DISTRICT 9999 CONFERENCE 
OAMARU 24 – 26 MARCH 2023 
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

 
Cameron Calkoen - “Dream big because with big 
dreams comes a big life” 
Cam dreams of a world where everyone is inspired to embrace their opportunity and our physical being is no barrier to succeeding in our dreams and aspirations. It is dreams that have brought the world to what we see today and our aspirations that will propel it into the future. 
No one can walk and talk at birth. Some people like Cam, are presented with this likelihood for the rest of their lives. He chose to defy the odds, and now showcases what can be achieved when we identify a challenge, leverage our opportunities and uniqueness, and indeed live for awesome!

Kyle Mewburn – My life in transition 
Kyle Mewburn is one of New Zealand's most eclectic and prolific writers. From multi-layered picture books (Old-Hu-hu; Hill & Hole) to laugh-out-loud junior fiction series ( Dinosaur Rescue; Dragon Knight), her titles have been translated into eighteen languages and won numerous awards including Children's Book of the Year. She was Children's Writer-in-Residence at Otago University in 2011 and President of the New Zealand Society of Authors from 2013-2017.  
Her memoir - Faking it: My life in transition was published in 2021.

Matt and Sarah Brown - Facilitating intergenerational healing
creating violence free communities. Founders of “She Is Not Your Rehab“. 
Matt Brown, is a New Zealand born Samoan and an internationally acclaimed barber, hair artist, communicator, husband, and father of three children known for ‘giving great cuts’ and ‘inspiring great men.’ 
He is a survivor of family violence and childhood sexual abuse and shares his story with the men who frequent his busy Christchurch barbershop, My Fathers Barbers, as a way to foster vulnerability, healing, and connection. He has facilitated multiple barbering programs inside Christchurch Men’s Prison, Te Puna Wai O Tuhinapo, a Christchurch youth justice facility and was named a Corrections NZ patron in 2020. 

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Michelle Sharp - Creating an inclusive community
Michelle Sharp as Chief Executive Officer UNICEF NZ effective December 2020.
Michelle joins UNICEF NZ with extensive leadership and governance experience. She holds multiple directorships including that of Kilmarnock, the Akina Foundation, is an Edmund Hillary Fellow and Independent Chair Managing Partners, Canterbury & West Coast of BNZ. Driven by business excellence and social change, Michelle brings to the role a strong background in digital innovation, transformational leadership and global stakeholder engagement.

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Jessie Harman - Rotary International Director
Zone 8 (Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands)
Jessie has been a Rotarian for the past seventeen years, a member of the Rotary Club of Wendouree Breakfast in District 9780, Australia.
She has been active at club, district and international levels. Jessie is a past club secretary and president and was governor in 2010-2011. More recently she has served as Rotary co-ordinator (2013-2016) and project lead for the Regional Membership Plan for Zones 7B & 8 (2013-2017). She has been a member of the national training team and training leader at Rotary’s International Assembly in San Diego. She is presently the seminar trainer for International Assembly.

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Raesha Ismail - Cultural diversity
Raesha Ismail has a background in Pre Service Teacher Training and Primary School Teaching. She completed her training in the year 2000 at the University of Canterbury with a Bachelor of Education and a Graduate Diploma of Teaching and Learning from the Christchurch College of Education. She graduated with a Master of Counselling with Distinction in December 2020.
Raesha is a self- employed educator and counsellor. She currently has contracts with the Ministry of Education Ethnic Migrant Learning Communities Hub, The University of Canterbury, Canterbury Men's Centre, Petersgate Counselling Centre and she also has her own private practice where she works with local and international clients.
As a NZ born Gujarati Muslim, she is able to support clients from other cultural backgrounds with compassion and understanding. Raesha also counsels’ clients who have been exposed to risk and harm due to pornography addiction and other unwanted sexual behaviours. Overall holistic health and well-being is a significant part of her work.