Our team

Cameron McLeod is an award-winning social entrepreneur with over 20 years of senior leadership experience using sport to drive systemic change.

He is passionate about tackling complex health, social and economic challenges facing marginalized and underrepresented communities across Australia. He works daily with some of the world’s most iconic sports brands to prevent violence against women, combat racism and transform education to empower at-risk young people to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

McLeod attended Harvard Business School, and holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts; he is also a Williamson Community Leadership Fellow at Leadership Victoria. In his spare time, he enjoys coaching and watching his three kids play football, rowing and netball—while also taking on the occasional marathon.

Ross Borland is a dedicated advocate for inclusive sport and physical activity. He earned his PhD at Monash University researching sport and physical activity for individuals with developmental disabilities, with a particular emphasis on its impact on wellbeing and mental health.

After completing his PhD, Borland sought to implement his research findings in practice, ensuring that evidence-based approaches directly benefit communities. At Welcoming Clubs, he has worked closely with clubs, individuals and communities from diverse and intersectional backgrounds, fostering accessible and supportive environments that encourage participation for all. His expertise bridges research and practice, ensuring that sport serves as a powerful tool for social inclusion and personal development.

Assmaah Helal is the Chief Operating Officer at Creating Chances, a social enterprise that empowers young people across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region through sport for social change. With over 15 years of experience in youth development, sport and community engagement, she is committed to creating opportunities for young people, particularly from diverse and marginalized communities.

Helal has played a key role in the growth of Creating Chances, leading program design, project management and operational strategy. She recently contributed to national initiatives such as Play Well: Australia’s First Sport Participation Strategy and chaired the Commonwealth Youth Sport for Development Working Group, contributing to global youth development strategies and initiatives.

HelalAssmaah completed an MBA in Social Impact at the University of New South Wales, bringing a strong focus on sustainable change and leadership in youth development and community engagement.

Amir Ibrahim is a community leader and program manager passionate about using sport and inclusion to create meaningful opportunities for young people and people with disabilities. With extensive experience across program design, community engagement & development and disability support services, Ibrahim works to empower participants to build confidence, skills and social connections.

He has led a wide range of initiatives in sport, youth and community engagement, and is committed to breaking down barriers so that people of all abilities can thrive.

Sue McGill is an influential, strategic and innovative Australian sport sector professional with highly developed strategy, planning, investment, leadership and relationship management skills. She provides a uniquely valuable breadth and depth of expertise spanning sport, government, preventative health and physical activity amassed from experience across all levels of government and sport.

Nasteha Mohamud is a community development leader with extensive experience across the nonprofit and public service sectors. She has led and advised on initiatives that strengthen equity, representation and inclusion, ensuring diverse voices are meaningfully reflected in both local and national projects. Her work spans hands-on community development as well as governance roles across housing, women’s development and cultural advisory, allowing her to shape strategic direction while delivering tangible community impact.

Recognized on the Victorian Multicultural Honor Roll, Mohamud is a passionate advocate for diversity and empowerment who is committed to uplifting underrepresented communities through her leadership and advocacy. As a graduate of respected leadership programs, she is currently completing an MBA, combining practical experience with ongoing learning to deliver sustainable community outcomes. She has a background in science, governance and education.

Beyond her professional work, Mohamud enjoys reading, spending time with family and exploring new ideas and places that spark inspiration and joy.

Ayden Shaw is the CEO of Disability Sports Australia and a Director of Vicsport, the peak sporting body in Victoria, Australia. He uses his extensive knowledge of local, state and federal sport systems to design and deliver impactful programs for traditionally marginalized and underrepresented groups.

With an award-winning background from Victoria University, where he earned degrees in Exercise Sport Science, Human Movement and Psychological Studies, Shaw has worked across various sports organizations and nonprofits. He is highly regarded and often consulted for his expertise, having driven strategic change and increased opportunities for people with disability in the Australian sport sector.

Shaw is deeply committed to creating more opportunities for youth to access sport, as early involvement, exposure and support have been pivotal in shaping his career. His expertise includes managing major events, overseeing public health and media awareness campaigns, supporting sector research and executing significant community-focused and systemic change projects. He also has extensive project management experience.

Shaw is committed to promoting access to sport for everyone by advocating for safe, welcoming and inclusive environments.

Professor Sherry is an international thought leader and researcher in the field of sport for development. She has specific expertise in how sport can be used as a mechanism for social change for a variety of different development outcomes, as well as across different settings and contexts.

Her research with and for the sport for development community has spanned over 15 years. She has worked with many sport for development organizations, larger sport clubs and national sport bodies, sport foundations, government and non-government agencies in Australia. Sherry has also worked for a variety of Asia-Pacific region and global partners including the Oceania Football Confederation and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Annabel Sides lives on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, in the Cowbaw biolink in regional Australia. She has been involved in the Australian sports industry for over 30 years, across administration, governance, education, health promotion and events. She has a passion for engaging more people, more often and in more places in sport that is safe, inclusive and just for all.

Sides founded Green Planet Sport, a bespoke regenerative sport agency, in 2021. The organization’s purpose is to educate, support and inspire the Australian sports industry to address the systemic inequality at the intersection of sports and environmental ecologies. Volunteering has also been a lifelong focus for Sides, mostly in the sport of water polo where she currently sits on the Water Polo Australia Climate Panel. She and her family are regenerating their property and have planted over 2,200 native species over six years.

Lauren Soderberg is the founder and CEO of Progressive Coaches and has over 20 years of experience in high-performance sport and athlete development. An Olympic coach, she gained international recognition by leading the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu to its first FIVB gold medal and multiple podium finishes, transforming the country’s volleyball presence on the world stage. As a professional coach, FIVB international Coaching Instructor and Coach Developer, Soderberg has earned 23 international coaching medals and co-founded Soderberg Academy and Beach Camp International, coaching athletes globally.

In 2016, she made history as the first Australian woman to coach the Australian national beach volleyball team at the Olympics, followed by her role as the manager of Volleyball Australia’s Asia/Pacific Partnership program. Her career includes positions in Denmark with the Copenhagen Beach Elite Program and a directorial role at an international NGO focused on sport for social impact. Currently serving as the Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement Manager with the Australian Institute of Sport, she is dedicated to advancing high-performance coaching, athlete wellbeing and sport development programming. Soderberg is passionate about closing the gaps between sport for development and high-performance sport through Progressive Coaches. Using the power of sport, coaching and leadership, the organization aims to significantly impact gender inequality.

Holly Tyrrell is an experienced sport professional, passionate about creating positive social impact through sport development and sport promotion.

She has been a part of senior leadership teams across multiple National Sporting Organizations, including Water Polo Australia and Equestrian Australia for the last decade. In recent years, she has also dedicated her time as a Board Director for two National Sporting Organizations for people with disabilities: Transplant Australia and Alliance of Sporting Associations for People with A Disability. Tyrrell has held roles in the Australian sport industry including General Manager – Sport Development, General Manager – Strategy and Social Impact and most recently, General Manager – Business Development.

She spends her spare time with her family, including three young daughters and their various sporting activities or caravan holidays.

Aya Noguchi obtained her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from a graduate school in the U.S. After retiring from playing professional women’s soccer in Sweden, she practiced gender equality through sports at an NGO in Zambia for six months. She then moved back to Japan and worked at the International Affairs Division of the Japan Sports Agency from 2015 to 2018, and on international cooperation and women’s sports. She was also involved in the international “World Forum on Sport and Culture” conference in cooperation with the World Economic Forum.

In 2018, Noguchi took a position at the Faculty of Sports and Health Sciences, Juntendo University. In 2023, she moved to Seijo University as a full-time Lecturer at the Faculty of Literature. She is currently the Deputy Director of the Seijo University International Research Center for Sport and Gender Equality.

Since 2020, she has served as the Project Leader of the “ASEAN-Japan Actions on Sport: Gender Equality Project,” a project commissioned by the Japan Sports Agency, and promotes gender equality projects through sport with the governments of 10 Southeast Asian countries. Noguchi became a board member at Pride House Tokyo in 2020 and aims to create an LGBTQ+ inclusive society through sports. From 2022 to 2024, she led sport-related projects there, and in April 2023, became Co-Chair. Between 2020 and 2024, she served as the Founder and the Representative of an NGO aiming to create an inclusive society through sports over four years. In April 2024, Noguchi launched Azitama Corp., a social business that aims to solve social issues through sports.

Born in Osaka Prefecture in 2000, Tomohiro Doi graduated from the Faculty of Human Education at St. Andrew’s University of Education. After graduating, Doi worked as a soccer coach in Cambodia for two years. Upon returning to Japan, while serving as a practical training assistant in the Faculty of Human Education at St. Andrew’s University of Education, he enrolled in the Master’s Program at the Graduate School of Education, Osaka Kyoiku University.

Since 2024, Doi has served as a junior high school extracurricular club activity coordinator. He is also involved with a comprehensive community sports club, participating in the management of local sports activities for children.

Yumika Hamano is a first-year student in the Joint Master’s Program in International Development and Peace through Sport in the Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences at the University of Tsukuba. During Hamano’s undergraduate studies, she majored in elementary education and obtained teaching licenses for elementary school, junior high school (physical education and English), and high school (English).

During her fourth year of university, Hamano spent a year studying abroad in the United States, deepening her knowledge of adapted physical education and special needs education. Currently, her research focuses on elementary school inclusive education—specifically in physical education—aiming to enhance a sense of belonging among children with disabilities.

Hamano has been actively involved in diverse athletic disciplines from a young age: participating in artistic gymnastics in elementary school (West Japan Championship contender), competitive sport climbing throughout middle and high school (national competitor), and cheerleading in her second year of university (competing in intercollegiate championships). Drawing from these sports experiences and academic background, she works as a youth advisor to help realize a society where all children can safely and enjoyably participate in sports and discover their own value.

Born in Osaka Prefecture, Tsuyoshi Hirao is a professor at Kobe Shinwa University specializing in sports physical education and the theory of the body for practice of sport. A former member of the Japan national rugby team (11 caps), he serves as a board member of the Sport Harassment ZERO Association. He is also a columnist for Kyoto Shimbun and President Online.

Hirao has published and supervised books including Aikido and Rugby: The Underlying Connection (Asahi Shinsho), Our Theory of Physical Training (Asahi Bunko), This Body, So Near Yet So Far (Mishima-sha), Fun Exercise (Asahi Shimbun Publishing), Breaking Free from Muscle Training Mentality (Mishima-sha) and Sports 3.0 (Mishima-sha).

Keisuke Ishiwata is a highly motivated and experienced sports coach with a passion for developing athletes and promoting the positive impact of sports.

Azusa Katsumata is a Specially Appointed Professor at Seijo University, specializing in career education and career psychology. Her teaching subjects include career diversity and social justice, ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) in corporations, career psychology and industrial/organizational psychology. She serves as a board member of the ESG Network Association and the Japan Career Counseling Research Association. Katsumata holds a national qualification as a career consultant and the title of social educator.

At Sony Corporation (now Sony Group), she was responsible for public relations, talent development and social contributions. After becoming independent, she established Katsumata Azusa Office Co., Ltd. and has held positions at Kansei Gakuin University and other institutions before assuming her current role. Katsumata completed the doctoral program at Keio University’s Graduate School of Media and Governance and in the doctoral program at Ritsumeikan University’s Graduate School of Sport Science in April 2025.

Matsue Kawashima graduated from the Faculty of Health and Sports Science at Juntendo University, and she advanced to the Joint Master’s Program in International Development and Peace through Sport in the Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences at the University of Tsukuba. During her undergraduate years, she was a member of the women’s soccer club and earned teaching licenses in physical education and special needs education.

Growing up in Japan as a child of Korean parents, Kawashima’s experience of feeling like a minority—combined with witnessing gender disparities in the sports world—led her to engage in activities and research that leverage sport to help solve social issues, such as education, gender inequality, poverty, and peacebuilding.

Currently, alongside Kawashima’s research on the career development of female coaches in Japanese women’s soccer, she works as an intern at Azitama. She also serves as a project coordinator for the Denmark-based international NGO “GIRL POWER,” where she works to provide safe spaces for refugee and immigrant girls and helps foster young leaders.

Miyuki Kobayashi is an icon in women’s football (soccer) in Japan. She founded a women’s football team in her senior year at Tsukuba University when playing football was not common among girls and women. After studying abroad in the U.S., she was shocked by the gap in recognition between women’s football in Japan and the U.S., and decided to promote women’s soccer in Japan.

After returning to Japan, Kobayashi gathered together universities in the Kanto area and started the Kanto University Women’s Soccer Federation. She has also started up various other teams and leagues. Her grassroots activities were recognized, and in 2000 she became involved in the Women’s Project. The Japan Football Association started the Project to promote women’s football and she travels around the country as a JFA women’s instructor, laying the foundations for the rise of Nadeshiko Japan.

Kobayashi’s  passion for football led her work at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, held at sites in Korea and Japan as an interpreter. In 2002, she established Bridge, which has been involved in overseas women’s football tours and also in sending women football players abroad to study.

From 2005 to 2009, she worked as a career counselor for athletes at Pasona Sports Mate Co., Ltd., providing career support for over 200 athletes from various sports. From 2011, she worked as a coach and GM of the women’s team at JEF United Ichihara Chiba Ladies, focusing on hiring female coaches and ensuring that the number of male and female coaches was equal.

In 2021, Kobayashi was appointed as a board of the newly established Japan Women’s Empowerment Professional Football League, the so-called “WE League,” focusing on player education and promoting the league’s mission. She continues to actively play football and is also working hard to train the next generation as a coach and administrator.

Born in Hyogo Prefecture, Hiroya Nakamura graduated from Osaka Kyoiku University, completing the university’s Graduate School of Education. He withdrew from the Doctoral Program at the United Graduate School of Education, Tokyo Gakugei University, after completing the required coursework. He holds a Ph.D. in Education.

After graduating from university, Nakamura worked as a high school teacher, served in the JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteers and engaged in sports medicine and science support activities both domestically and internationally. He is currently the Dean and Professor at the Faculty of Human Education, Momoyama Gakuin University of Education. In April 2025, he became the Dean and Professor at the Faculty of Human Education, Momoyama Gakuin University. His areas of expertise include education, sports medicine and international sports development studies.

Nakamura serves as the Chairman of the Comprehensive Regional Sports Club “Momokyo Sports Academy,” a council member for Osaka Prefectural Schools, a committee member for the Designated Administrator Evaluation Committee of the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, the Head Coordinator for Club Activities in Sakai City and the Chairperson of the Community-Based Transition Plan for Club Activities in Izumi City, among other roles.

In 2024 he received a letter of appreciation from the Commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency for his contributions to the promotion of priority cooperation areas in Japan-ASEAN sports cooperation under the SFT Action+.

Jun Sato is a portfolio worker specializing in social system transformation in Collective Impact in Japan. He is mainly active in supporting LGBTQ+/DEI NPOs and leaders, and in equity-centered social transformation research, community management and consulting.

For nearly 18 years, he has been involved in social transformation across various themes including earthquake reconstruction, child poverty, LGBTQ+, town development and education for about 30 NPOs. As a director and senior coordinator, Sato is in charge of launching public-private partnership businesses, establishing industry associations/secretariat/advocacy and serves as a leader PO of fund distribution organizations and organizational development support (system coaching).

Jakub Kalinowski is an expert in designing innovative programs to increase physical activity and in using sport and physical activity as tools for social change, particularly among children.

As President of the V4SPORT Foundation and a board member of the International Sport and Culture Association in Copenhagen, he has led numerous innovative projects that have gained international recognition. One of these projects, the only initiative from Poland, was featured in the European Commission’s report “Mapping of Innovative Practices to Promote Sports Outside of Traditional Structures.”

Kalinowski is also the co-founder of Akademia Krokieta i Lamy, the first Polish initiative to win the European Commission’s top award in the #BeActive competition, in the Innovation in Education category. He has also served as a board member of the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance and was a member of the Rural Sports Committee at the Polish Olympic Committee. He is a frequent speaker at national and international events.

Kalinowski is a graduate of International Relations from the University of Wrocław and completed his postgraduate studies in project management at the Warsaw School of Economics. He also studied in the USA, the UK and France. He holds certifications in project management using the PRINCE2 methodology and in the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Reporting Process.

Mateusz Boczyło is a sport project and innovation specialist working at the intersection of sport management, policy and international cooperation. He supports sports organizations in developing sustainable initiatives, strengthening governance practices and securing funding for projects that generate long-term social impact.

Mateusz currently works as a Project Specialist at the Polish Rugby Union and collaborates with the Institute for Sport Governance, an international think tank focused on improving governance standards in sport and promoting responsible sport management.  He has been involved in numerous national and European initiatives, particularly within Erasmus+ Sport programs, supporting organizations in designing and implementing projects related to education, leadership development and community engagement.

His work focuses on innovation in sport, organizational development and capacity building within sports institutions. Through his activities, he aims to help sport organizations become more professional, collaborative and socially impactful while empowering young leaders and communities through sport-based initiatives.

Mateusz is also a PhD candidate in sport management at the University of Warsaw, where his research explores collaboration and innovation within the sport sector.

Łukasz Chwieduk is a movement cultivator who inspires millions across Poland to get active and play football through the power of social media. A former professional athlete and European & Polish Champion in football freestyle, he combines his deep passion for sport with creativity and storytelling to make movement accessible and fun for everyone.

As a social media expert, he has helped numerous organizations and brands grow their online presence, build authentic communities and effectively reach their target audiences. Chwieduk’s work bridges the worlds of sport, education and digital culture, encouraging people to reconnect with the joy of physical activity.

He is also the founder of Fundacja Ziomeczek, an initiative dedicated to spreading passion for football, creativity and active living among young people and local communities.

Katarzyna Kozikowska is a Polish paracanoeist representing the national team at the highest international level. She has competed in two consecutive Paralympic Games: Tokyo 2021, where she finished 4th, and Paris 2024, where she placed 6th in the KL3 200m event.

Her achievements include a gold medal at the 2019 European Championships in Poznań (Poland) and bronze medals at the 2018 European Championships in Belgrade (Serbia) and 2024 in Szeged (Hungary). At the World Championships, her best result was 5th place in Copenhagen in 2021 in the KL3 kayak.

Outside of competition, Kozikowska is dedicated to inspiring children and young people, regardless of ability, to discover the joy of physical activity. She often visits schools, meeting students, teachers and parents to share her story and passion for sport. In December 2023, she was the main figure of the nationwide “Online Integrative PE Class,” an event that gathered more than 80,000 participants and promoted inclusion through movement and play.

Liza Lytvynova is a youth representative voice, student and volunteer with several years of experience supporting international projects focused on inclusion, youth engagement and sport for social good. After being displaced by the war in Ukraine and relocating to Poland at the age of 14, she began volunteering with the V4SPORT Foundation. Since then, she has contributed to a range of local and international initiatives, including events in the Baltic region and programs supporting refugee integration.

Drawing on her personal experience of starting over in a new country, she became committed to projects that use physical activity and youth involvement as tools for building inclusive communities. Since the age of 15, Lytvynova has worked with V4SPORT on multiple activities across Europe. In 2024, she represented a Ukrainian organization as its youngest and only delegate at an international meeting in Slovenia.

She recently graduated from high school and is now beginning her studies at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology. Fluent in four languages, Lytvynova continues to work on youth-driven initiatives aimed at creating more inclusive and connected environments.

Magdalena Paduch develops and promotes women’s football in Poland. She manages strategic initiatives focused on increasing participation, visibility and opportunities for women and girls in sport, including international development and educational programs delivered in cooperation with UEFA and FIFA partners.

With a background in law, marketing and communications, Paduch combines creativity with a practical and solution-oriented approach to project management. She has experience coordinating nationwide campaigns, football development programs, events and stakeholder engagement initiatives across both sport and commercial sectors.

She is particularly interested in projects that create positive social impact through sport, strengthen inclusive communities and empower young people. Paduch enjoys turning ideas into meaningful actions and building partnerships that support long-term development in sport.

Dr Paweł Zembura is an Assistant Professor at the Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw (Department of Management, Organization and Economics) and a co-founder and board member of the Institute for Sport Governance foundation. His research and professional work focus on sports management, the social impact and sustainability of sport, good governance and physical activity policies.

Zembura has been involved in numerous national and European projects aimed at improving sport governance and promoting physical activity. He leads ongoing analyses of children’s and adolescents’ physical activity as part of the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance network.

Through Sportimpakt, he coordinates long-term initiatives assessing the social responsibility (CSR/ESG) of professional sports clubs in Poland, while through the Institute for Sport Governance, he collaborates with leading European universities and ministries on Erasmus+ Sport projects related to governance and athlete welfare.

Dr Zembura holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, as well as a master’s degree in economic geography from the University of Warsaw.