Growing up, Dylan never saw any role models like himself in the public domain. This means his driving force runs much deeper than success alone. His greatest ambition is to be that mainstream person who empowers Australians living with a disability. It’s what gives him such an inexhaustible work ethic.
Alongside his Paralympic gold medals and 12 tennis Grand Slam titles, Dylan made history in 2016 by becoming the first athlete with a disability to win Tennis Australia’s highest individual honor, the Newcombe Medal.
When he’s not working at GSA, Dylan runs his own foundation and Ability Fest, a charitable music festival that has raised half a million dollars so far to support young Australians with a disability. He’s also a sports commentator and host on the Nine Network, a weekend breakfast presenter on the Hit Network, and a Logie winner for Best New Talent as host of ABC’s ‘The Set’. According to Dylan, the final frontier is a starring role in a wheelchair on Home and Away.
As an Occupational Therapist by background, Nicole has worked in mental health and community health services in Australia and the UK and owned and managed her own OT practice.
Nicole worked for several years at PwC Australia with a focus on D&I, accessibility, and preventative health and wellbeing. Most recently Nicole worked for global law firm DLA Piper as the Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing Lead for the Asia Pacific region with responsibility for strategy development and implementation to facilitate a culture of inclusion and belonging.
Zack’s passion is to create generational social change for people with disability. His innovative approach has seen him build understanding and confidence with clients and all levels of government, as well as spearhead a national awareness campaign to address the unconscious bias and invisible barriers people with disability face.
Before GSA, Zack spent eight years honing his skills in marketing and sales, contributing to the growth of renowned FMCG brands like Red Bull, Hendricks Gin, and Glenfiddich. Now, alongside his role at GSA, he manages Australia’s first inclusive music festival, Ability Fest, which leverages music as a powerful platform to normalize disability.
Zack’s dedication extends beyond GSA. He actively serves on the board for the Dylan Alcott Foundation and the Australian Festivals Association. His personal interests include a deep passion for football and basketball.
In 2018, Zack spearheaded the creation of Ability Fest, which has gained international recognition as the most accessible and inclusive music festival to date. His commitment to universal access is further demonstrated through his management and supervision of inclusion programs for prominent organizations such as the MCG/MCC, Tennis Australia/Australian Open, Department of Transport Victoria, Sydney Olympic Parks Authority, and Parks Victoria. These experiences have provided Zack with invaluable insights into the complexities and possibilities surrounding accessibility and inclusion.
Anjelin is an experienced finance professional with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry, disability and healthcare sectors, and has extensive internal and external audit experience with Deloitte. In her previous role, she worked with Vision Australia and contributed as a Treasurer/Director for a peak body for disability radio stations.
She has a strong passion for building successful teams by focusing on strengths and solutions. Over the past years, Anjelin has led strategic projects, remodelled finance teams to build capabilities, and implemented business improvements by streamlining processes with her positive attitude.
Her role requires her to analyse large amounts of data and simplify it so that everyone can work with clear goals. Financial checks and balances, along with compliance, keep her day ticking. She is passionate about sharing her expertise to support organisations in meeting governance standards and delivering strategies to enhance meaningful outcomes.
Paul is an experienced Bid Manager spanning a broad array of sectors including facilities management, education, recruitment, social services, mental health and disability. He brings a solution focus to complex challenges, helping to build programs that lead to measurable outcome improvements. With a proven track record in building and leading successful response teams in large corporate organisations, Paul brings this commitment to stakeholder engagement and strategic planning to GSA where he is excited to match the unique talents of each consultant to an organisation or project where they can make a genuine difference.
Paul’s perspective on disability is shaped by his autistic son – Felix – who communicates through gestalt language processes and with an AAC. Paul is passionate about making space in the conversation for people who communicate in different ways, to ultimately make the world a friendlier and more accepting place for Felix.
Ankit is a highly accomplished individual with a remarkable passion for sports, marketing trends, entertainment, and pop culture. He has completed his Master’s degree in Sports Business from Deakin University and has successfully established himself as a dedicated promoter of inclusion and marketing.
Ankit’s extensive experience as the Team Manager for Australian Blind Football and soccer coach with South Melbourne Football Club’s blind football team for over four years is truly impressive.
Ankit’s expertise in marketing is equally impressive, having worked with various brands across different sectors such as North Melbourne FC, adidas, 212F, and Soccer5s. He has recently joined the GSA and Sport4All team as a Marketing Manager, where he is focused on showcasing the power of great storytelling to create a culture and community that is inclusive, equal, and equitable.
Melissa specialises in accessible communication by design and inclusive language. Her experience spans digital and print publications, social media platforms, and audio/visual mediums. She has worked across a broad range of industries for clients such as Medibank, Hydro Group, and the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership.
Melissa’s background in Industrial and Product Design provides her with an expert perspective on accessible and inclusive communications and products. She has a passion for connecting people with varying disabilities to the information and communications platforms that suit their individual needs.
Stephanie is passionate about inclusion and changing outdated misconceptions of disability. She has a strong focus on increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Diagnosed at 19 with a degenerative eye condition, Stephanie gradually lost her vision over 10 years and is now completely blind.
As a Senior Consultant at GSA, Stephanie’s lived experience and the skills she has acquired through her prior careers in real estate and hospitality greatly contribute to her work with clients, enabling her to provide tangible and sustainable advice to improve the inclusion experience for people with disabilities. Stephanie played an integral role in the development of, and is currently managing the delivery of, RecruitAble, a national pilot program designed to remove existing barriers in the mainstream recruitment industry, making it accessible and inclusive for candidates with disabilities.
Stephanie’s expertise and lived experience were recognised when she was invited to be a panelist on changing community attitudes and tackling discrimination at the 2022 National Jobs and Skills Summit.
Stephanie brings an open approach to her work, speaking from the heart about her experiences to assist clients with their disability and inclusion goals.
Bianca has 20 years’ experience in corporate roles as an Executive Officer, Senior HR, major projects, social marketing campaigns, and event management. Bianca specialises in working for local government, community engagement, and with First Nations communities.
Bianca was born with a rare blood disease, and in 2016, she lost her leg following an illness. She quickly realised the opportunity to use her lived experience to help others understand the value of inclusion for people with visible and non-visible disabilities.
In 2021, Bianca self-published her story, ‘Walking My Path,’ candidly sharing her journey of overcoming challenges of loss, grief, and trauma to become stronger, more resilient, and joyful about her future. Bianca’s passion for increasing opportunities for people with disabilities, and sharing the benefits of greater access and inclusion, has led her to Get Skilled Access.
Kate has experience working in the disability, health, and education sectors, where her focus was aimed at increasing the inclusion of people with disabilities and health conditions. Kate has previously worked as a Registered Nurse and Midwife and for a not-for-profit organisation creating meaningful employment opportunities for people with physical disabilities.
She has also worked for several years as a Disability Advisor, where she supported students in removing the barriers faced within the tertiary education setting. Kate is passionate about applying proactive measures to ensure accessibility and inclusion for all people across all aspects of life.
Carl brings a wealth of experience in the field of sports with a passion for creating inclusive environments that empower people with disability. His background includes senior executive roles from international cricket and premiership soccer to swimming and basketball.
At Sport4All, Carl leverages his expertise to drive meaningful change, collaborating with organisations to develop and implement strategies that promote accessibility and inclusion. His approach is rooted in empathy and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by people with disability and the levers that facilitate this.
Outside of his professional endeavours, Carl is dedicated to reflecting his commitment to fostering a more inclusive society both within and beyond the workplace through his volunteer and a range of non-executive directorships.
Blake is a dedicated team member with extensive experience, previously as a high-performance athlete. He competed as a Paralympic swimmer, and his career spanned over 14 years. Prior to coming on board with Sport4All, Blake’s background includes being an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and teaching at the University of the Sunshine Coast. He also has experience working on three Brisbane 2032 Legacy Committees and is a member of Paralympics Australia’s Athletes’ Commission.
Blake has always loved engaging in sport from a young age. He has worked through school and community programs (including central WA and regional QLD) since 2008. He is passionate about creating opportunities and seeing people succeed in their goals and aspirations. Blake believes that sport is a powerful platform for developing lifelong skills to thrive in life, which is ultimately what drives his passion for this space.
Elysha is an accomplished Australian water polo player who has achieved the pinnacle of success as a world champion. She has also showcased her talents on the international stage by playing in Barcelona. Beyond her sporting achievements, her passion for the sport extended to coaching, where she lent her expertise to athletes in Africa, fostering growth and skill development. She is also passionate about charity work and has organised and participated in two remarkable 24-hour swims to raise funds for the homeless.
Elysha’s professional journey has been marked by versatility. She has held roles in high-performance sports, from state to national bodies, and has also worked in caregiving roles for people with disabilities. She has extensive engagement across all education levels, with a particular focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) communities. She is committed to personal growth and has achieved a Cert IV in Leadership and Management.
Elysha is also a Healthy Schools Ambassador and promotes the importance of holistic wellness among students, emphasising physical and mental health. She is also an Australia Day Ambassador and embodies national values. She is a passionate advocate for inclusivity in sports and believes that everyone should have the opportunity to participate in sport on their own terms.
With a career spanning 20 years across diverse industries, Carina fuses her boundless energy with her passion for the disability sector and commitment to building inclusive, vibrant, connected communities.
Focused on empowering organisations and individuals, Carina has collaborated with state and local government, not-for-profits, and private enterprise over the past 10 years to deliver change at a grassroots level in metropolitan and regional Western Australia. Her efforts have earned her awards and peer recognition, including a national ‘Serving Your Success’ award for demonstrating the values of excellence and humility in enhancing sporting participation across the state.
Having a personal connection to mental health and disability has fuelled Carina’s unyielding drive to advocate for people of all abilities and catalyse positive change, impact, and a sense of belonging in communities across Australia.
Jeremy came to GSA as an inclusion coach with the Sport4All program. Jeremy has always been passionate about sport. Growing up in the Australian Alps, he competed for Australia as an alpine ski racer.
Jeremy’s connection to disability is professional, formed through 7 years of working with high-performance athletes in disability sport. Jeremy’s sporting experience includes five years with Paralympics Australia as a sighted guide for skiers with low vision. Some of the daily tasks he performed in this role included skiing in front of his teammate Shaun at speeds of 110 km/h and navigating the racecourse, earning him the nickname ‘skiing eye dog.’ He has also been involved in the development of snowsports for people with disabilities as a coach and instructor trainer at Mt Hotham.
Jeremy’s work is now focused on creating inclusive opportunities in sport for people with disabilities by working with mainstream clubs to break down misconceptions and stereotypes of disability through the delivery of GSA’s inclusive sports program, Sport4All.
Michael has a background working in Disability Employment Services, helping people overcome barriers to find suitable and meaningful employment. He has also worked for over 10 years speaking to high school students, promoting spinal cord injury awareness. He has a BA in Music, which has provided him with opportunities to work and study in this field internationally.
He is a paraplegic and has been a wheelchair user for 17 years, as a result of a car accident in which he was a passenger in 2006. He has a passion for helping people realise their potential and pursue their goals and dreams, no matter how big or difficult they may seem.
Joel has graduated with a Bachelor of Communication Design. With Joel’s lived experience of being short-statured along with his passion for design, he found a great opportunity at GSA as a Junior Graphic Designer, where he could combine both his lived experience and design work to improve how people with disabilities can interact with digital and printed content.
Outside of work, Joel enjoys being active wherever he can. He enjoys playing sports and running, and he ran the Great Ocean Road Marathon in 2019. Joel has also represented Australia at the 2017 World Dwarf Games held in Canada, competing in basketball and badminton.
Kurt has a background in Adult Education, having worked as a teacher overseas in Japan, South Korea, China, and the United Arab Emirates. He also has experience working with people who are CALD, having worked with refugees and migrants in Australia for five years in employment preparation programs. Kurt has Cerebral Palsy and is also completely blind in one eye. He lives on the North Coast of NSW and is an avid lover of all things sport, film, and music.
Kurt has two university degrees he barely uses and more metal in him than Robocop. Kurt is extremely passionate about improving the professional, personal, and social lives of people living with a disability, including himself.
Bridie is an actor, advocate, and consultant. She graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 2018 with a degree in Acting. Since then, she has worked across stage and screen. Bridie became the first actor with a disability to have a lead role on Australian television when she played Sabine in two seasons of The Heights, which aired on the ABC and BBC1. Bridie has since made appearances in the Stan original series Bump and the Stan original movie Christmas Ransom. She also appeared in Dive Club and Irreverent for Netflix and Hulu’s Joe Vs. Carole.
Bridie has cerebral palsy and uses her lived experience to advocate for people with disabilities within the arts and in the wider community and workplaces. Bridie is committed to having open conversations around accessibility and inclusion, mixed with a bit of empathy and humour.
Shanais was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy at 18 months old and has been a power wheelchair user since a young age. Thanks to her supportive family, Shanais has always believed that she can achieve whatever she sets her mind to, even if it takes a bit longer and requires out-of-the-box thinking to reach the goal. Shanais moved from a regional town in New South Wales to Melbourne in 2017, and whilst it was exciting to achieve her goal of living in the city, she realised just how difficult it can be to access funding and supports needed for someone with a disability to live the life they desire. For the past two years, because of these challenges, Shanais has worked with an organisation that focuses on accessible housing, allowing her to share her experience and knowledge with other people with disabilities who want to live independently. Shanais has recently joined the GSA team as she wants to share her experiences around access and inclusion with more people in the hopes of helping to create a more inclusive world.
Shanais really resonated with the GSA Way – “We call you into conversations; we don’t call you out.” She has always believed that inclusion and accessibility will happen when we all work together to have the difficult conversations and learn from each other to implement cultural change. Shanais has a passion for facilitating events and public speaking.