Skip to main content

Our Team

Staff

CEO

Collene Wright

Collene Wright brings over 20 years of leadership experience in the media industry, with a strong track record in driving commercial growth and founding two charitable organisations.

Collene Wright brings over 20 years of leadership experience in the media industry, with a strong track record in driving commercial growth and founding two charitable organisations. Her deep commitment to paediatric health advocacy—shaped by her lived experience as a parent—has led to significant contributions to rare disease research and treatment advancements.

Board of Directors

Omar-De-Silva
Chair

Omar De Silva

Omar is an entrepreneur, investor and advisor.

Omar is an entrepreneur, investor and advisor. Over the past decade, he has focused heavily on the education sector within Australia, launching the nation’s first bachelor degrees in Applied Entrepreneurship and Social Entrepreneurship, before then founding professional education provider The Plato Project.

In 2019, Omar launched ed-tech start-up FourthRev with close friend Jack Hylands. FourthRev is now active in the UK, US and Australia, supporting universities to deliver industry-relevant learning experiences.

Over his career, Omar has also worked extensively as a consultant and advisor, supporting organisations of varying sizes – from micro-businesses through to multi-national corporations – to develop and optimise strategy and leadership for the digital economy. Investments from his career are managed through start-up studio and strategy consultancy, Soar Studio.

In 2018, Omar established For Men Australia – a registered charity solely focussed on proactively developing the mental health and wellbeing of Australian men.

Deputy Chair & Director

Miriam Dexter

Miriam brings to Little Big Steps a decade of CEO experience with start-up not-for-profits.

Miriam brings to Little Big Steps more than a decade of CEO experience with not-for-profits. She currently serves as Co-CEO for Eat Up Australia and is passionate about not-for-profits running ‘good’ businesses which are sustainable for the future. Miriam also has 25 years working in FMCG for multinational companies. She has a strong skill set in strategy and business development, project management, marketing, fundraising, granting and governance.

Miriam is an Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) Member and serves on two not-for-profit boards. She was selected by Australian Scholarship Foundation to attend the AICD NFP Directors course as well as the McKinsey Executive Leadership Program.

Non-Executive Director and Treasurer

Okan Comelek

Okan is a global finance executive with a distinguished career spanning investment banking and the pharmaceutical sector. He is deeply motivated by the alignment of his professional objectives in pharma with his personal mission of improving lives.

Okan is a global finance executive with a distinguished career spanning investment banking and the pharmaceutical sector. He is deeply motivated by the alignment of his professional objectives in pharma with his personal mission of improving lives. With a proven track record of delivering outstanding results in regional leadership roles across Latin America and Asia Pacific, and extensive international board experience, Okan brings strategic financial expertise and unwavering integrity.

Okan is eager to contribute with his expertise and passion to LBS, making a tangible difference in the lives of children facing cancer.

Founders

Cindy-Bakos
Director & Founder

Cindy Bakos

“Sometimes real superheroes live in the hearts of children facing big battles”

With 15 years in the business events industry, Cindy has managed multi-million dollar budgets for conferences and exhibitions across a myriad of industries. She boasts organising the largest non-medical event ever to come to Melbourne, and has strong expertise in healthcare and technology sectors in particular.

She has had the honour of receiving the Event Manager of the Year award twice from Meetings & Events Australia – a testament to her passion in striving for excellence.

She has also been a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Using all her previous skills in both operations and business development, she is now thinking on a grand scale of how Little Big Steps can be the catalyst to improve the health and wellbeing of kids with chronic illnesses confined to hospital wards to find the fun in exercise medicine through the use of technology.

Cassandra-Howcroft
Director & Founder

Cassandra Howcroft

“If you have ever seen a child face cancer it will change your outlook forever”

Having spent most of her career in B2B sales and marketing both in Australia and the UK, Cass has developed an innate ability to be able to communicate effectively with people on all levels.

The simple gifting of a fitness watch combined with her passion for health and fitness and drawing on her own devastating experience with her son Lochlan’s cancer diagnosis, has been the inspiration and desire to help other children with chronic illnesses to improve their health and wellbeing.

Because of Cass’s single-minded determination to excel in all areas of her life, it is of little wonder that alongside Cindy she co-founded Little Big Steps, which is utilising technology to help these children to get active and moving again.

Volunteers

Marketing and Communications Manager

Karnika Budhiraja

Karnika (KB) is a seasoned marketing strategist with over a decade of experience delivering impactful campaigns across the events, charity, and lifestyle sectors.

Karnika (KB) is a seasoned marketing strategist with over a decade of experience delivering impactful campaigns across the events, charity, and lifestyle sectors. With a background in digital marketing, brand storytelling, and community engagement, KB leads the marketing and communications strategy at Little Big Steps with passion and purpose. As a mum herself, she brings heart to everything she does — helping amplify the voices of kids with cancer and those who support them.

Helping kids with cancer to get moving

Contact us

hello@littlebigsteps.org.au

Subscribe

* indicates required

Intuit Mailchimp

Donate now

©  2026 Little Big Steps. |  Privacy policy