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The People Who Carry the Light

Gilibanga is a Network centred model, with a core backbone team, shaped by the people who show up for it : with care, with expertise, and with deep commitment to First Nations self-determination.
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Liz Wren

Gilibanga Lead
Liz Wren is a values-based and results-driven leader with Wiradjuri, Ugar Island and Trobriand Island heritage. As the catalytic Lead for the Gilibanga Initiative, Liz drives systemic change by decolonising and demystifying impact measurement to deliver stronger outcomes for First Nations Peoples. A specialist in transformative systems change and strategic planning, Liz is passionate about rebalancing power and has secured more than $150 million in investment for Traditional Owner-led initiatives across Australia. She holds key advisory roles including Board Member of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program, Expert Advisor to the Indigenous Advisory Committee to the Minister for the Environment and Water, Co-Chair of the First Nations Wisdom Group with the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network, and Member of the Coalition of Peaks Core Working Group on Data Policy Partnership.
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Dell Blanch

Gilibanga Administration Manager
A proud Wiradjuri woman, Dell first found her way to Gilibanga through the original Blak Think Tank and discovered a genuine passion for the work. She rejoined the team in May 2025, bringing strong organisational, interpersonal, and administrative skills grounded in experience across administration, legal justice, and retail banking. Dell is well known and trusted by our members, and is proudly based on beautiful Awabakal Country.
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Tyá Dynevor

Gilibanga Knowledge Sharing Officer

Tyá Dynevor is a proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman with connections to the Gudjal, Gurindji, Gumuligal of Wagedagam and Kullilli Peoples. A qualified ethnozoologist and ecologist, Tyá holds a Bachelor of Science majoring in Zoology and Ecology from James Cook University. She joined Gilibanga in 2026 as a Research Officer and now works as Knowledge Sharing Officer, alongside her role as First Peoples Focal Group Coordinator with the Agroecology & Food Sovereignty Alliance. Tyá is passionate about bringing Traditional Ecological Knowledge and western scientific approaches together to support First Nations communities, strengthen knowledge keeping and sharing, and enable communities to care for Country and native wildlife through culturally grounded, holistic approaches.

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Nick Deane

Gilibanga Events & Creative Director
Nick Biriakokon Emrys Deane is a communications strategist and cultural design specialist with more than 30 years of experience working with First Nations communities across Australia and the Pacific. His work centres on co-design, behavioural change, and culturally grounded storytelling. Now based in Vanuatu and a member of the Tam Tam family of Ramputor, South Pentecost, Nick served as Curator for the 2025 Australian Evaluation Society Conference and remains dedicated to elevating Indigenous knowledge and strengthening community-led design.
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Juliana Foxlee

Strategic Design Lead

Juliana is a strategic and participatory designer committed to understanding, communicating and enabling just futures. She holds a Master of Design Futures, Graduate Certificates in Service Design and Social Impact, and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Journalism, History and Politics. Juliana has worked across a range of for-purpose settings, including mental health reform and program design, homelessness health and the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation sector, as well as holding a number of government roles. Her practice uses strategic, participatory and generative design to identify and address current and emerging challenges at multiple scales. At Gilibanga, Juliana supports the work to strengthen and promote First Nations evaluators and their practice, helping maximise value for evaluators, the broader evaluation sector and the communities they serve.

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Ngimiliko Kunta

Our Host Organisation
Gilibanga is hosted by Ngimiliko Kunta, a not-for-profit organisation focused on First Nations place-making. Their vision is a future where First Nations peoples lead in shaping the places and systems that impact our lives.
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Paul Ramsay Foundation

Our Funder
Gilibanga is proud to have received initial funding through the Paul Ramsay Foundation, one of Australia’s largest philanthropic organisations, focused on breaking cycles of disadvantage and strengthening long-term community wellbeing. Their investment in Gilibanga is an investment in Indigenous authority, economic empowerment, and the structural integrity of a national movement.

Investing in Blak Businesses

Gilibanga is not just a Network : it is an economic driver.

In 2025, we directly injected over $100,000 into the First Nations business sector by engaging 12 Blak businesses to supply key products and services, including evaluation expertise, design, and communications. 100% of key project services requiring cultural expertise were sourced from within our community.

This is what self-determination looks like in practice : procurement decisions that create real economic benefit, model ethical investment, and strengthen cultural resilience across the sector.

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