Speaker - Entrepreneur - Changemaker

Co/founder of crowdfunding platform StartSomeGood, giving circle app Good Mob, Australian Changemakers Festival, Vibewire Youth Inc and the Black Rock City Farmers Market, and first Social Media Director at Ashoka: Innovators for the Public.

Tom's commitment to social entrepreneurship in the digital space is something that is hard to duplicate. He is constantly listening, collaborating and broadcasting. And not only does he have a great personality online, he is even more passionate in person.

-Tristan Pollock, VP, 500 Startups and Co-Founder, Storefront

TOM HAS CO/FOUNDED:

For 20 years I’ve been exploring how technology and culture can be harnessed as tools to create a more democratic and participatory society.

I am the co-founder and CEO of social change crowdfunding platform StartSomeGood.com. StartSomeGood supports social entrepreneurs to raise the funds and mobilise the community they need to make a difference and has deployed over $12 million AUD so far with one of the highest success rates in crowdfunding.

I previously founded several non-profit organisations including Vibewire Youth Inc. which I led from 2000-2008. Achievements included the 2002 launch of the youth culture website Vibewire.net, opening the first co-working space in Australia in 2006, and embedding the youth reporters with the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader during Federal election in 2004 and 2007.

From 2008-2010 I was the first Social Media Director at Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, in Washington DC before moving to San Francisco where I worked with several local organisations before co-founding StartSomeGood and moving back to Sydney for the birth of my first son Bodhi in 2012 (my second son Yagan was born in 2015).

I founded and was the Director of the Australian Changemakers Festival 2013 and 2014. I’ve also run a dance party production crew, organised film festivals, new media conferences and protest stunts and founded a Burning Man theme camp.

I’ve been recognised with numerous awards and fellowships and has been a regular speaker at conferences and teacher of seminars and workshops for past 15 years, including SXSW, SOCAP, REMIX, The World Summit on the Information Society, Connecting Up, Progress and FWD. I've worked with social enterprises, non-profits and government agencies to help them tell their stories and engage their communities (Find out more about my consulting work here).

I believe passionately in the power of social technologies to build community, inspire changemakers and empower all of us to change the world.

Please connect with me on Twitter or sign up to get my newsletter of 5 key links covering social enterprise, impact investing and entrepreneurship.

If you're interested in working together get in touch.

"Tom Dawkins is, without a doubt, one of leading thinkers-and-doer in the emerging social entrepreneur space. He is a constant source of inspiration, engagement and ideas. Australia is lucky to have him."

-Eddie Harran, Deloitte Centre for the Edge Australia

Awards and Honours

Nexus ANZ Innovator of the Year Award 2015

Australia and New Zealand Innovation Award Winner 2015 (StartSomeGood)

Co-winner of the Social Investment Award at the Australian Social Enterprise Awards 2015 (StartSomeGood)

International Youth Foundation YouthActionNet Global Fellow 2007/8,

Australian Davos Connections Future Summit Leadership Award 2007,

The UN's World Summit Youth Awards Overall Winner and Winner: Community Engagement 2005 (Vibewire)

NSW Home-based MicroBusiness of the Year and NSW Non-Profit MicroBusiness of the Year 2003 (Vibewire)

Member of Australian National Youth Roundtable 1999