Lily McFarlane, Youth Advisory Group Coordinator, Wellington

Lily has been enthusiastically involved in volunteering since her time at university, lending her skills in the areas of mental health, international aid & homelessness. She’s passionate about equity and building connections between unlikely groups.

Outside of mahi, she enjoys travelling, writing and spending time with her loved ones. She’s excited to be joining the team and doing what she can to facilitate more effective and impactful philanthropy.

Gemma Slack,  Waikato

Gemma is an award-winning leader who for the past five years has worked in young adult communities with social innovation tools. She co-founded Seed Waikato in 2017, a human potential charity focused on making personal development accessible. She's passionate about developing young leaders and offers a range of mentoring and training programmes for people to find sanctuary within and realise their true ambitions.

Gemma is a proud recipient of Hamilton City Councils' 2020 Civic Award, and was also recognised by the Council in 2018 with a 30 under 30 Award. Gemma's always learning something new, and after completing her micro-credential in community-led development, she's undergoing training to gain her certification in trauma recovery coaching.

A systems-thinker who is passionate about self-leadership, Gemma sits on the Board of Philanthropy New Zealand, and is part of their Youth Advisory Group. Gemma was part of the founding team at Momentum Waikato, the region’s community foundation. In the four years she worked for the foundation, she grew a heart for strategic philanthropy, developing services for donors, strategies to grow the fund, and launched Waikato Vital Signs.

Helen Anderson, Wellington

Helen grew up in Whangarei and now lives in Wellington. She has degrees in Film, Psychology, and Criminology, and developed a passion for supporting the community sector while studying. This led her to work for JustSpeak, the Diana Unwin Chair in Restorative Justice, Inspiring Stories, and in 2013 Helen co-founded Film for Change Aotearoa, a volunteer collective who believe in filmmaking for a fairer world.

Helen started her philanthropic career working for the J R McKenzie Trust in 2017. Helen is now the Grants Lead and Project Manager for the Vodafone New Zealand Foundation. She contracts to the J R McKenzie Trust and is on the board of the Frozen Funds Charitable Trust. In her spare time Helen pats cats, gardens, Chair's the Governance Board of Film for Change Aotearoa, and volunteers her filmmaking skills with Wellington charities. “I’m stoked to be on the Youth Advisory Group, and not just because it’s flattering to still be counted as a young person. I hope we can foster more tuakana teina learning opportunities in the sector.”

Michaela Latimer, Raglan

Michaela is passionate about enabling people and communities to flourish. Michaela works as the Community Liaison Manager of Genesis Energy, and her work, governance and voluntary involvement is interwoven with roles and projects in community organisations, mostly focussed on the environment and young people.

She is also co-founder of Āhei, a social enterprise helping people uncomplicate their relationship with food and their bodies. Selected for a Winston Churchill Fellowship in 2020, Michaela will be travelling (as soon as the borders are reopened!) to the US and UK to explore how positive youth development frameworks may be further adapted and applied in Aotearoa. Originally from Wellington, Michaela now lives in Raglan, so she’s usually on the beach, in the bush or watching the sunset.

Jackson Lacy, Wellington

Jackson is the Operations Coordinator for The Gift Trust, running and improving the systems that help them make good happen. His professional background is in graphic design, local government, and for-purpose governance. He sees YAG as an important driver of systems change in the philanthropic sector, and is excited to be contributing to its work.

Jackson has a BA in Māori Resource Management from Te Herenga Waka, and is currently pursuing his Master's of Indigenous Studies there. He enjoys cooking, playing guitar and piano, and solving problems. He uri ia nō Te Tauihu o Te-Waka-a-Māui.