Glenys was born in Melbourne, Australia. She grew up in Canberra before studying in Sydney, travelling to Asia, and eventually , via Europe, ending up in the USA, where she lived, studied and worked for 15 years. She now lives back in Melbourne in the beachside community of Hampton since 1996.

Glenys experienced unexpected, soul-searching loneliness and isolation in late 2017/18. She founded Chatty Café Australia in late 2019, to provide “Have a Chat” social connection opportunities for local communities, at all stages in life. Evidence conclusively demonstrates that social inclusion activities can positively impact mental, physical and social health outcomes.

With a background in the community and human services sector, Andrew’s life and career has been focused on the desire to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

For the last 8 years, Andrew has been the manager Learning and Development of InvoCare, a leading provider of funeral services and support services for those suffering loss and grief. Andrew has also held senior operational roles for InvoCare for many years right around Australia. Andrew now works as an L&D consultant and a celebrant and continues to support families through difficult times.

Andrew’s academic qualifications include a double bachelor’s degree (Social Science and Theology) at Flinders University (Adelaide) and a Master of Business Administration at QUT (Brisbane). Andrew also holds a Cert IV in workplace training and assessment.

Andrew has acted as a non-executive director of a number of well-known and highly regarded organisations. He was a board member (and chair) of the SMP Life skills 2 Work Group, one of WA’s leading providers of employment placement, alternative to employment and support services for people with an intellectual disability and mental illness. He was also a board member of Dementia Australia for 9 years, and a board member of the Lions International Save Sight Foundation and the Eye Institute (Nedlands WA).

A science graduate from Monash University, Sue’s always been a champion for equality, climate action, integrity and the common good tracing her activism roots back to the 1970s when, as a teenager, she discovered feminism and David Bowie.

It surprises no one that she became a founding organiser for March4Justice and Voices of Goldstein, and Zoe Daniel’s campaign manager for the federal seat of Goldstein in 2022. Founder of Barrett and the Selling Better Movement, and a leading advocate for human-centred, ethical business, sales and leadership practices, Sue works with businesses and communities to raise awareness of our interconnectedness as a foundation for empathy, compassion, decency and ethics, which in turn informs our moral cognition – our capacity to ‘do the right thing’.

She encourages us to think deeply about how our decisions affect others and the planet, and how to take positive action and affect real change. In 2019, Sue published her book, ‘142 Days of Gratitude that changed my life forever‘, a treatise on the positive power of gratitude. She is an active sportsperson living in Melbourne with her family and is inspired by David Bowie, Rachel Carson, Kate Raworth, and Maria Montessori.

Jill is recognised as a trusted advisor by all her clients, having successfully delivering multiple change programs both domestically and at international level focusing on: Change Management strategy and implementation, Change capability, Team leadership, Business Engagement, Executive advice and coaching.

Jill’s career spans Corporate, consulting and industry experience including Financial Services, Agribusiness, Retail and Distribution, Mining and Minerals, Public Sector, Automotive and Telecommunications.

Annie is a Director of The Chatty Cafe Scheme Australia and has over 15 years of proven expertise in the not-for-profit sector.  In her career, she has sought to make a positive difference to society, in both paid and volunteer roles. Having been drawn to work in the not-for-profit sector, she finds that the organisational focus on helping people is clearest in a results-based culture. Through a career spanning finance, media, infrastructure and healthcare industries, she has broad experience in all aspects of Board Governance, Membership Management, Event Planning, Communications, Corporate Sponsorship and Stakeholder Coordination.

As a pivotal liaison contact, she is passionate about community connections and always looks for opportunities to add value to the business and to create meaningful change in the world. This focus aligns with Chatty’s mission to provide social connection and inclusion opportunities for lonely and socially isolated people and is what drives her participation in the Chatty team.

Jon Griffin is a member of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, holds a B Ec. Dip FS (Financial Planning) and is an ASIC registered company auditor, a registered tax agent and a registered self-managed superannuation fund auditor.

Jon, the founder of the Social Value Accounting group and director principal of APL Financial Pty Ltd Chartered Accountants has over 25 years of accounting and finance experience with for profit and NFP entities.

Lisa holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Health Promotion and certifications in mediation, mental health first response, and character-based coaching. She is an experienced life and leadership coach and facilitator whose work is grounded in whole person wellbeing and a connection centred approach to how people live, work, and relate. Connection has always been the thread that ties her work together.

Lisa is the founder of Wellthy Living, a wellbeing consultancy and coaching business working across personal, leadership, and workplace wellbeing. Through this work, she supports clients to strengthen their core foundations, including vision, mission, values, strengths, and ways of relating. With a strong background in wellbeing, communication, and engagement, she has worked closely with leaders, committees, and advisory groups to translate purpose into clear, aligned action. Her work has spanned corporate, community, not for profit, small business, and individual contexts. Across all of her work, she has consistently observed that the greatest impact comes from creating space for people to talk, be seen, and feel supported.

She brings to the Chatty Cafe Australia Board a deep understanding of connection as a protective factor for wellbeing, supported by strong communication, facilitation, coaching, and strategy experience. Lisa offers clarity, perspective, and a grounded sounding board that helps organisations stay focused, resilient, and aligned. She is strongly aligned with Chatty Cafe’s belief that simple, everyday conversations can meaningfully shift how people experience connection and belonging.

Based in Melbourne, Lisa continues to work across personal and professional wellbeing spaces and is also a connector and storyteller through podcasting and writing, using conversation to elevate human experience and shared understanding.