Eli Nossbaum is a Vice President in the Credit Suisse Private Banking Division in Melbourne where he works closely with high-net-worth individuals, families and not-for-profit organisations advising on investments across multiple asset classes both in Australia and globally. Prior to Credit Suisse, Eli spent 4 years as a Relationship Manager with Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management. Eli holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Applied Finance from Monash University where he was awarded the Top Student Award for Corporate Finance. Eli is a member of Philanthropy Australia’s New Generation of Giving and is also a member of the Investment Committee of Jewish Care Victoria which includes responsibility for managing the organisation’s endowment and residential bond portfolios.
Jeremy Dunkel is a Director of Taurus Capital, a family office consultancy specialising in philanthropy, and a Non-Executive Director of Pengana Capital Group, an ASX-listed funds management company. His accounting and finance experience includes working for Chemical Bank, Chase Manhattan, and Price Waterhouse.
He is a Director of Education Heritage Foundation and is a Member of the Steering Committee of Mosaic United. He also Chairs Y2i, an organisation that grants $5,000 vouchers to Year 10 students from NSW / ACT / QLD with at least one Jewish parent, to make participation in approved Israel-based educational programs affordable.
Peter commenced work as an accountant in 1977 and first became a principal in 1988. In 2006 he was one of the founding partners of Logicca. In addition to his business services clients he heads the audit, superannuation, estate planning and not-for-profit sections of the practice.
Peter is married to Leone; they have three children and 6 grandchildren.
He has had the honor of being the treasurer of the Zionist Federation of Australia and is currently the treasurer of Technion Australia a charity which supports the work of the Technion University in Israel, through financial donations and research collaborations.
As a Bondi boy all his life he is keen supporter of the Sydney Roosters football team and the Australian cricket team.
Belinda is Head of Philanthropy and Trustee at Victor Smorgon Charitable Fund (VSCF). The VCSF provides strategic investment to a range of, for purpose organizations, in the Australian Jewish Community, broader Australian society and Israel. Supporting a broad range of areas, including education, the arts, institutional development, and medical research.
She is Non-Executive Director at Victor Smorgon Group, a family office that has a strong focus on retail, property, agri-business, equities, and philanthropy. As a mentor in residence at Launchpad Retreats since 2015, Belinda has built deep and long-lasting relationships with committed Jewish communal leaders, change-makers, and activists. Launchpad, a platform for Jewish community Innovation in Australia unites incredible change-makers, giving them skills, networks, and opportunities to connect, think, create and lead together. It is there where the magic happens and 14 innovative programs stimulating Jewish life have been seeded.
Beyond this Belinda worked as a Fashion Retail Professional, at an iconic Australian brand, specializing in women’s fashion. Honing her business acumen, in business development, entrepreneurial vision, brand strategy, marketing and communication skills, the ability to recognize future trends, and the capacity to make decisions under pressure.
Brad is an experienced entrepreneur, strategist, portfolio manager, and innovator from Melbourne, Australia. He is passionate about supporting for-purpose organisations and social enterprises by building networks and applying corporate skills and knowledge. He holds degrees in Commerce and Law from the University of Melbourne and lives in Melbourne with his wife Rachel and three children, Oscar, Leo and Lily.

As Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of the Besen Family Foundation for 20 years before moving into her current role as Chair of the Besen Family Foundation, Debbie has developed an acute and insightful awareness of the issues and needs of local communities. Debbie’s philanthropic contribution has covered a broad spectrum of issues but her leadership has been particularly evident in the areas of intergenerational philanthropy and disability. A significant part of Debbie’s mentorship role in the Besen Family Foundation has been the sensitive task of guiding and nurturing the involvement of the third generation of the Besen family in philanthropy.
Debbie’s commitment and contribution to the community is evidenced through her involvement in many organisations. The Australian Jewish Funders (AJF) is an organisation specifically aimed at inspiring effective philanthropy and strengthening community. A Founding Member of the AJF, Debbie held the position of Chair for 10 years.
Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM) is a global movement of communities connecting makers, designers, developers and engineers with people with disabilities to develop technological solutions for everyday challenges. Debbie first witnessed TOM in action in Tel Aviv in 2015 and then brought TOM to Melbourne for the first time in 2016.
Lauren Placks is an experienced and passionately dedicated charity and not-for profit community leader. For more than a decade, she has held leadership roles and maintained active involvement in various charities such as the JCA, Australian Jewish Fertility Network (AJFN) and the UIA. I have also been a Board Member on the Moriah College Foundation for the past 5 years and recently joined the board for Australian Jewish Funders (AJF).
After completing a Bachelor of Senior Education (Physical and Health Education) with Honours and running a successful personal training business, Lauren began raising her young family. Her time is now largely spent on her various roles and responsibilities within each organisation, with a focus on events, strategic planning and engagement and helping to encourage her fellow cohort to begin their own philanthropic journey, for example through her role as the chair of ‘Jumpstart Juniors’ for JCAs young family program. Lauren and her husband have also been a part of a giving circle for the past 4 years and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience of this unique way of giving.
Nathan is a director of the Australian Jewish Funders. Nathan is the Victorian Chairperson of the ORAH Fund Allocation Committee. He has served on boards of community organisations and working groups, and together with his wife Camit, supports a wide range of charities and causes. He is a Tech Entrepreneur & Investor who has been a founder and director of a number of companies (listed and unlisted) in the areas of Technology, FinTech and Property. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has a number of prominent investments in Israel such as MONETA CAPITAL, OURCROWD & TIPRANKS.
Camilla joins AJF as a Board Observer for 2023, as part of the Observership Program. Camilla is a marketing and digital transformation specialist, with several years’ experience working as a digital management consultant at Deloitte, and now working in marketing at Willow, a top Australian tech startup.
Camilla is experienced in helping organisations clearly communicate their value proposition and offering, building brand awareness to amplify their impact, and using data to drive decision making. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Science (UNSW). Having a science background and career in technology, Camilla is passionate about supporting opportunities that encourage women to pursue STEM careers. Camilla enjoys playing guitar and piano, running and playing social sports.
David works in business transformation with skills in analytics, system and application development, HR and project management. David is passionate about change, looking at it through the lens of people, processes and technology.
He works in Local government and primarily with the Corporate directorate but also works with the Infrastructure and Sustainable Communities directorates on different projects. David holds a Bachelor in Commerce and a Masters in Project Management (IT and Finance). He loves sport, road trips and food.
CEO
Tracie Olcha is Chief Executive Officer at the Australian Jewish Funders (AJF), a membership organisation of Jewish social investors. Tracie works closely with the AJF network, philanthropic foundations and a multitude of organisations throughout Australia, the US, Israel and Asia to promote strategic, effective philanthropy and support their journey towards impactful giving across the generations.
She is all about empowering community members to create meaningful and relevant Jewish experiences for themselves and their peers and is the visionary behind LaunchPad – A Platform for Jewish Community Innovation. LaunchPad inspires grassroots community engagement and leadership, enabling change-makers to connect, think, create and lead.
Before joining the AJF in 2011, Tracie worked with a variety of Jewish organisations and was responsible for a myriad of projects including fundraising, marketing, major events and conferences. With a background in education, Tracie taught and held a number of leadership roles at Mount Scopus Memorial College and was education consultant for News Limited and the AFL.
Tracie sits on the International Council at Moishe House and is a Scholar with Our Common Destiny, a ground-breaking new initiative to strengthen global Jewry by linking Jewish communities all over the world to a shared set of ethics and values across religious and cultural identities. Tracie co-founded Mamilla, a six-month program that aims to unlock and activate the power of Jewish entrepreneurs and connects them with the start-up eco-system in Israel.
Director of Community and Innovation
Rebecca is supportive, enthusiastic and extremely community focused. She loves to have fun, explore new opportunities and is empowered to encourage those around her to take a leap of faith and step forth with courage, the motto from Bialik College, where she attended school from kindergarten through to year 12.
Rebecca first joined the Australian Jewish Funders team as the LaunchPad Retreat Coordinator. Through this role, her understanding of the Jewish community has broadened, as has her network of highly motivated and inspiring individuals.
Rebecca has also been involved in the disability sector for many years and brings a wealth of knowledge, understanding and a commitment for a more inclusive society to the LaunchPad network. In her spare time, Rebecca loves exploring new walks around Victoria, believing walking isn’t only a lockdown trend. She also loves a soy latte, experiencing new restaurants and is always on the hunt for the best dumplings in town.
Director of Philanthropy and Engagement
As a Sydney native with a passion for community organising, Lisa’s background is richly diverse in outreach and community engagement. Having experienced the familial effects of mental illness first-hand, Lisa was drawn to the field of psychology and education and went on to receive both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Sydney. Her early career included roles interning at a youth crisis centre in Israel, working with students across a range of disabilities at the William Rose School, and focused on extensive outreach to Jewish students in the greater Sydney and rural NSW areas.
In 2013, Lisa moved to New York City where she worked as a high school educator at the Abraham Joshua Heschel School. It was here that Lisa found a passion for inter-faith work and embedding social justice and action into educational curriculum. She is currently an MBA student specialising in Social Impact at the AGSM School of Business at the University of New South Wales. Filled with humility believing the best way to learn is through experience, Lisa has participated in the 2013 inaugural Observership Program, LaunchPad 2019 and was a 2020 Philanthropy Fellowship Fellow.
In her current position as the Director of Philanthropy & Engagement at the Australian Jewish Funders, Lisa works with individuals, for-purpose organisations, corporates and the educational sector to enhance meaningful and strategic giving experiences. She resides in Sydney with her spouse and their two vivacious daughters. She enjoys traveling, listening to podcasts, and dancing to great music.