Douglas “DJ” has over 10 years of multi-disciplinary experience as a multilingual social researcher, community developer and business consultant working across cultures and societal sectors to support human development. His most recent experience has been working for Australia’s largest majority Aboriginal owned consulting firm advising Aboriginal community controlled organisations, government, and private sector clients on how to create and sustain pathways towards Aboriginal self-determination, including business planning for Aboriginal owned native foods businesses.

Douglas has also worked with African American educators in the U.S. to develop and facilitate youth participatory action research projects exploring education achievement disparities in the state of Minnesota, which has one of the worst achievement gaps in the nation. With a master’s degree in applied anthropology and a bachelor’s in international business and intercultural communications, Douglas is currently pursuing a PhD in the area of Just Sustainabilities where he is exploring and experimenting ways to co-create holistic, community-led innovations in food and housing security.

He is also an accomplished poet / lyricist and food grower who holds a permacultures design certificate and is passionate about the role of nature, nutrition and the arts in enhancing health and wellbeing outcomes for the communities he serves.