meet the
SPEAKERS
The FiSHEr Leadership Forum brings together a dynamic group of women who are not only accomplished anglers — they are mentors, educators, innovators, and trailblazers. From grassroots leadership to national impact, our speakers will challenge, uplift, and equip you with the tools to lead with purpose.
↓ click on each to learn more ↓
Jo Starling
Founder, Women’s Recreational Fishing League
Creative Strategist, Speaker, Branding Coach
“The most powerful story you’ll ever tell is the one you believe about yourself. Rewriting that starts with one cast.”
How identity and narrative shape leadership
Practical tools to overcome doubt and shift mindset
What it means to “catch yourself” becoming who you’re meant to be
Karen Van Bael
Vice President, WRFL (National)
President, WRFL NSW Chapter
“I never imagined I’d hold a fish… let alone hold space for other women to discover their power through fishing.”
How facing fear can unlock unexpected strength
Real-world mentoring and grassroots event leadership
Quiet confidence that leads to big change
Kendl Cramer
Secretary, WRFL (National)
2025-26 Coordinator, Project 5050
National Siren Ambassador
“Leadership isn’t a title. It’s a decision to help others rise.”
The teaching strategies that make great leaders
How Project 5050 builds real confidence
Tools to lead, organise, and uplift others — with or without a title
Emma Simpson
Senior Fisheries Manager
NSW Department of Primary Industries
“When women lead in fishing, NSW’s waters, industry and communities thrive together.”
Why inclusion and stewardship go hand in hand for long-term sustainability.
What NSW is doing to ensure all fishers — including women — feel welcome and respected.
How the public perception of fishing is changing, and why women’s visibility matters.
Cass Price
CEO, OzFish Unlimited
“Every cast we make has an impact. Let’s make it one that future generations can thank us for.”
How Aussie anglers are reviving fish habitat — one cast, one creek, one community at a time.
Why habitat restoration is the unsung hero of sustainable fishing.
How women in fishing are helping turn caring into action.
Emma Harvey
President, WRFL NT
Siren, Casuarina CrewPod
“We didn’t need permission. We just kept showing up — and eventually, the water welcomed us.”
What it feels like to no longer be “othered” on the water.
How the first women's fishing events in the NT quietly sparked a movement.
Why Territory women now fish without side-eye glances — and what the rest of the country can learn.
Laurie Anderson
Treasurer, WRFL (National)
2024-25 Coordinator, Project 5050
“ Like a fishing guide on a misty morning, a great leader creates space, holds the line, and quietly brings clarity when it matters most.”
What it takes to wrangle chaos with calm — and why invisible leadership is often the strongest kind.
The value of logistical grace in empowering big ideas to fly.
How clarity and care make room for confidence — in finances, in fishing, and in life.
Jo Starling
Founder, Women’s Recreational Fishing League
Creative Strategist, Speaker, and Branding Coach
Thirty years in marketing has taught Jo Starling one thing: it’s not tactics that change people — it’s perspective. A former advertising agency director turned recreational fishing change-maker, Jo is the driving force behind the Women’s Recreational Fishing League and a passionate advocate for self-efficacy, storytelling, and inclusive leadership.
Known for her ability to light the wick on insight, Jo blends vivid real-world stories with sharp mental reframes to challenge assumptions and unlock new ways of seeing. Her segment at the FiSHEr Leadership Forum is less about handing out advice and more about helping women discover their own power, vision, and voice — in life, in leadership, and on the water.
Whether it’s translating fear into fuel, or fishing line into lifeline, Jo shows us how to catch more than fish — she teaches us how to catch ourselves in the act of becoming.
Emma Harvey
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
President, WRFL NT Chapter
Not long ago, women casting a line in the Northern Territory were seen as curious exceptions — anomalies on the water. Sound familiar? Through passion and dedication just like ours, that narrative took just over a decade to change. What began as a handful of women quietly pushing boundaries has become something extraordinary: a cultural shift where women are no longer “pushing the river” in fishing — they genuinely belong.
Emma Harvey, President of the WRFL NT Chapter, has lived that transformation. From tentative beginnings to triumphant equality, she has witnessed first-hand what it takes to turn grassroots grit into mainstream change. In this powerful keynote, Emma shares stories of the Top End’s journey — from a time when women were treated like unicorns, to today, where in some places, they outnumber the men.
Expect laughter, goosebumps, and the kind of spirited storytelling that shines a light on the pioneers who made it happen. From the early days of the Reel Women’s comp to the quiet conversations and campfire compacts that grew into a movement, this is a tribute to courage, camaraderie, and the kind of transformation only made possible when community pulls together with purpose.
This keynote is not a blueprint — it’s a beacon. A living reminder that the future we dream of already casts a shadow on the water… and it’s closer than we think.
Kendl Cramer
Secretary, Women’s Recreational Fishing League (National)
Project Coordinator, WRFL’s Project 5050
A passionate fisho from Coffs Harbour, Kendl Cramer has dedicated her career to building leadership, confidence, and self-reliance among women in recreational fishing. Taught to fish by her dad and originally focused on deep sea fishing, Kendl has since broadened her skills across a wide range of species and techniques — empowering other women to do the same.
As National Secretary of the Women’s Recreational Fishing League and Coordinator of WRFL’s flagship “Project 5050,” Kendl leads mentoring and tournament-readiness programs that prepare women to step up as both competitors and organisers. From casting skills to risk assessments, compliance, sponsorship, and event logistics, she helps women take the lead in every facet of the game.
A trained teacher and former Secretary of the Coffs Coast Game and Sport Fishing Club, Kendl is known for her calm clarity and fierce belief in others. She has spoken at national industry events including the AFTA Tackle Show and Australian Recreational Fishing Forum, and continues to inspire confidence in women finding their voice through fishing.
Karen Van Bael
Vice President, Women’s Recreational Fishing League (National)
President, WRFL NSW Chapter
Six years ago, Karen Van Bael would never have imagined herself holding a fish — let alone serving as Vice President of the national Women’s Recreational Fishing League and President of its NSW Chapter. Although raised in a fishing family, she carried an intense fear of fish that kept her firmly on the shore. That all changed when she met her husband, whose quiet encouragement helped her face the water in a new way.
What started as company on the boat soon became a personal journey of courage and capability. Karen gradually learned to cast, to handle her catch, and — most importantly — to overcome her fear. In doing so, she uncovered a passion for fishing and a deep drive to help other women challenge their own limitations.
Today, Karen is a calm, capable mentor with a grassroots leadership style. As a national and NSW WRFL committee member, she brings deep empathy to her work building inclusive communities, coordinating empowering events, and mentoring others to take the lead. Her story is a powerful reminder that growth happens one cast at a time.
Emma Simpson
Senior Fisheries Manager
NSW DPIRD (Fisheries)
With over 15 years of experience at NSW DPI Fisheries, Emma Simpson has worked across resource assessment, threatened species protection, education, and policy development. Now serving as Senior Fisheries Manager, she leads initiatives that make recreational fishing more sustainable, inclusive, and accessible — particularly by supporting the growth of female participation.
From championing stewardship campaigns to fostering social licence and trust between fishers and the wider public, Emma brings a future-focused mindset to her work. She believes the key to long-term sustainability lies in empowering the fishing community — especially women — to become active caretakers of the resource they love.
Emma’s leadership is shaping not just healthy fish populations, but stronger communities and more equitable opportunities across NSW’s iconic waterways.
Laurie Anderson
Laurie Anderson is proof that leadership doesn’t always need the limelight. As the behind-the-scenes powerhouse of the FiSHEr Leadership Forum, Loz is the quiet force ensuring every piece fits into place — from timekeeping and session flow to the seamless orchestration of logistics, people, and purpose.
Professionally, Laurie is the founder of Omnis Strategic Finance, where she helps clients align their finances with the life they actually want to live — not someday, but now. Her ethos of strategic, intentional living shines through in her leadership style: calm, clear, quietly confident, and always anchored in values.
Within WRFL, she wears the dual hats of National Treasurer and Forum Wrangler, balancing big-picture governance with small-moment guidance. A true mentor in motion, she embodies the kind of leadership that happens just out of frame — steady, humble, and profoundly impactful.
Cass Price
CEO
OzFish Unlimited
Cassie Price has spent over 25 years helping communities restore the lifeblood of our fisheries — habitat. From inland rivers to coastal wetlands and shellfish reefs, Cass has led restoration efforts across Australia with a blend of scientific savvy and grassroots passion. As CEO of OzFish, she champions the idea that every angler can become a steward — and that real environmental change starts with a cast, a conversation, and a commitment to care.
Cass is a long-time habitat restoration expert, with deep experience in both project operations and community engagement through the not-for-profit sector. She’s a familiar face in national fishing leadership circles, including the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation, the Women’s Recreational Fishing League, and the Women in Fishing Coalition.
Whether it’s restoring seagrass beds, planting trees along riverbanks, or inspiring citizen science in action, Cass is passionate about empowering everyday fishers to lead the charge for sustainable, thriving waterways.
