Lauren (Lilly) Brown

A proud Gumbaynggirr woman, Dr Lilly Brown has spent the last decade and a half advocating for the self-determination of First Nations people, including as the Co-Founder of Shifting Ground, a collective of First Nations women and non-binary folk that seek to support organisations across a range of sectors to establish mechanisms of meaningful and sustainable governance that centre the critical knowledge and diverse lived experience of First Nations people. Starting as the CEO of Magabala Books in 2024, Lilly brings to the role executive leadership experience and qualifications including as a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), the inaugural Executive Director of First Nations Wellbeing and Engagement at headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation, a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge and a PhD in youth studies from the University of Melbourne. Lilly holds several advisory and director roles, including as a director of Jalygurr Guwan Aboriginal Corporation, the National Indigenous Youth Education Council, and the Ebony Institute. Lilly lives and works in Rubibi/Broome on the unceded lands of the Yawuru and Jugan people, which is also the ancestral lands of her partner and kids.