Our Team
Sharon Williams
CEO
Sharon identifies as a Pitta Pitta woman. She was born and lives on Yaggera and Turrabul Country (Brisbane). Sharon has a Bachelor of Education with a major in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies.
She has worked for the Queensland Department of Education for 27 years and has developed and implemented a range of initiatives that have supported and improved educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.
In her role as CEO, Sharon is overseeing the strategic direction of the organisation. She is also responsible for developing strategic partnerships with like-minded organisations, as well as overseeing the development of SharingStories education strategy.
Sharon Williams
Taz Miller
CFO
With degrees in Accounting and Systems Management as well as Audio Engineering, Taz has been involved in all aspects of the SharingStories Foundation's operations. Taz has overseen finance, recorded sound for radio documentaries, facilitated sound design in digital storytelling programs, operated drones and shot 360-degree footage for mapping projects.
In her previous role as the foundation’s Program Director, Taz co-ordinated the development of the digital storytelling program framework, the SharingStories Language App, multi-touch book templates, interactive maps and display panels for exhibition. She is driven to cultivate effective collaborations with like-minded organisations and support communities both on and off Country in the creation of cultural media and new digital tools which support cultural maintenance.
Taz Miller
Dr Liz Thompson
Special Projects
Liz Thompson is deeply involved in guiding the work of the foundation within Indigenous communities and is the organisation’s Founder. She also works alongside senior knowledge authorities and partner communities implementing community-based cultural mapping programs.
A producer of media with over three decades experience creating stories for radio, television and print. Her work includes the series, Sharing Our Stories books created through a collaboration with 14 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities. The series won the 2009 Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing and was voted the best resource produced across primary, secondary and tertiary publishing in the country.
She has directed documentary films for ABC/BBC including Breaking Bows and Arrows, an exploration of reconciliation in Bougainville after the civil war. The film won the United Nations Media Peace Award for Best Television and The AIBD World Award for the Promotion of Conflict Resolution and the Grand Jury Prize at the 3rd International Festival of Oceania Documentary Film. Liz has produced numerous feature-length programs for ABC Radio National, online content, stories for international print media, and has published of over 30 books. Liz possesses a PhD from La Trobe University, focusing on self-representational digital media practices in remote Indigenous communities.
Dr Liz Thompson
Harmony Domaille
Education and Senior Program Manager
Harmony Domaille is a Taribelang Bunda woman living and working on Yaggera/Jagera and Turrabul Land. She has a Bachelor Degree in Education (Secondary) and Creative Industries (Drama) and has additionally completed her Masters of Educational Leadership in Indigenous Leadership.
Harmony has worked in various educational settings including state schools in regional Queensland, Montessori schools, Flexible Learning Centres and Arts programs for both primary and secondary school-aged students.
With over 15 years experience in education in Australia and overseas, Harmony has a diverse range of skills in both curriculum and pedagogy, with a passion for trauma-informed practice, storytelling, project-based learning and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education.
In her role as Education and Senior Program Manager, Harmony is working in collaboration with cultural Custodians to develop educational resources for Jajoo Warrngara: The Culture Classroom.
Harmony Domaille
Brooke Small
Senior Program Manager
Brooke grew up on the Far South Coast of NSW and has lived and worked around Australia. She has a Bachelor of Contemporary Music from Southern Cross University, a Diploma of Music from Box Hill Institute, and a Postgraduate in Arts Management from Deakin University. She was also awarded a 12 month Creative Producing Mentorship through Creative Australia (Australia Council for the Arts) with the Artistic Director of Ten Days on the Island.
With extensive experience in creative producing, program design and management, and event management, Brooke has a passion for producing creative projects that educate and inspire us to explore our shared sense of place and identity. She has managed a diversity of visual arts and performing arts programs and festival events including Program Manager of Community Engagement on the year-long Centenary of Canberra festival. Brooke's other passion has been working cross-culturally, collaborating with First Nations communities across Australia for nearly 12 years on community and cultural development projects.
In her role as Senior Program Manager, Brooke leads the co-design process and management of a range of digital storytelling, skills development, and mentoring programs in the CREATE stream and the project management of multi-touch books, interactive display panels, animated films, and a digital keeping place in the SHARE stream. In 2022, she managed the national launch of Jajoo Warrngara: The Culture Classroom at Federation Square in Melbourne.
Brooke Small
Sheree Jacobs
Branding and Communications Specialist
Sheree is a Torres Strait Islander woman, born in Cairns, Far North Queensland with family and ancestral links to Erub Island in the Torres Strait. Sheree has worked for a number of regional and international not-for-profit organisations delivering programs, in both grantmaking and fundraising to support social impact and outcomes.
From 2008-2011, Sheree worked for The Christensen Fund as an In Region Consultant and obtained postgraduate qualifications in Communications, from Griffith University. Commencing in early 2019, her role encompasses the creation of communication platforms for SharingStories to share the work of Indigenous people with all communities.
Sheree Jacobs
Mawana Cora
Business Administrator
Mawana Cora is a proud young Gangulu and Ngalakan woman who was born on Turrbal and Yuggera Country (Brisbane, Australia).
Mawana possesses a Certificate III in Business and was awarded runner up Trainee of the Year at the Queensland Training Awards. Mawana volunteers at the Yourtown Youth Advisory Group, collaborating with many organisations including the Kids Helpline to advocate for young people of all cultural backgrounds and representations.
Mawana is currently studying a Bachelor in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Griffith College which she is due to complete in 2023.
Mawana Cora
Madhu Narayan
Finance and Administration Manager
Madhu commenced work as the Finance and Administration Manager in 2016. In the past, Madhu has worked as an Accountant in various commercial practices across New South Wales. She possesses a Bachelor of Mathematics from University of the South Pacific, and obtained her Masters in Accounting in 2009 from University of New England. She is a current CPA and supports the foundation through high level administrative and financial management.
Madhu Narayan
Van Sowerwine
Digital Development Lead
Van Sowerwine is a media artist who work with stop-motion animation to create interactive installations and short films. Her work, often created in collaboration with Isobel Knowles, has been shown at film at art festivals across the world including at Cannes and Sundance. Van also works with motion graphics, video editing and digital and interaction design and has extensive experience in education in the corporate, vocational and higher education sector.
Van has worked designing and creating interactive digital multi-touch books with SharingStories communities and mentored SharingStories digital designers. She is passionate about helping communities find the most effective ways to maintain and share language and stories using digital technologies.
Van Sowerwine
Isobel Knowles
Design and Animation Lead
Isobel Knowles is an award-winning artist and animator. Her multidisciplinary practice spans short film, interactive installation, cross-platform performance, music, painting, photography and illustration. Her most recent achievements include winning the 2010 Premier of QLD'S National New Media Art Award, being given an Award of Distinction at the 2012 Arts Electronica Festival and publishing a children's book with Thames and Hudson.
Isobel has worked across many facets of SharingStories programs including animation facilitation, co-curation, design and mentoring new facilitators. Her extensive experience has brought new and exciting skills to all visual projects.
Isobel Knowles
Cian Sanders
Videographer
Cian is an experienced videographer and photographer who has worked in Meanjin’s commercial and art industries for the previous decade.
His passion for creating engaging and purposeful multimedia content has led him to work alongside Meanjin’s leading arts organisations and for prominent First Nations artists. His productions have been featured in regional and national print publications, online media outlets and his documentation of Megan Cope’s Kinyingarra Guwinyanba was featured in ABC’s Art Works.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Photography from the Queensland College of Art and Design, Griffith University, in 2018.
Cian Sanders
Lakshmi Jayan
Evaluation Officer
Lakshmi was born in India and raised in the United Arab Emirates and Australia. She earned a Bachelor of Health Science from the University of Queensland, gaining extensive experience in consulting and research.
Lakshmi assisted in the co-design of a population health dashboard, completed an analytics internship at HIMSS, and is a co-author in multiple papers. As a passionate advocate, she has provided strategic advice to social enterprises and non-profits through 180 Degrees Consulting and supported students as a representative of the Public Health Association at UQ.
In her role as an Evaluations Officer, she aids the foundation by monitoring progress, contributing to strategy, and evaluating the impact of projects across the organsation.
Outside of work, she enjoys dancing and spending time outdoors.
Lakshmi Jayan
Ocean West
Ocean has a long history as a philanthropic fundraiser. He brings over 20 years of grant writing and not-for-profit fundraising experience to support SharingStories financial and strategic growth.
He has degrees in music and arts from the University of London and the Royal Academy of Music. Ocean also played in the London Symphony Orchestra while building a career in arts administration and fundraising through the directorship of a classical music festival in Australia. He won the 2011 NSW AbaF Giving Award as an individual nominee.
In recent years, Ocean has focused on community causes and is particularly passionate about working with SharingStories to deepen his understanding of the diversity of First Nations peoples, histories and cultures.
