About Us

Experienced social policy and communications specialists, with a proven track record of delivering social outcomes for high-profile projects and clients such as the University of New South Wales, Aboriginal Affairs NSW, the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and Transport for NSW.

WHO WE ARE

Impact Policy is a 100% Aboriginal owned business, launched to provide social policy and digital communication services, embedding every project we deliver in a critical First Nations lens.

We launched Impact Policy to partner with clients to navigate complex social policy. We are highly experienced and passionate about Aboriginal Affairs, Planning, Industry and Environment, Health, Justice and Youth and Community Services.

Impact Policy is underpinned by four key principles:

Access
Equity
Inclusion
Justice

We partner with clients and associates when projects we collaborate on share these principles, and together we navigate strategic solutions to complex and exciting social projects.

Sam Alderton-Johnson

Founder and Managing Director

Sam Johnson is a proud First Nations man raised within the strong Aboriginal community of Glebe, Sydney. Sam’s cultural ties are to the Djaara/Yuin nation and he is actively raising his family in Maroubra with close connections to the staunch Aboriginal communities within South Sydney.

Experienced leader coordinating high-profile projects and operating as a trusted advisor for Government Secretaries and Senior leaders, coordinating whole of Government complex social policy projects. Including but not limited to coordinating Bowraville Solution Brokerage, the establishment of the Aboriginal Languages Trust and the establishment of the Roads to Home program. These projects are sensitive, high-profile, and statewide in scope.

Before moving into the Public sector, Sam spent over ten years in the not-for-profit sector. Managing local and state-wide projects for NGOs such as PCYC NSW, where he received employee of the year and the Australian Red Cross, where he led the NSW Pilot into Post Release Mentoring for men exiting prison. Following this, Sam then went on to lead the Dual Diagnosis team for a community not-for-profit in Waterloo, Sydney. Sam led the team to an excellence in treatment award for programs and services for Aboriginal young people.

Sam shares his lived experience around childhood trauma, social disadvantage, homelessness, out of home care and impacts of forced child removal policies. Years of academic education, professional experience, and success at the most senior and complex projects further inform these perspectives.

Graduating from UNSW with honours in Social Science, majoring in Criminology and completing a Masters of Teaching studies.
Outside of Impact Policy, as a father of five, Sam lives his values through Spark Impact, reinvesting funding and resources into the provision of sport and recreation programs that are accessible for all young people in the Redfern and Wooloomooloo community.

Sam is passionate about values-based leadership, survivors as practitioners, lived experience and storytelling. He is passionate about co-design with communities and stakeholders when the core principles are present to inform the development of service, policy and project design.

Sean McCarthy

Director of Research & Policy

Sean is the Director of Research and Policy at Impact Policy. Sean is a proud Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung man currently living on Gadigal land in Sydney.

Prior to joining Impact Policy, Sean had a career spanning 12 years in the Commonwealth and State Public sectors. Sean possesses extensive experience in project management, program management, evaluations, policy analysis, development and design, research, community engagement, and governance.

Sean is passionate and experienced in co-design, implementing this approach when working on policy, community engagement, evaluation and research projects.

Kuyan Mitchell

Director of Practice and Engagement

Kuyan Mitchell is a proud Wiradjuri, Ngunnawal and Bundjalung man originally from Cowra, NSW. As a Director at Impact Policy, Kuyan brings extensive experience in justice, community engagement, and policy reform—shaped by over seven years in the NSW public sector, including leadership roles within Youth Justice NSW.

Throughout his career, Kuyan has been deeply committed to advancing systemic reform that empowers Aboriginal communities and strengthens cultural governance. He played a key role in developing the Youth Justice Strategic Plan, implementing cultural programs for Aboriginal young people, and establishing best practice standards for working with Aboriginal families and communities to deliver on Closing the Gap priorities.

At Impact Policy, Kuyan leads major co-design and evaluation projects, including the Moree Bail Accommodation Program, the Wildflower program with the NSW Aboriginal Housing Office, and the establishment of Aboriginal community governance structures across multiple initiatives. His work is grounded in values of self-determination, trauma-informed practice, and cultural safety—helping governments and organisations design systems that work with communities, not for them.

Holly West

Project Officer

Holly joins Impact Policy as an experienced Project Manager with a professional background encompassing youth and community and Indigenous and Allied Health services. Holly is committed to improving outcomes through researching and facilitating more effective ways of working that empower community, create greater equity and inspire systemic change for the benefit of all.

Holly is a committed ally that is an advocate for positive change and innovation through challenging outdated and limited belief systems through learning and integrating First Nations approaches.

Maddie Rose

Project Support Officer

Maddie is a Gamilaroi woman from the community of Walgett in Western NSW but growing up in the strong Aboriginal community of Glebe on Gadigal Country in Sydney.

Maddie brings extensive lived and professional experience, particularly from the community sector working for well-known organisations such as Tranby and Kari prior to Impact Policy. Since joining the Impact Policy team, Maddie has been a core leader in communication and engagement, highlighting her work around storytelling and working with survivors of Stolen Generation Organisations, of which she is a descendant, as some of her biggest professional highlights.'

Gabe Waterstreet

Videographer & Digital Storyteller

Gabe Waterstreet is a passionate videographer and digital storyteller who brings Impact Policy’s projects to life through film, photography, and multimedia design. With a background in creative production and visual communication, Gabe works alongside the team to capture the stories, people, and places at the heart of our co-design and community engagement work.

At Impact Policy, Gabe leads visual storytelling across projects—developing documentary-style videos, digital campaigns, and creative content that honour the voices of Aboriginal communities and showcase the power of co-design in action. His approach is grounded in authenticity and empathy, ensuring that every story is told with integrity and respect.

Before joining Impact Policy, Gabe worked on a range of community-based creative projects, building experience across production, editing, and content strategy. He is passionate about using film as a tool for social change—amplifying lived experience, driving empathy, and helping organisations see the people behind the policy.

Bebeloa Brennan

Project & Video Assistant

Bebeloa Brennan is a proud Gomeroi woman who brings creativity, curiosity, and a strong sense of cultural identity to her role as Project and Video Assistant at Impact Policy. Working across both project delivery and creative storytelling, Bebeloa supports the team in co-design workshops, community engagement, and visual production — helping to capture the stories, insights, and voices that sit at the heart of Impact Policy’s work.

Bebeloa plays a key role in documenting and communicating the impact of projects through film, photography, and digital media. She brings an emerging creative lens shaped by her Gomeroi heritage and a commitment to amplifying Aboriginal perspectives in policy, design, and storytelling.

With a growing background in digital media and community engagement, Bebeloa is passionate about using visual storytelling to strengthen cultural connection and drive social change. Her work reflects the values that underpin Impact Policy and a belief that powerful stories can influence systems and inspire collective action.

Scott Hawkins

Associate Consultant

Scott is a proud Ngemba man who was born in Bourke in far north-west NSW and grew up in Dubbo in Central West NSW. Scott has over 35 years’ experience working in the criminal justice and legal representation systems, having started his professional career in the Aboriginal Community Controlled sector (with the Western Aboriginal Legal Service in Dubbo), the NSW State Government (NSW Departments of Fair Trading, Attorney General's, Justice and Legal Aid NSW, all in Sydney) and Non-government sector (with Just Reinvest NSW in Sydney).

Scott has an Arts/ Law Degree and a Graduate Diploma in Public Administration, all from the University of Sydney. Scott’s life work has been improving the operation of the criminal justice system and legal representation for Aboriginal people in NSW, with a particular focus on deep community engagement, research, policy, program and organisational development and a long passion for self-determination.

Nellie Pollard-Wharton

Associate Consultant

& Cultural Supervisor

Nellie Pollard-Wharton is a proud Kooma woman and Associate Consultant at Impact Policy. With a background in social work, public health, and research, Nellie brings deep expertise in trauma-informed practice, co-design, and cultural governance. She also lectures at UNSW’s School of Population Health, where her work focuses on community-led health and injury prevention.

At Impact Policy, Nellie provides cultural supervision and strategic guidance, ensuring that projects uphold Aboriginal self-determination, integrity, and care in every aspect of design and delivery.

Andrew Amanaki

Associate Producer

Andrew Amanaki is an Associate Producer at Impact Policy, where he plays a vital role in bringing project stories and visual communications to life. Working across media production, Andrew collaborates with the creative and project teams to plan, coordinate, and deliver video content that helps communicate the values, voices, and impact of our work.

With experience in multimedia production, Andrew supports all phases of video projects from concept development and logistics to editing and final delivery. He is committed to cultural sensitivity, ensuring that all visual content respects and uplifts the perspectives of Aboriginal communities.

Andrew brings a passion for storytelling through film and video, with a focus on authenticity, collaboration, and purpose. In his role, he helps turn complex policy work into engaging narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.