Panel Host - Jane Hunt

Jane is passionate about children’s education, health and development. She combines her expertise in systems change with a deep knowledge of how nurturing our children during their earliest years has beneficial social and economic outcomes for all Australians. Jane’s commitment to seeing all children fulfill their potential drives business and community leaders to help execute this vision.

“I was inspired to establish The Front Project due to my passionate belief that all children should be given equal opportunities to reach their full potential, from the earliest stages of life. In doing so, not only are we improving the career, health and wellbeing outcomes of our nation’s young people, but we are also helping to create a competitive future for Australia, with safe and prosperous communities.”

In creating The Front Project, Jane was able to tap into her senior extensive experience across the for-benefit, corporate and academic sectors. She has held various senior roles, including CEO at both Adopt Change and Fitted for Work, and was also Victorian Strategy and Operations Manager for Mission Australia. Aside from heading up The Front Project, Jane also serves on the CEDA Vic/Tas Advisory Group and previously was a Non-Executive Director of Unison Community Housing.

Fittingly, Jane has been recognised for her important work with a number of prestigious awards, including:

• the Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur Award, granting her ongoing participation at World Economic Forum events
• a Victorian Telstra Business Women’s Award
• the Melbourne Business 3000 Award for Community Innovation.

Danielle Cogley

Early Learning teacher, Melbourne;
Inaugural Apiary Fellow

As an active teacher in the early childhood field, Danielle joined The Apiary for the opportunity to challenge her thinking about the Sector, while also sharing her extensive knowledge and experiences. Danielle says that The Apiary has “lead me to broaden my thinking about our sector, meet the other amazing Fellows and built my confidence to continue to advocate for children, families and our Early Childhood Sector”.

Michele Peden

Pedagogical lead for a network of early learning centres;
Inaugural Apiary Fellow

With over 25 years’ experience working and advocating in the early childhood education and care sector, Michele joined The Apiary for the opportunity to work in “a collective group of inspiring and innovative thinkers” in early childhood. In her time as an Apiary Fellow, she has been able to broaden her “knowledge and understanding of social change theory and associated practical implications” through “opportunities to discuss the complexities of our sector from a historical and futuristic perspective…”

Andrea Christie-David

Founder and Managing Director, Leor in Home Early Learning;
2020 Apiary Fellow

While a lawyer by profession, Andrea is currently undertaking a Masters of Teaching (Early Years) at the Australian Catholic University. Early childhood education has been a lifelong passion, from her mother’s own Montessori school in Sri Lanka, to 2018 when she developed a home-based early learning model, Leor In Home Early Learning. Leor supports children to access quality education and care in their own home, tailored to their individual needs. Just over two years on, Leor now supports children across the country who may not have access to early childhood education. This includes families on remote cattle stations, children or parents with compromised immune system, and children whose learning and development needs cannot be met in mainstream care. Leor supports children with disabilities who access their NDIS funding to allow our Educators to incorporate their therapies into their learning program and care routine. Many of these children come from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds and, without Leor, would not have access to quality early childhood education.