As a communications strategist, speaker and trainer, Emma Gibbens has worked with over 30,000 people across Australia, guiding the conversations that are hardest to have.
Conversations about reconciliation, identity, inclusion, power, and how change really happens inside systems. She helps teams navigate the tension between what’s said and what’s felt, so that they can go forth to build a culture that’s strong enough to hold both.
From political campaigns to corporate boardrooms, Emma has spent over 15 years guiding people through high-stakes conversations, the kind that shape trust, unlock momentum, and shift culture for good. Her approach is both practical and powerful: grounded in strategy, fuelled by empathy, and always focused on creating change that sticks.
Her work is grounded in one core belief:
👉 Culture doesn’t live in your values — it lives in your conversations. Conversations are cultural infrastructure.
Emma partners with organisations to:
Build culture that’s practiced, not just a policy
Equip leaders to lead with curiosity, not control
Engage teams across generations, backgrounds, and perspectives
projects I’ve been involved with
2017:
Marriage Equality
The greatest honor of my campaigning career was leading the Marriage Equality campaign here in Western Australia. Small state, big hearts!
2018-2020:
TEDx Perth
After speaking at the TEDxPerth 2017 main event, I was invited to join the curation team. My role was to source great people to speak, and shape their TED talks.
2021:
Covid-19 Comms Team
For six months I joined the COVID-19 Communications team to help launch the COVID-19 Vaccination campaign, among other responsibilities. We had two lockdowns during this period, and assisted with emergency communications as required.
2019-2021:
Museum of Freedom and Tolerance
The Museum of Freedom and Tolerance is a virtual human rights museum focused on elevating diverse voices through the arts. In my role as General Manager, I worked alongside CEO Shaheen Hughes to bring the vision to life.
2016-2017:
WA LABOR
After Trinidad and Tobago, I was approached by WA Labor. After an incredible Skype call I was on my way to elect Mark McGowan.
2015: Presidential Election In Trinidad and Tobago
Working for Vestige Strategies alongside experts in mobilising Black voters, we helped the Peoples National Movement elect Keith Rowley as President.
2020 - 2024:
Acknowledge This!
Starting as a conversation between friends, Rhys Paddick and I created Acknowledge This!, a 2 hr training program that teaches people why Acknowledgement of Country is important, and how to give one that feels deeply authentic and meaningful.
2008:
ELECTING OBAMA
My first campaign was in my hometown working to elect Barack Obama as POTUS and comedian Al Franken to the Senate. I worked so hard that I fell asleep one night while phone-banking!
2010:
WISCONSIN
My next campaign was working to elect Mayor Tom Barrett as Governor of Wisconsin. We failed in that mission, but I worked with a brilliant team, many of whom are still in Wisconsin politics today.
2012:
Ami Bera
Moving to Sacramento, California for six months to flip the seat and elect Democrat Ami Bera set me on the path of campaigning as a career.
2010-2012:
COLLEGE DEMOCRATS
Highlights of my time as VP of College Democrats of Wisconsin include a cross-country road trip to the national convention, getting elected to the National College Democrats of America Board and, of course, holding the Capitol during the 2011 Collective Bargaining Protests.
2013-2015:
Women Get It Done
Scaling a group mentoring organisation for women from just the San Francisco chapter to 5,000 members and five chapters in other major cities was deeply purpose-driven work.
2013:
OrganiZer Inc
Moving to the Bay Area, all I wanted was to work in Silicon Valley. Luckily I got a chance to work at a startup - Organizer Inc - that perfectly intersected with my campaign experience.
2019-2020:
Town Team Movement
Town Team Movement enables local communities and governments to connect, organise and to create better places.
Working at TTM when COVID-19 hit in early 2020 was thrilling - we had space to innovate and try new things, including running a DigiConference.