ImpactMaker:ÌýPartnering for impact in Greater Western Sydney
ImpactMaker is part of 91É«ÇéƬ Business School’s flagship Growing Together: Western Sydney Connect ¾±²Ô¾±³Ù¾±²¹³Ù¾±±¹±ð.Ìý
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ImpactMaker is a 91É«ÇéƬ Business School initiative, in partnership with Western Sydney Community Forum, that connects councils, community organisations and business researchers to co-design research-informed solutions to real-world challenges across Greater Western Sydney.
We focus on place-based collaboration, bringing together local knowledge and academic expertise to deliver practical outcomes, build long-term partnerships and create meaningful societal impact.
Launched in 2025, ImpactMaker received strong community interest in its first year, with six community organisations submitting ten project proposals for seed funding, and these collaborations continue into 2026.
Why ImpactMaker
Communities across Western Sydney are responding to increasingly complex social, economic and environmental challenges—often without the time, resources or specialist expertise to undertake targeted research.
ImpactMaker exists to bridge this gap by supporting place-based partnerships that turn priority issues into focused, evidence-based projects that can inform planning, policy and service delivery.
Why ImpactMaker
Communities are navigating complex challenges that require new ideas, evidence and collaboration to inform policy, services and decision-making.
How we work
We bring councils and community organisations together with 91É«ÇéƬ Business School researchers to co-define problems, co-design projects and test solutions through seed-funded, collaborative research.
What partners gain
Access to research expertise, practical insights, and scalable ideas that support strategic planning, service innovation and lasting community impact.
Partner and researcher insights
Watch this video where our community partners and 91É«ÇéƬ Business School researchers share their experiences, lessons and approaches to collaboration.
Partner with us
ImpactMaker partners with councils and community organisations to explore priority challenges and co-design research-informed solutions that deliver real-world impact across Greater Western Sydney.
We work collaboratively from the outset — shaping problems together, testing ideas, and building foundations for long-term partnerships.
To see how this approach translates into practice, explore the 2025 - 2026 Projects featured at the bottom of this page.
What partners gain
Through ImpactMaker, partners can expect:
- Access academic expertise and funding support to help unpack complex challenges
- Seed fundingÌýto support early-stage, collaborative projects
- Practical outputsÌýsuch as insights, frameworks, tools or recommendations that can be applied in practice
- Stronger capabilityÌýin evaluation, planning and evidence-informed decision-making
- Connection to a networkÌýof councils, community organisations and researchers committed to shared learning and collaboration across Western Sydney
For researchers
- Apply expertise to problems that matter to communities
- Work with partners at the forefront of social, economic and environmental change
- Co-design projects with potential for real-world impact
- Develop pathways to future grants and sustained engagement
What partnerships lead to:
- Research-informed insights to support decision-making and service design
- Stronger connections between research, policy and practice
- Scalable ideas with potential for future funding and long-term collaboration
- Measurable outcomes that matter to communities
Get involved
If you are a community and council organisation interested in collaborating with 91É«ÇéƬ Business School through ImpactMaker, we invite you to submit an expression of interest or get in touch to discuss your priorities.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Associate Professor Carmen Leong, Lead, Greater Western Sydney, 91É«ÇéƬ Business School
Professor Karin Sanders, Senior Deputy Dean (Research & Enterprise), 91É«ÇéƬ Business School
Dr Joshua Bird, Director Policy & Programs, Western Sydney Community Forum
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Bring your challenge
Share a priority issue, emerging challenge or opportunity facing your community or organisation.
Co-design solutions
Develop practical, evidence-based insights through collaborative, place-based projects.
Collaborate with experts
Work with 91É«ÇéƬ Business School researchers whose expertise aligns with your needs and context.
Seed funding support
Eligible projects may receive up to $10,000Ìýin seed funding to support exploratory, early-stage projects.
The Process
How ImpactMaker Works
- Share your priority issue: Councils and community organisations submit priority challenges or future issues they would like to explore.
- Researcher matching: 91É«ÇéƬ Business School matches partners with researchers who have relevant expertise and interest.
- Co-design the project: Partners and researchers jointly develop a brief proposal that defines scope, activities and intended outcomes.
- Seed funding support: Selected projects may receive up to $10,000 in funding to kick-start agreed research activities.
- Pathways to scale:Ìý91É«ÇéƬ Business School continues to support projects beyond the initial seed funding by connecting partners and researchers to relevant networks, expertise and opportunities.Ìý
This ongoing engagement helps strengthen collaborations, scale promising ideas, and develop pathways to longer-term projects, partnerships and funding.
Projects are assessed on feasibility, clarity of the challenge, partner and researcher experience, practical outputs, and potential for future scaling and societal impact.
Potential Focus areas
ImpactMaker supports projects across a wide range of community and policy priorities, including but not limited to:
- Economic prosperity and local development
- Digital inclusion, connectivity and access to services
- Social cohesion, civic participation and community trust
- Sustainability, climate adaptation and resilience
- Innovation in service design and delivery
- Future of work, AI and data for advocacy and decision-making
- Transport access, cost of living and homelessness
- Sector capacity building and service innovation
What success looks like
ImpactMaker prioritises collaboration that leads to action. Success means:
- Research that informs policy, planning and service delivery
- Strong, trusted partnerships between communities and researchers
- Practical outcomes partners can apply in real settings
- Capacity-building within communities and organisations
- Ongoing collaboration that supports long-term impact in Greater Western Sydney
Join the ImpactMaker Roundtable
To support knowledge exchange and collaboration, ImpactMaker hosts a facilitatedÌýRoundtableÌýbringing together councils, community organisations who have sumbitted proposed projects andÌý 91É«ÇéƬ Business School researchers who would like to learn more about the community needs and requirments.
What to expect:
- Sharing local insights and lived experience
- Exploring shared challenges and opportunities
- Co-developing project ideas
- Building connections for future collaboration
The Roundtable is a key step in shaping projects and ensuring the right match between partners and researchers.
Resources
Access key materials that support your engagement with ImpactMaker. This section brings together practical information, guidance and insights to help you understand the program and prepare for collaboration.
ImpactMaker overview
Learn about the purpose, structure and opportunities of ImpactMaker, including how projects are selected and supported.
Funding guidelines
Review details on seed funding, eligible activities and expectations for supported projects.
Current Projects
2026 Projects
Borderline Personality Disorder – An investigation of how access to treatment inequalities across Sydney have differential consequences
Partner Organisation:ÌýBorderline Personality Disorder Foundation
Academic lead:ÌýProfessor Chris Jackson, School of Management and Governance
Practical outputs:ÌýSubject to data access, the project will deliver a geospatial report mapping general and BPD-relevantÌýmental health services across Sydney, including provider-to-population ratios, drive-time access, andÌýeast–west disparities.ÌýOutputs include a reproducible analytical framework, an interactiveÌýdashboard to visualise service gaps, and evidence-based recommendations to improve access,Ìýespecially in Greater Western Sydney.
Advancing Inclusive AI and Understanding Human–AI Interaction in Digital Literacy forÌýCALD AustraliansÌý
Partner Organisation:ÌýFair Foundations
Academic LeadÌý:ÌýDrÌýSongting Dong, School of Marketing
Practical outputs:ÌýThe project will deliver (1) a functional AI-enabled assistant to support CALD communities inÌýnavigating digital tasks, (2) empirically grounded insights into the diverse needs, and barriersÌýexperienced by CALD users, and (3) a practical implementation guide for deploying and adapting theÌýtool in community settings.
Co-designing business simulation experiences for Year 9 - 10 students in Greater Western Sydney: Strengthening the MECA Mentoring Model through experiential career and employability learning
Partner Organisation:ÌýSuccess Works (SW)
Academic lead:ÌýAssociate ProfessorÌýSuzanne Chan-Serafin and DrÌýJing Hu, School ofÌýManagement and Governance
Practical outputs:ÌýPractical outputs will include: 1) a diagnostic brief on program effectiveness based on archival data;Ìý2) a validated measurement framework with outcome and process indicators; and 3) targetedÌýrecommendations for improving employer engagement and stigma reduction strategies.Ìý
Building Bridges: Co-Designing Culturally Safe Engagement Between CALD and First Nations Communities
ÌýPartner Organisation:ÌýSydWest Multicultural Services
Academic LeadÌý:ÌýAssociate Professor Veronica Jiang, School of Marketing
Practical outputs:ÌýThis project will deliver a practical, evidence-based engagement strategy for SydWest, including aÌýsynthesis report, community-informed insights, and a co-designed strategic action plan with stagedÌýimplementation pathways and evaluation indicators. The project will strengthen relationshipsÌýbetween CALD and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, fostering mutual understanding,Ìýtrust, and social cohesion.
2025 Projects
Quantifying the value of community-based service providers in Western Sydney
Partner Organisation: Western Sydney Community Forum.
Academic lead: Dr Jack Noone, Centre for Social Impact
Practical outputs: A concise report tailored for government and community audiences, strengthening WSCF’s advocacy by evidencing the unique value of community services over centralised providers.
Western Sydney Health Dashboard and Biennial Health and Wellbeing Survey
Partner Organisation:ÌýWestern Sydney Health Alliance (WSHA)
Academic LeadÌý:ÌýAssociate Proffesor Kingsley Fong, School of Banking and Finance
Practical outputs:ÌýA co-designed, culturally inclusive wellbeing survey, pilot dataset and analysis, baseline regional report, and a prototype digital dashboard to visualise results by LGA and region.
Bridging AI Literacy Gap in Western Sydney
Partner Organisation:ÌýWestern Sydney Tech Innovators (WSTI)
Academic lead: Dr Maggie Wang, School of Information Systems and Technology Managment
Practical outputs:ÌýImproved digital inclusion, empowered communities, data-driven capacity building, stronger innovation ecosystems, policy support, and sustainable regional impact.
Digital Empowerment Initiative (DEI) Framework for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Communities
Partner Organisation: Fair Foundations
Academic LeadÌý:ÌýAssociate ProffesorÌýSandeep Mysore Seshadrinath, School of Information Systems & Technology Management
Practical outputs:ÌýReduced digital exclusion, vulnerability to cyber threats, improved participation from the residents in socio-economic activities, resulting in improved standards of living.
Grassroot Champions for More Connected Camden: Heterogeneous Digital Engagement Strategies to Enhance Social Cohesion
Partner Organisation:ÌýCamden Council
Academic lead: Dr Songting Dong,ÌýSchool of Marketing
Practical outputs:ÌýAn evaluation framework to measure causal uplift in cohesion for a faster, more authentic information flow, measurable progress on cohesion targets, stronger social ties, inclusive digital access, easier service access, and a scalable model for Greater Sydney and other LGAs.
Digitally Smart and Financially Strong — For Her
Partner Organisation:ÌýCamden Council
Academic LeadÌý: Dr Natalie Oh, School of Banking and Finance
Practical outputs:ÌýThe project will develop and deliver gender-targeted financial education to enhance women’s financial knowledge, practical skills, and confidence in Camden, where such resources are currently scarce.
Our team
ImpactMaker, in partnership with Western Sydney Community Forum, is a joint initiative of the 91É«ÇéƬ Business School EDI team, Business Insights Institute, and Impact & Partnerships, supporting stronger, more inclusive and more resilient communities in Greater Western Sydney.
Contact us
Address:
Lv6 Dean's Unit, 91É«ÇéƬ Business School (E12), Cnr Union Rd & College Rd, 91É«ÇéƬ, Kensington NSW 2033
Email:Ìýbusedi@unsw.edu.au