Board of Directors
Karrina Nolan is a descendant of the Yorta Yorta people. She is an experienced manager and organiser of complex programs and initiatives in Aboriginal communities and has worked as a facilitator, trainer, researcher and strategist alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, young people and communities for over 25 years. Most recently, Karrina has been building the capacity for self-determination in the context of economic development, climate change and clean energy. She supports communities’ capacity to organise, act decisively, share knowledge and make informed decisions which take into account long-term community needs as well as country and culture.
As a Churchill Fellow, Karrina worked with First Nations women in Canada, the USA and Australia collating lessons to grow women's leadership capacity and engagement in community and civic life. She dedicated an Atlantic Fellowship to determining how to best build clean energy projects by and for First Nations people.
Robynne Quiggin is a descendant of the Wiradjuri nation of central western New South Wales. She has lived and worked in Sydney, practicing as a solicitor and consultant for 15 years with a focus on legal, compliance and policy areas of relevance to Indigenous Australians including human rights, financial inclusion, financial services, consumer issues, governance, the arts and heritage. Prior to her appointment at UTS, Robynne was Deputy Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission.
She has a long standing commitment to a rights based framework as a mechanism for individuals and communities to pursue their social, economic, cultural, linguistic and artistic priorities. She has participated in a number of international human rights and biodiversity forums and published on the role of rights in relation to the economic, cultural, artistic and scientific work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
Danny Kennedy works as a Senior Adviser to the Sunrise Project, Wollemi Capital and various startups and sits on the Board of the Global Solar Council amongst others.
He was the founding CEO of New Energy Nexus, a global platform organization for funds and incubators, with chapters in a dozen countries from 2015-2024. He continues as a Venture Partner with the New Energy Nexus' Catalyst Fund. His focus has moved from innovating new climate solutions to building the ones we've got while continuing to make SFUN*! The time value of carbon means we can take no more expensive solutions nor pre-commercial tools. It’s time to deploy!
Kennedy co-founded Sungevity in 2007, the company that created remote solar design, and Powerhouse, an innovation firm in Oakland, California. He was the first backer of Mosaic in 2011, the multi-billion solar loan provider, and remains on the Board of Powerhive, a solar mini-utility in Kenya. He was a founding Director of Sunergise, the solar-as-a-service business out of Fiji and the EnergyLab Australia. He helped build SolarPhilippines and is currently creating a communications platform called FutureKeepers.
Michelle is a Kamilaroi Yinarr from Moree, NSW and is the Chief First Nations Officer at the Paul Ramsay Foundation. Prior to joining PRF, Michelle worked in the public sector for more than 18 years, leading in key policy areas delivering for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
She is also a Hands Across Canberra and ACT Chief Minister’s Charitable Foundation Board member, a founding member of the Walking the Talk for Dementia, and an inaugural Fellow of the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity program, an Indigenous-led lifelong collaborative fellowship program and platform for systemic change. Michelle is an award winning and nominated Executive Master of Business Administration (QUT, 2022).
Joining the board is an opportunity to actively support First Nations self-determination by championing respectful partnerships, amplifying voices, and fostering leadership in decision-making.
Team
Jess is a proud Gomeroi woman and the CEO of First Nations Energy Partners. A visionary, values-driven leader, she is known for embedding cultural integrity into strategy, governance, and investment while delivering measurable outcomes for community, government, and industry.
Born on Awabakal Country in Newcastle, Jess carries forward a legacy of resilience rooted in generations of strong Gomeroi women born and raised in Walhallow, a small Aboriginal community on Gomeroi Country. This connection drives her commitment to advancing the First Nations economy and ensuring communities lead and benefit from the clean energy transition.
With experience across business development, major projects, and logistics, Jess brings a practical understanding of industries, project finance, and procurement. She has led First Nations teams and programs across health, community, and business sectors, including at NSW Aboriginal Land Council (Yarpa Hub), where she supported First Nations businesses to grow and thrive.
Jess is passionate about activating land and enterprise for long-term benefit, and is recognised by colleagues as an empowering leader who builds high-performing teams and champions equitable pathways for Mob into leadership.
