to solve our key challenges. Individuals and businesses want to be on the right side of history.”

Explaining that this is being driven by major forces outside of any business’ control, Hill notes “Australia has been hugely transformed through devastating bushfires, COVID-19 pandemic, historic floods and a Federal election shaped entirely by growing concern around climate change,”

“During these huge disruptions we’ve seen our traditional systems and ways of doing business breaking under the pressures of a rapidly changing world. And what has emerged is a huge amount of hope and new energy - but also demand - from the business sector, to play a greater role in improving sustainability and human outcomes on our planet.” 

The conference program will feature eight themes with corresponding world-class business leaders sharing their knowledge and experiences:

• Nature x Tech: Nature’s near-perfect solutions will be explored with a focus on change-makers and entrepreneurs who are using biomimicry to create solutions, such as a mushroom-powered plastic packaging alternative and kelp forestry to absorb carbon and reduce methane emissions
• Impact Capital: As capital is flowing into purpose-driven and ESG focussed sectors, this theme will look at the investment strategies of key impact funds. Purpose will bring together those with capital and those with cutting edge ideas and technology to see solutions developed and scaled
• Climate Tech and Net Zero: With 10 years to halve global greenhouse gas emissions to reach net zero by 2050, gain a deeper knowledge of the scalable, climate tech solutions already
available from leaders on topics including energy transition, EVs, electrification, infrastructure, rapid decarbonisation and drawdown
• Circular Economy & Regenerative Business: Learn about shifting consumption and manufacturing paradigms from ‘take make waste’ to sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing,
refurbishing and recycling. Alongside this hear about ‘regenerative business’, where business thrives through their contribution to repairing ecosystems and communities
• First Nations Wisdom: With growing understanding First Nations wisdom is invaluable in business, this theme will explore the importance of including First Nations points of view in all
business operations as well profiling a range of leading Blak-owned businesses 
• Responsible Tech: From social media algorithms that drive misinformation to the question of responsible AI. From the design of the metaverse, to the impact of big tech on our wellbeing
and on our democracies. Delve into the big bad world of ethics and technology, exploring this next frontier of corporate responsibility
• Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging: At a time when traditional binaries are being dismantled - culturally, politically, sexually - Purpose will explore the increased expectations on us to
navigate nuanced social issues as part of our professional lives, and how diversity is vital to resilience and solving complex challenges

Click here for more information in the Australasian Leisure Management industry Calendar.

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