Impact Seed

Impact Seed Impact Seed is a proud B-Corp. Based in Perth, we are Western Australia’s peak market builder for impact investment, impact measurement & social enterprise.

Systems-change finance and entrepreneurship | Network connectors and developers of Australia’s first place-based impact investment fund | Social enterprise and Impact Venture Consulting, Impact Measurement and Impact Investment Management. Since 2015 we have supported impact businesses, government, not-for-profits, foundations and corporates in building, articulating and investing in purpose driven businesses and impact projects, bridging investment and philanthropy.

09/10/2025

🎉 We have winners! 🎉

As part of the WA Impact Investment Report, we recently ran a survey to gather insights from changemakers, investors, founders, and community leaders across the country.
Your responses have helped shape WA’s first-ever Impact Investment Benchmark Report and the momentum is growing ahead of the Impact Economy Forum 2025.
Now, it’s time to give back 🙌

Congratulations to our two lucky prize draw winners who took the time to contribute their perspectives — we’ll be in touch with you directly!

Thank you to everyone who participated. You’ve helped us spark a deeper conversation about scaling impact, aligning capital with values, and building a thriving WA impact ecosystem. 💥

💡Full report findings will be unpacked live at Impact Ecomony Forum 2025.

🎟️Tickets are not sold out - join the waiting list to be notified of any openings, link in BIO

07/10/2025

“This event is a major event, held in a prominent, culturally important place… bringing together a wide diversity of people to share ideas, exchange knowledge, and be united in the purpose of delivering impact into our communities.” -
from Dilji Labs.

They’re voices from WA’s growing impact economy - voices of Indigenous leaders, social entrepreneurs, funders, and changemakers shaping the future of investment, innovation and community.

This October, we return with even deeper purpose:
→ To unpack WA’s first Impact Investment Report
→ To set pathways for policy, capital, and culture change
→ To elevate those creating real, measurable change across WA

Join 200+ leaders at the 2025 Impact Economy Forum, and be part of what’s next.

🎟️ Limited tickets remaining : https://events.humanitix.com/ief2025

When we thought of who in our network is both values-aligned, deeply engaged in movement building for impact in WA, and ...
05/10/2025

When we thought of who in our network is both values-aligned, deeply engaged in movement building for impact in WA, and an expert presenter - to MC our upcoming Impact Economy Forum.. there was really only one name - James Lush. We're proud to welcome James as our event MC for the 2025 Impact Economy Forum.

As many of you know, James is a BBC and ABC Perth presenter with over 25 years media experience in both presentation and production; and the owner and founder of Lush – the content agency - an award-winning Content Marketing Agency providing high quality strategic video and written content to some of the biggest companies in Australia.

He is also a consultant and advisor, training some of the biggest companies and senior leaders all around the world over the past 20 years. Some of his clients in WA include Water Corporation, Bankwest, Silverchain, UWA, WA Super, Engineers Australia and many more. Internationally James has trained the likes of IBM, Vodafone, McDonalds and Barclays Bank.

As a professional speaker and MC, James has worked as a host/facilitator of major events from the UK to Australia, and we're excited to welcome him to the stage at Fraser's State Reception Centre on 31 October. Tickets still available at https://events.humanitix.com/ief2025

If we want lasting, place-based impact in WA, we need to learn from those who are delivering it on the ground.⬇️That’s w...
01/10/2025

If we want lasting, place-based impact in WA, we need to learn from those who are delivering it on the ground.⬇️
That’s why we’re thrilled to welcome Cassandra Beeck, Strategic Direction Director of , to the WA Impact Economy Forum 2025. Cassandra leads one of WA’s most recognised examples of regional revitalisation in Gnowangerup - a town that went from losing its supermarket to launching a community-owned IGA, sparking new local enterprise, and becoming a case study in sustainable regional development.
Her panel session will speak directly to those shaping regional strategy, partnering with local government and implementing co-operative models with grounded insights on:
🔸Unlocking capital for community-led economic development
🔸Building service delivery models that work in regional and remote settings
🔸 Lessons for government, corporates, and philanthropy on engaging with regional organisations
🔸Policy and procurement settings that either enable or block local impact
This is not a feel-good story - it’s a case study in systems change through grit, strategy, and community ownership.

Cassandra’s story offers critical lessons for those shaping the future of WA’s regional and remote communities, from policymakers and funders to corporate partners and community leaders. Her insights will speak directly to the challenges of scaling local solutions, aligning funding with community priorities, and enabling long-term resilience from the ground up.

If your work intersects with regional WA, local government partnerships, or place-based investment - this conversation will spark new thinking.

➡️Join 200+ leaders at Impact Economy Forum 2025, where we’ll also launch WA’s first Impact Capital Report and define next steps for a stronger, more inclusive WA impact economy.

⌛Only limited tickets left. Secure yours via link in bio

Early results are in for WA’s first Impact Investment Report - here’s what our interviews and surveys are telling us:✅ W...
17/09/2025

Early results are in for WA’s first Impact Investment Report - here’s what our interviews and surveys are telling us:

✅ WA’s deal flow is stronger than expected - but bespoke brokering capacity is needed to scale.
✅ While institutional investors often struggle to find “investable” opportunities, WA’s impact delivery orgs are creating them - through cross-sector partnerships that bridge cultures, regions, and industries.
✅ To unlock WA’s full impact potential, we need a mindset shift - across investment, policymaking, and communities.
That’s exactly why we’re bringing WA’s changemakers together at the Impact Economy Forum 2025 for a day of insights, planning, and real solutions.

We’ll be unpacking key findings from the report and charting pathways for:

• More strategic capital deployment
• Stronger impact ecosystem collaboration
• Smarter policy reform

If you’re serious about building a more equitable, prosperous WA - this is the room you need to be in.

Only 27 tickets left: →https://events.humanitix.com/ief2025

With an already exciting line up of speakers and panelists for next month’s WA Impact Economy Forum, we’re thrilled to a...
11/09/2025

With an already exciting line up of speakers and panelists for next month’s WA Impact Economy Forum, we’re thrilled to announce Kia Dowell GAICD as a keynote speaker.

Kia is a Gija woman from Warmun Community (Turkey Creek) in the East Kimberley of Western Australia, and in her keynote she will reflect on her experience driving impact in WA’s remote and regional communities through her current role as Chair of Gelganyem, her former role as Head of Strategy and Impact at Indigenous Business Australia, and over 15 years experience with organisations such as Rio Tinto, Australian Human Rights Commission, Curtin University, Tourism WA, and as founder of Codeswitch.

She is also a past participant of the Global Ambassadors Program, finalist in the 2016 AIMWA and The West Australian’s West Business Pinnacle Awards for Emerging Business Excellence, a 2015 Business News 40under40 Award Winner and holds an MBA in International Business from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to identify and implement transformational and sustainable initiatives that deliver shared value.

Kia has previously spent time with school, community and corporate audiences in the US, Vanuatu, Turkey, Mexico and across Australia sharing her experiences of the power of business, cultural identity, resilience and the power of female leadership. Her most ambitious and important role is as mum to her two daughters, Lila and Naiyah

Join over 200 changemakers, including investors, corporates, government, community leaders, and First Nations and non-Indigenous impact enterprises as we collectively reimagine our economy to scale solutions to WA’s most pressing social and environmental challenges at the 2025 WA Impact Economy Forum.

This year also marks 10 years of Impact Seed. To celebrate a decade of building WA’s impact ecosystem, we’re hosting a special anniversary sundowner at Fraser’s..to reflect, reconnect and share a drink with Kylie, Sven and the Impact Seed team. Optional with your ticket, and not to be missed.

38 GENERAL ADMISSION + 4 WASEC MEMBER TICKETS LEFT. REGISTER HERE : https://events.humanitix.com/ief2025 🎟️

16 EARLY BIRD TICKETS LEFT!This year's Impact Economy Forum marks 10 years of Impact Seed. To celebrate a decade of buil...
05/08/2025

16 EARLY BIRD TICKETS LEFT!

This year's Impact Economy Forum marks 10 years of Impact Seed. To celebrate a decade of building Western Australia’s impact ecosystem, we’re hosting a special anniversary celebration alongside the Forum - an evening to reflect, reconnect and raise a glass with Kylie, Sven and the Impact Seed team.

Early bird tickets went on sale last week and are nearly exhausted, so RSVP now

https://events.humanitix.com/ief2025
------------------------
Bringing together 200+ changemakers, including investors, corporates, government, community leaders, and First Nations and non-Indigenous impact enterprises; Through a dynamic mix of keynotes, open space, panels, and an impact enterprise showcase, we’ll again have the honest, unfiltered discussions and tackle the big questions and pressing challenges that equitable innovation and impact-driven investment can help address.

Our first speaker announcement for WA's flagship impact investment event is a big one, and includes:
-David Hetherington, CEO Impact Investing Australia
-Tara Anderson, CEO Social Traders Australia
-Damien Parriman - CEO KRED Enterprises & Arma Legal
-James Lush, MC | Founder & Director, Lush Content
-Heidi Mippy, Founder, Impact Dreaming
-Simon O'Connor, Non Executive Director, Bank Australia
-Matt Knopp, Senior Impact Advisor
-Natalie Egleton, CEO FRRR (Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal)
-Cronje Wolvaardt, Director Impact Investing, Minderoo Foundtaion
-Tom Dawkins, Co Founder LendForGood and StartSomeGood
-Emilie Ottervanger, Impact Investing Manager, Paul Ramsay Foundation

Stay tuned for more speaker announcements over coming weeks. The Impact Economy Forum is your chance to connect with leaders and shape the Western Australian impact and innovation landscape. THIS EVENT IS FULLY IN PERSON, NO VIRTUAL SPEAKERS..DON'T MISS OUT!

Some 850, or nearly 40 per cent, of Australia’s 2200 private ancillary funds – which have cost taxpayers a collective $7...
14/07/2025

Some 850, or nearly 40 per cent, of Australia’s 2200 private ancillary funds – which have cost taxpayers a collective $7 billion over the past two decades – disclose no information to the public about their activities or finances.
That’s according to a database created by The Australian Financial Review that sheds light on the nation’s 2200 PAFs – the preferred giving vehicles of many wealthy families.

UTS Professor Bronwen Dalton, who has spent decades researching philanthropy, agreed the level of transparency afforded to PAFs was well below that required of others in the not-for-profit sector. "Presumably due to effective lobbying, unlike other charities that receive a tax exemption, Australia’s PAF funds are exempt from basic public accountability requirements,” she said.
But Maree Sidey, chief executive of peak body Philanthropy Australia, said donor concerns that greater visibility could come with unintended consequences were “real and valid”.

The UK and US have required family foundations to lodge detailed financial accounts for decades. In addition, the so-called “glass pockets” movement encourages US donors to open their philanthropic institutions to full transparency – and is supported by the Gates, Ford and Getty Foundations.

“Six decades ago the Americans had this debate and agreed that their philanthropic sector should be totally transparent,” Winneke said.

PAFs allow donors to stockpile tax-exempt future charitable donations in a trust before distribution to charities over decades. To avoid the creation of funds that may exist for generations, the federal government said on Friday it would speed up the minimum rate, now 5 per cent, at which foundations must spend down their stockpiles.

But just who has created these tax-exempt trusts and the good works they may be doing remain invisible to the public. The Financial Reviewestimates as much as $2.5 billion could be held in private ancillary funds, which are exempt from disclosing the most basic details about their finances or charitable activities."

https://www.afr.com/policy/tax-and-super/the-wealthy-families-keeping-their-private-foundations-private-20250701-p5mbkl

The Kenneth Myer Innovation Fellowships aim to support breakthrough solutions to Australia’s most pressing social and en...
13/07/2025

The Kenneth Myer Innovation Fellowships aim to support breakthrough solutions to Australia’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. A Fellowship offers a unique opportunity for recipients to take 12 months, supported by $180,000, to focus on their existing projects that have the potential to achieve positive outcomes for society and the environment, supporting initiatives that align with one or more of the program themes of inclusion & equality, sustainability & environment including climate change, or human, civil & legal rights.

The Fellowship seeks initiatives that are:
♦️ high impact: likely to produce results
♦️ unique: new or different from existing approaches including applying existing approaches in new contexts or fields
♦️scalable and sustainable: the potential to scale up and be sustainable over time.
♦️ By individuals who are experienced and entrepreneurial: a proven track record of achievement or traction in their field, in the subject matter and/or in the approach or initiative

Applications open 14 July 2025 and close 17 August: https://www.myerfoundation.org.au/grant-opportunities-list/Kenneth-myer-innovation-fellowships

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