About Us
Dedicated to South Australia…
Uniting extraordinary talents to shape a thriving future in a place we love.
We bring our combined expertise, dedication and hearts to help our State flourish - no matter what lies ahead.
G’day!
Allow us to introduce ourselves
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Allow us to introduce ourselves 〰️
Professor Ariella Helfgott
Foresight Director
Dr Ariella Helfgott is Foresight Director of SA Futures Agency. She is also global Director of Foresight and Strategic Learning for the World Energy Council, a Professor at the University of Adelaide and Program Director of Foresight and Decision-making for the One Basin CRC, a member of the Futures Council of the ANU National Security College and Director of Collaborative Futures.
Ariella has more than 20 years experience enabling future-focused dialogues, decision-making, collaboration and systemic change. She has worked across 26 countries in 8 global regions guiding governments, industries and communities using foresight to create resilient, healthy and prosperous futures.
Previously, Ariella served as Director of Strategic Foresight in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet for the Government of South Australia, Director of Scenarios for the World Energy Council, a member of the Shell Scenario Team and lead academic research programs for many years at the Universities of Oxford, Utrecht, Wageningen and Adelaide.
Ariella's foresight work is deeply rooted in her belief that the future belongs to everyone.
Stavroula Adameitis
Artistic Director
Stavroula Adameitis is an artist and designer working under the alias FRIDA LAS VEGAS and Artistic Director of SA Futures Agency.
Stavroula’s cross-disciplinary visual practice celebrates icons of memory and place, centring around graphic art, textiles, design, illustration and installation.
She uses a toolbox gleaned from her 15 year experience working across the Australian visual art, fashion and film industries to deliver all sorts of creative projects, remixing aesthetics from the past with ideas formed in the present to inspire optimism for the future.
From designing textiles for Katy Perry and pyjamas for Peter Alexander, to facilitating workshops at the Sydney Opera House, illustrating Instagram emojis for the Australian Federal Election, dressing Kate Miller Heidke at Eurovision and even spicing up the Westpac banking app with her signature nostalgia-infused style.
Stavroula’s goal is to help people regain a sense of agency when thinking about the future with a hefty dose of humour and joy.
Kate Simpson
Collaboration and Learning Lead
For over 25 years, Kate Simpson has worked with a wide range of leaders as a facilitator, grant maker, partner, ally, catalyst, coach, advocate and champion. As the Collaboration and Systemic Change Lead at SA Futures Agency and a fully trained foresight practitioner, Kate is dedicated to fostering resilient communities and enabling impactful change.
Her career is marked by diversity, including global campaigning on trade issues, alliance-building with UN agencies, donor governments, and international NGOs.
Kate has served on South Australia's Community Engagement Board advising the Premier and was an Expert Group Member for the Victorian Commissioner on Gender and Sexuality where she contributed to groundbreaking initiatives for the trans and gender-diverse community.
Kate is passionate about redistributing power and resources to address the complex issues people care deeply about.
Paul Hermans
Horizon Scanning Lead
With two decades of experience in complex, multi-actor environments, Paul Hermans brings a global perspective and deep foresight expertise to his role at SA Futures Agency as a fully trained foresight facilitator and Horizon Scanning Lead.
Known for his strategic foresight and sharp analytical skills, Paul continuously tracks emerging signals and trends, reading news and articles in four languages to capture insights from diverse sources. His background spans military, ICT, construction and community engagement, equipping him with a unique foundation to help South Australia anticipate and adapt to future challenges.
Guided by a quiet determination to build better futures, Paul's work is rooted in a commitment to resilience, helping South Australia prepare for a rapidly changing world.
Dr Aaron Davis
Design Futures Lead
Dr Aaron Davis is curious and creative. He leads Design Futures at the SA Futures Agency and is passionate about helping people work together effectively on big societal challenges. Aaron has a reputation as someone that gets things done. He is a safe, yet innovative pair of hands for leading the facilitation of complex multidisciplinary projects. Aaron’s academic and professional background allows him to question the status quo, and to integrate perspectives from a wide range of areas to design processes that can help complex networks of stakeholders work together effectively.
Aaron is a fellow of the Salzburg Global Seminar and has worked globally with a wide range of academic and industry partners, winning national and international awards for his work. Recent collaborations include the World Health Organisation, World Dental Federation, European Commission, the Australian Academy of Sciences, CSIRO, Woolworths Group and the Australian Medical Association.
Aaron uses design and creative practices to unpack complexity in partnership with communities, but is also completely at home in highly scientific spaces.
Serafina Maiorano
Inclusive Futures Lead
With over 25 years of global leadership experience across non-profit, business and social impact sectors, Serafina Maiorano blends governance, strategy, foresight and operational rigor to drive transformational change.
A fully trained foresight facilitator, Serafina specialises in intercultural facilitation and overcoming cultural bias, empowering diverse teams and communities to collaborate effectively. Her passion lies in advancing equality, sustainability and inclusivity by fostering partnerships and translating vision into impactful action.
As the Founder of Our Global Table, Serafina partners with institutions, businesses, startups and governments to create environments where trust is foundational, innovation thrives and cultural diversity enhances inclusivity.
Serafina has led and advised teams across the US, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Australia, providing her with a deep understanding of multiple cultures, sectors and geographies.
Dino Vrynios
Design X Lead
Dino Vrynios is a visionary architect and the Managing Director of Das Studio, with over 16 years of experience leading impactful projects across Australia. At SA Futures Agency, Dino plays a pivotal role in shaping South Australia's future, leveraging his skills as an event leader, facilitator and connector.
As the host of the Future Forum - a thought leadership platform he has spearheaded for over a decade - Dino brings together diverse voices to explore and co-create future pathways, fostering collaboration and community engagement.
Dino excels in weaving connections, problem-solving and integrating design practice with strategic foresight to inspire action and enable better futures. His commitment to innovation is matched by his passion for creating projects with purpose - evident in his work conceiving and delivering social infrastructure projects around Australia in cities, regions and remote Communities.
Dino's leadership is grounded in a belief that meaningful change happens when ideas are shared and developed collectively.
Brooke Ferguson
Futures Thinking Facilitator
Brooke Ferguson is a strategic foresight facilitator and community engager, dedicated to fostering meaningful conversations about our futures.
As a key connector between academia, cultural institutions and the broader community, she curates immersive experiences and thought provoking conversations. Brooke has experience with speculative and experiential futures, alongside event coordination, as tools for bringing people together through conversations.
With a background in creative facilitation and visual art, Brooke designs experiences and texts that bridge disciplines, encourage speculative thinking and cultivating imaginative solutions. She is passionate about engaging diverse audiences and supporting the South Australian Foresight Community.
Brooke thrives in facilitating thought-provoking discussions and events that make futures thinking more accessible, dynamic and participatory.
Dr Matthew Berryman
Software and Data Wizard
With over 30 years of software engineering, data analytics and general IT experience, Dr Matthew Berryman also brings knowledge and experience in the complex systems space in areas as diverse as biology, defence and infrastructure.
As the software and data wizard at SA Futures Agency, Matthew works closely with the team to bring his computer modelling and visualisation skills to future scenario exploration.
His background spans academia and industry, including roles at the University of South Australia’s Defence and Systems Institute, and the University of Wollongong’s SMART Infrastructure Facility, Centre for Bioinformatics and Biometrics, and Graduate School of Medicine.
More recently, Matthew has been involved with a La Trobe University project on mild aphasia in stroke survivors. In the commercial space, he has worked on projects ranging from Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary’s Ocean Archive to his own augmentative and alternative communication app, Talk For Me.
Driven by a passion for meaningful innovation, Matthew leverages technology to create impact.
We regularly work with a wide range of thinkers, do-ers, creatives and changemakers across industries to get the job done.