Dr. Elise Stephenson

Dr Elise Stephenson is an award-winning researcher, director and entrepreneur. She is the Deputy Director at the Global Institute for Women's Leadership ANU, founded and chaired by former prime minister Julia Gillard AC and Director of Social Good Outpost Pty Ltd. A Fulbright 2022 Scholar and recognised by Google, Deloitte, Energy Australia, Boston Consulting Group, the Foundation for Young Australians, and the United Nations Australia Association, Elise's expertise is sought in:
- women's leadership
- gender in international affairs, diplomacy and national security
- public diplomacy & foreign policy
- entrepreneurship and impact entrepreneurs
- gender equality
- LGBTI+ community inclusion
- creative problem-solving
- human rights
- intersectional, feminist climate justice
- Diversity and frontiers - space, AI, climate change

Elise is the author of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)'s Landmark Study on Gender Equality in the Space Sector - the largest and first study of it's kind.

Elise is a regular contributor to TV, radio and various academic and non-academic publications, including the Lowy Institute, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Broad Agenda, and the Australian Journal of International Affairs.

Elise has led major programs for Australia's largest public diplomacy initiative, Australia Now, and flagship entrepreneurship program, A2ELP, working in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, plus embassies and high commissions across the region. Since 2019, she has led research, development and curation of over 70 workshops with over 5000 individuals directly engaged on key topics of regional growth and collaboration, including: gender equality, inclusive leadership, sustainability, entrepreneurship and policy change.

She has worked across countries such as Laos, Brunei, Cambodia, Taiwan, Japan, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Morocco, Spain, and Turkey - making her a skilled communicator able to work with diverse audiences and stakeholders. She also has deep links with remote and regional Australia, having worked with communities across the Western Desert in the Northern Territory and 75,000kms around other locations in regional Australia in the past five years.

She currently consults in the fields of foreign policy and public diplomacy; women's leadership; LGBTI inclusion; social enterprise; Asia Pacific enterprise; human rights campaigns; youth inclusion and strategies; and defence and national security.