Jason Ball

For the past decade I have worked across the community, government and corporate sectors to drive meaningful social change, specialising in advocacy, policy, research, communications, media, public speaking and fundraising. As the 2017 Young Australian of the Year for Victoria, I used his platform to promote inclusion, diversity and equality. I shared my story of hope and acceptance with thousands of people in schools, sporting clubs and workplaces all over the country. In 2016, I was honoured by the University of Melbourne with the Arts Alumni Rising Star Award and was also named the Young Australian Humanist of the Year by the Council of Australian Humanist Societies. A passionate advocate for mental health, I have worked in government relations and business development for the Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre, an organisation that harnesses new technologies to support children and young adults struggling with mental ill health. I have been an ambassador for beyondblue since 2014 and in 2017 was named a VicHealth Champion for my leadership in health promotion. I am the Co-Founder and Director of Pride Cup, a social enterprise that helps sporting clubs stage matches to celebrate LGBTIQ players, supporters and officials. With major government, corporate and philanthropic backers, the organisation has now raised over half a million dollars, with a vision to roll out Pride Cups and education programs to every sporting league in Australia. I have stood for Parliament — twice — representing the Greens in the federal seat of Higgins. In the 2016 and 2019 elections, I led a massive grassroots, people-powered campaign, mobilising hundreds of volunteers who engaged with the electorate on critical issues such as action on the climate crisis and reducing inequality. Both campaigns received a huge amount of media attention and the electorate, once considered a safe seat, is now marginal. I am currently working as a Reporting and Systems Manager at Scope, one of Australia's largest not-for-profit disability service providers.