CONFERENCE TEAM

Behind every extraordinary event is a dedicated team, and the Thriving Women Conference is no exception.

Our committee is made up of passionate volunteers who, supported by WoTL staff, bring their expertise, enthusiasm, and commitment to delivering an unforgettable experience.

From shaping the program and securing inspiring speakers, to ensuring every detail runs seamlessly, this team works tirelessly to create a conference that empowers, connects, and celebrates women connected to agriculture and rural industries. Their collective vision and dedication transform ideas into reality, making Thriving Women a must-attend event. Get to know the incredible individuals behind the scenes.

Meet our 2026 Thriving Women Team

Patrice Douglas

Conference Convenor

About Patrice

A mentor and speaker, Patrice helps professionals build confidence, clarity and leadership skills that create real success without burnout.

Drawing on her roots in regional NSW and a career that has taken her from Head of Creative for an ASX200 property fund to mentoring thousands of young leaders, Patrice combines grounded wisdom with practical tools for growth.

She has delivered workshops and hosted events focused on leadership, communication and mindset for organisations including Ray White, NXG Group, Signature Strata, Agricultural Shows Australia and Virbac.

Patrice also hosts Into the Nothing, a podcast exploring success, self-leadership and the courage it takes to grow in today’s world, listened to by audiences in over 100 countries.

Robyn Williams

Conference Operations Lead

About Robyn

Robyn Williams is passionate about the hats typically worn by women in family farming operations.

Celebrating their often understated agribusiness role and soft skills, complementing the more visible hands on farm work, resulting in a successful operation.

She's learnt that where there’s shared values and good communication, embracing the skills and weaknesses of team members despite their gender and age, can bring great results in an agricultural setting.

Robyn considers herself lucky to be working in the family cropping operation in Central Victoria and related Agricultural technology interests, having met and worked with some fabulous people. She's transitioned from a professional career in health whilst raising a family to being full time within the family business over the last 25 years.

A delegate at the 2023 TW conference and a member of the organising committee in 2025 Robyn feels at home among a like-minded bunch of women, she is thrilled to be a part of bringing the conference to Bendigo in 2026.

Kelly Leask

Conference Operations

About Kelly

Growing up on a cropping and sheep farm near Jamestown in the Mid North of SA, Kelly Leask has been connected to rural life from an early age. Her career has taken her from the hospitality industry—where she owned her own hotel in Jamestown—to McLaren Vale, where she now lives with her husband Malcolm and their two boys, Abel (12) and Eli (10).

Together, they run a family business with Malcolm’s brother and his wife, managing vineyards, contracting, and producing their own wine brand, Hither & Yon. Like any family business, Kelly’s role is diverse, but her main focus areas are Finance and Sustainability.

A strong advocate for leadership and lifelong learning, Kelly participated in the 2022 Stepping Into Leadership program with WoTL and attended both the 2022 and 2024 Thriving Women Conferences in Hahndorf. Inspired by the impact of these experiences, she volunteered to give back and contribute to the success of the Thriving Women’s Conference in 2025 and again is taking part in the organisation of the conference in 2026.

Linda McDougall

Conference Program Lead

About Linda

Linda is a mum of five, a grandma, and the eldest of seven siblings. she grew up in Central Queensland before moving to the Whitsundays to live and work on a cattle property, where she loved the unpredictability and satisfaction of life on the land.

Linda’s children, now aged 12 to 28, have been involved in many activities—Rugby League, dance, soccer—so volunteering and supporting community events has been a big part of her life.

She studied Nursing at university and spent 10 years living and working in small Central Queensland towns, eventually moving into the mining sector across open cut coal and CSG.

For the past 14 years Linda has called Toowoomba home. she has worked at GRDC for 10 years, and what she values most is the people—their passion for the grains industry and seeing research make a real difference for growers.

Minnie Green

Conference Program

About Minnie

Growing up in Melbourne, with a deep passion for horses Minnie always considered herself to have ‘half a foot in the door’ of the country. Now she is raising two daughters along side her husband on their mixed farm in the Grampians region of Victoria, and is well and truly ‘all in’ on country life. As a commercial lawyer by trade, Minnie brings commercial expertise and business acumen to their farming operation and along side her husband operates a 26000 bird free range egg operation.

She is a graduate of the 2025 Australian Rural Leadership Foundation’s Australian Rural Leadership Program (AALP) and has a strong interest in leadership and women supporting other women. Minnie attended the 2025 conference in Wagga and was inspired by the women she met, and the conversations she had. The conference energised her and reinforced the opportunities that exist within Agriculture for women, and the importance of strong connections.

When she’s not working, Minnie can usually be found with her family, her dog or her horses, and at her best with all three at the same time. She’s excited to be apart of the event team this year and looks forward to connecting with everyone in Bendigo!

Hannah Cargill

General Committee Member

About Hannah

Hannah grew up on her family’s mixed grazing property in the NSW Southern Tablelands near Braidwood. From a young age, Hannah has been surrounded by and immersed in agriculture and rural communities. She has been involved in many Ag shows and community organisations.

Following completing a double bachelor’s degree of agriculture and business at the University of New England, Hannah has spent four years with ANZ, joining their Agribusiness Grad program which took her across NSW, VIC and SA, living and working in rural communities. Hannah spent a few years living and working in Warrnambool, SW VIC before relocating to Albury NSW where she is now based.
Hannah is currently undertaking a Master of Economic and Regional Development through UNE. Hannah is community orientated and is passionate about creating opportunities for women and youth in rural and regional communities.

With this driving [passion, and after attending Thriving Women 2025 in Wagga, Hannah has joined the conference team and is looking forward to contributing to a great conference in 2026.

Olivia Thorn

General Committee Member

About Olivia

Olivia Thorn is a freelance journalist dedicated to propelling stories from the bush into the mainstream. She specialises in the conception, creation, and production of agricultural content for print, podcast and video platforms. With over 15 years working in rural media, including presenter of WA Country Hour on ABC radio, Olivia is a champion for well-crafted narratives that share the rich experience of life in regional Australia. Running a sheep and grain farming business with her husband and young family in Kojonup, Western Australia, she has lived experience on the land and brings sharp editorial instincts to everything she creates.

Kathy Moloney

WoTL Events Coordinator

About Kathy

When Kathy Moloney joined the WoTL team last year as Events Coordinator, we knew her passion for rural communities and knack for bringing people together would make her a wonderful addition. One year on, she’s proven exactly that.

A broadacre farmer from Southern NSW, Kathy has fully embraced the heart of the Thriving Women Conference, working alongside the volunteer committee to help bring the event to life. With a background in coordinating fundraising events and deep connections within rural communities, she understands what makes gatherings like Thriving Women so special: genuine connection, shared learning, and the chance for women to feel supported and inspired.

Kathy has a natural ability to roll up her sleeves and get things done, while never losing sight of the bigger purpose behind the event. Her commitment, energy, and understanding of what Thriving Women is all about have made her an invaluable part of the team.

She’s looking forward to welcoming both familiar faces and first-time attendees to another unforgettable Thriving Women Conference.