About Us

Vision Statement

Catalyzing Community Health Transformation: Our vision is to empower transformation one community at a time, harnessing the power of lifestyle medicine for sustainable health. We commit to facilitating mentorship programs and establishing health clubs that nurture both mental and physical well-being.

In 2016, SEEDS Newcastle began with a goal: promote health by empowering community health ambassadors to become part of the prevention and management of heart diseases and mental illnesses that are leading cause of death in Australia. Our mission is to champion sustainable health transformation through the principles of Lifestyle Medicine, creatively blending evidence-based approaches with innovative community engagement. We are dedicated to empowering individuals and corporations by offering educational programs, hands-on workshops, and supportive health clubs. Central to our approach is mentorship and community-based initiatives that inspire and facilitate sustainable lifestyle changes. Our strategy focuses on making impactful changes at the local level, with each community’s success contributing to our global vision of a healthier, more resilient world. Our motto, ‘Act local, impact global’, encapsulates this commitment to turning local actions into global health revolutions

We are based in Cardiff, NSW, and we are currently entirely supported by volunteers, donations and sponsorships.

Team

Camila Ito Skaf

President

I have studied and been trained in multiple disciplines, but my biggest passion is to empower people to live their best life. I am adventurous and challenge-driven. After achieving corporate success in the financial markets for over ten years, in São Paulo and New York City, and traveling around the world, ending up in Australia doing a Masters Lifestyle Medicine, I decided to pursue a dream: a sustainable not-for-profit business which would empower people to take control of their health and transform communities. From this desire, SEEDS was born. I am married to my best friend, Joseph. We have two precious children, and together we enjoy people, nature, music, arts, cycling, traveling, and great food.

Dr. Emma Campbell

Program Facilitator & Advisor

Emma Campbell is a Newcastle trained General Practitioner with special interests in women’s health and lifestyle medicine. Knowing that at least 70% of our health problems are related to lifestyle choices and an environment that promotes obesity, she is passionate about empowering people to make better choices, and live longer, healthier, and happier lives.

Emma Cooper

Program and Communications Assistant

Emma has been living a plant-based lifestyle for over 10 years and is raising two healthy plant-based children. She is passionate about lifestyle medicine and is dedicated to spreading the message that many chronic illnesses are preventable and treatable through healthy, sustainable habits.

Michelle Barnes

Nutritionist & Health Coach

Michelle is a qualified clinical nutritionist and wellness coach. Michelle’s passion is to support and empower clients on their wellness journey to make mindful diet & lifestyle changes.

With a special interest in paediatric nutrition Michelle became aware of the lack of wholesome and nutritionally sustainable information available to new parents when she became a mum herself. Experiencing firsthand the challenges of fussy eating and knowing what foods are essential for kids growth and development, she knows the importance of nurturing children’s taste buds at an early age to enjoy nourishing and nutritious foods which will ultimately establish long term positive eating habits.

David Lister

Board Member/ Treasurer

David is a Chartered Accountant and completed Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Law degrees. David started his career at PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) where he was promoted to a Senior Manager position assisting some of the world’s leading multinational organisations in managing the international tax implications of their global employee mobility. David worked in the Melbourne, Sydney and London offices and specialised in helping expatriate executives and their employers manage the tax, social security and compliance complexities of dealing with multiple tax jurisdictions during international assignments whilst optimising tax outcomes. After 10 years with PwC, David and his family made a lifestyle decision to move to Port Stephens where he joined Cutcher & Neale. David specialised in assisting high net worth individuals, businesses and Medico clients optimise their accounting, financial, tax and strategic planning structures and outcomes. While working at Cutcher & Neale David completed a Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning and became a licensed financial planner enabling him to advise on the full breadth of a client’s tax planning and wealth creation goals. David was instrumental in conducting international staff training, implementing cloud accounting systems across the client base and achieving significant efficiency gains for clients and the practice. David now runs his own accounting, business strategy and tax consulting practice.

David has undertaken the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) facilitator training and has assisted Dr Peter Romero in running CHIP and lifestyle programs in the Port Stephens area for the last 7 years. David has been excited by some of the life changing health improvements that participants have experienced and is excited by the potential that the innovative SEEDS Newcastle format has for positively impacting community health. David enjoy’s sailing, playing chess and spending time with his young family.

Erika Suyama

Board Member/Secretary

Erika holds a Bachelor in Property Economics (second-class honours) and works full time in the Property sector and outside of work, she has always been passionate to volunteer her time to help others.
Dating back to her school days, Erika served as a representative of the group, Students Take Action. Erika volunteered time to take part in the Red Shield Appeal, local council environmental programs, and in organising charity fundraisers.
One of her fondest volunteer memories has been a mission trip to Cambodia to help build a playground and shelter, and to teach the local community about healthy habits. There she had the privilege to run a yoga class for the community.
Erika is accredited in First Aid and Mental Health First Aid. Through her work, Erika has been involved with Property Industry Foundation and Two Good Foundation, which focus on providing ongoing assistance to vulnerable people and homeless youth.
In her spare time Erika loves being in the outdoors, especially camping or bush walking, with her husband and girls.

Glenn Currington

Board Member/ Volunteer Facilitator

After facing health challenges, Glenn completed our CHIP Program and turned his health around. Since then, he has generously volunteered his time to support workshops, Cooking Club, and CHIP, and now leads our volunteer program.

Joseph Skaf

Board Member/ Councillor

Joseph is a community leader based in Newcastle, where he helps people connect more deeply with purpose, family, and each other. He leads Family Connection, a local initiative focused on meaningful relationships and personal growth, and also hosts a national morning radio show on Faith FM. With a background in media, mentoring, and education, Joseph is passionate about creating spaces where everyone feels welcome and supported, regardless of their background or beliefs.
Outside of his work, Joseph enjoys birdwatching, skiing, and spending quality time with his wife and kids.

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