Meet the Team
Our founders and leaders are experienced entrepreneurs who understand the challenges facing rural Australia and see the potential that entrepreneurial activity and social enterprise presents for improved rural prosperity.
Our Team
Matt Pfahlert
Matt is a well-known social entrepreneur with a long-standing commitment to rural Australia
One of Australia’s pioneering social entrepreneurs, Matt is helping to shape regional and rural Australia through igniting entrepreneurship in young people and their communities.
Matt started his first social enterprise in 1993 at the age of 23, working with ‘at risk’ young people in wilderness settings. His passion and drive for positive social outcomes saw him receive the prestigious Young Australian of the Year Award in 1996.
Motivated by a desire to create prosperous, healthy, thriving communities, in 2016 as co-founder and CEO of the Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship (ACRE), Matt led a $2.5M community buy-back of the Old Beechworth Gaol. A neglected Australian heritage icon famed for its connection to Ned Kelly and the Kelly Gang and located in Matt’s hometown. The site is being re-purposed as an exemplar of social enterprise, impact investment and rural rejuvenation through community owned assets.
You can hear about Matt and his social enterprise journey in this ABC Radio interview:
Clayton Neil
Clayton brings experience and skills in community development, stakeholder engagement, rural development and entrepreneurship and is leading the community buy back of the Old Beechworth Gaol. Clayton is an avid cyclist and has a strong background in economic development, tourism, events, business development and business finance.
Mary Anne Scully
Mary Anne is bringing to life a dedicated program for rural and regional innovators called the Breakout Accelerator.
Co-developed by ACRE and Second Muse (a global innovation agency), the Breakout Accelerator is a new way of connecting rural and regional creativity and drive with the power and reach of international networks, experience and expertise.
Mary Anne loves working with and supporting regional people who are striving to build thriving businesses and organisations. She is an experienced business strategist, educator and communicator.
Tom Colcott
Tom Colcott started working with young people after he left school, firstly at American summer camps. Back in Australia, he joined the education department team at Zoos Victoria for eight years and then taught at Somers School camp on the Mornington Peninsula for four years.
As our Social Enterprise Schools Learning Coordinator, Tom is supporting young change makers by ensuring high quality delivery and ongoing expansion of the program nationally, and tapping into professional links and resources available across the global Social Enterprise Academy network. The role is a perfect fit for Tom who is passionate about young people being empowered in their learning and believing in their ability to make the changes to the world that they see as important.
Tom grew up in Rosebud on the Mornington Peninsula. He and his wife relocated to North East Victoria in 2020 as they wanted their children to grow up in a connected rural community.
Coran Johnson
Coran grew up in a close-knit community in Gippsland, Victoria and shares ACRE’s passion for thriving rural communities.
As Learning Coordinator, Coran supports delivery of learning and development programs offered by Social Enterprise Academy Australia, links with key industry partners and facilitates the growth of the social enterprise community.
Karla Florance
Karla has a strong background in Innovation, Strategy and Performance Management.
With experience in working for a number of multinationals, Karla prides herself on her work ethic, clear communication and ability to form strong relationships with her team and stakeholders to align on a solution.
Karla will be responsible for providing organisational accountability for the pipeline of work across ACRE to ensure that all commitments and obligations for customers are met. Karla will also play a critical role in the successful development, design and implementation of bids, applications and proposals over the next three months.
Karla grew up in Melbourne and she and her family relocated to Beechworth at the end of 2020. She shares ACRE’s passion to drive the renewal of Rural communities for her children and future generations to come.
Jess Padbury
Jess Padbury is ACRE’s Finance Coordinator and resident of North East Victoria by way of Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Jess has a professional finance background spanning local government, mining and construction, small businesses, not-for-profits, and private education.
Beyond her work life, Jess is an avid camper and explorer of quaint country towns. She’s also deeply committed to her local community and an ardent supporter of the Country Fire Authority, raising a young family who will likely become fourth generation CFA members. For Jess, life is about balancing numbers with nature, and spreadsheets with community spirit.
Our Board
Brady Cronin
Brady is passionate about creating an environmentally sustainable planet and working with rural communities to build their capacity to thrive.
A Monash University Environmental Science graduate who originates from Maffra, Brady brings a wide breath of experience in science communication, research, leadership and social enterprise education to the ACRE Board.
As Program Coordinator of Youthrive Victoria, Brady delivers leadership and mentoring programs to empower rural young people to lead great lives.
Anne Gripper
Anne has enjoyed working in leadership roles in sport for 23 years. She is currently the Executive Director of Sport and Recreation at the NSW Office of Sport. Anne became involved in philanthropy when she founded the June Canavan Foundation in 2010. As Chair of this Foundation, she takes an active role in contributing to raising the profile of small scale philanthropy. She is also a Director of Cycling Australia.
Andrew Mair
Andrew commenced as ACRE Board meeting minute taker in March 2021. A final year law and commerce student with a strong interest in innovation and community development, Andrew brings experience drawn from a range of team situations and roles, including government and in-house legal internships, customer service and community representation. In previous internships with Telstra and Aboriginal Victoria, Andrew developed his professional abilities and experienced a diverse range of legal environments, leading to new passions in both technology in law and strengthening advocacy for Indigenous Australians. Andrew approached ACRE with an offer to support governance as he is continuing to seek experiences to expand his professional skills, develop new connections, and contribute his unique and forever growing set of skills and passions.
Matt Pfahlert
Matt has worked as business consultant specialising on projects combining economic and social benefits. This work involved strategic and business planning, organisational development, & leadership programs. For his contribution to rural Victoria and young people Matt was awarded Leadership Victoria’s – Community Leader of the Year in 2004.
Kerrie OBrien
Kerrie O’Brien is a journalist, writer and editor with more than 30 years experience. She is currently a senior writer for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald and has covered architecture and design, the arts and entertainment, food and travel, and business and finance.