Time Out Sydney's Future Shapers 2024

Lottie Dalziel started a little sustainability business called Banish in 2018 – a platform that educates people on reducing waste, sells products that help people live more sustainably and was the starting point for her now-popular BRAD recycling program. Cut to 2023 and Lottie was named NSW Young Australian of the Year, made the Forbes 30Under30 list, and established a Banish sustainability hub at Central Station, where Sydneysiders can stop by to learn about reducing waste and take their soft plastics and other tricky-to-recycle rubbish. “At Banish, our mission is to create a sustainable future for Sydney. We’re all about providing the education and tools Sydneysiders need to make living sustainably easy,” she says. “We believe in the power of knowledge and providing tangible actionable steps that people can take, be it composting tips, sustainable living ideas or providing them with the ability to recycle their hard-to-recycle items like blister packs, beauty products and more with BRAD.” 

Follow Lottie here: @lottiedl & @banish.au

Alongside his career as a boundary-pushing musician, Nooky is also a a leader in the movement amplifying the voices of First Nations peoples in Sydney and beyond. Back in 2021, he began hosting BlakOut, a Triple J radio show showcasing music from Indigenous creators. That's the same year he founded We Are Warriors, a social enterprise that Nooky himself describes as “creating pathways to greatness for First Nations youth”. 

As well as creating and platforming important First Nations content, We Are Warriors is responsible for some exceptional events, including the remarkable Blak Powerhouse and the Sydney New Years’ Eve 9pm Calling Country Fireworks. “Everything we do is about highlighting Blak resilience, power and joy. We elevate stories of Blak excellence, inspiring future generations so they can see it to be it and imagine and achieve all their potential.”

Follow Nooky here: @nookymusic & @wearewarriors_au

Shaun Christie-David is the definition of a 'future shaper'. As the founder and CEO of Plate It Forward – a Sydney-based hospitality group with a mission to provide food relief, training and employment opportunities to marginalised communities, including refugees – Shaun has played a pivotal role in transforming the lives of hundreds of people in need. To date, Plate it Forward has provided employment to 200 individuals, with 68 per cent coming from linguistically diverse backgrounds, resulting in the distribution of $3 million in annual wages.

So when you visit one of Plate It Forward’s venues, such as Sri Lankan diner Colombo Social, Afghan restaurant Kabul Social, or Ukrainian eatery Kyiv Social, you're not only going to experience soul-warming, delicious plates of food, but also contribute to changing lives for the better. “I feel Sydney could become one of the world’s most innovative culinary cities by fully embracing our cultural diversity and the people in underserved communities. Our 97 per cent retention rate reassures us that our goal to reinvent the dining scene is on the right track.”

Follow Shaun here: @shaunchristiedavid & @plateitforward_

Kaylene Langford is an entrepreneur on a mission, and that mission isn’t about furthering her own empire, but helping other people to build theirs. Since launching her first business at age 24, Kaylene has gone on to provide business coaching to an unquantifiable number of people in Sydney and beyond. She shares her message through a popular podcast called StartUp Creative, a web platform by the same name, and a book titled How to Start a Side Hustle. As a First Nations person, Kaylene is dedicated to helping Sydney become “a safe, accessible and thriving place that empowers and embraces a diverse community”.

“When people feel free to express themselves wholly as they are and are safe to do so, we reap the rewards of the many creative minds who contribute to our culture, expand our thinking and innovate our spaces," she says. "I hope that through StartUp Creative I can educate and inspire people to dream big and have access to the knowledge and resources needed to bring those dreams to life and, ultimately, enrich the lives of the entire community through their art, businesses and creativity.”

Follow Kaylene here: @kaylene.langford & @startupcreative

After bringing Time Out to Australia and being a successful advocate against Sydney's lockout laws, Mike Rodrigues was appointed NSW’s first 24-Hour Commissioner (more affectionately known as our Night Mayor). In his role, he works to shape a more thriving, diverse and accessible nightlife for NSW. He's already made fantastic progress, including implementing these six practical reforms that are already starting to make a difference to our city. “I’ve lived in Sydney my whole life and it's my greatest joy to find new parts of the city, new neighbourhoods that reflect our multicultural make-up. It’s the perfect climate, the incredible landscape of beaches through to mountains combined with people from all over the planet that excites me. But if there is one thing we could do better, it’s elevating the stories that have been told here for the longest time. Those of Eora."

“Of course I want around-the-clock options when it comes to fun and entertainment, eating and drinking, and for those who work 5pm to 9am to have the same amenities as the nine-to-fivers. But the bit that will set us apart – the bit that will inspire the residents who live here, and those who visit, is the way we bring it altogether. And, in particular, how 60,000 years of continuous storytelling is genuinely felt, understood and reflected – day in, night out. That’s my vision: a city where all people are able to contribute to, and see themselves reflected back, in the stories we tell each other – the stories we tell the world.”

To put it simply, the theatre industry is better for having Dino Dimitriadis in it. An award-winning director, creative producer and curator, Dino (they/them) has been leading the charge for a new era of storytelling for Sydney since their first mainstage directing gig in 2010 – pushing the form into new places, and fostering authentic representation for marginalised groups. This recently culminated in the direction and set design for the critically acclaimed Australian debut of Overflow, a show set in a public bathroom that explores safe spaces and the trans experience. Premiering at Eternity Playhouse with Darlinghurst Theatre, the show also toured nationally. Having steered the Old Fitz Theatre (where Sydney’s riskiest shows find their home) for the better part of a decade, before recently becoming a free agent, Dino also directed the Australian premiere of Choir Boy and the highly-anticipated sophomore runway show for Nicol & Ford at Australian Fashion Week in 2023, elevating the celestial-inspired presentation from the gender-defying Newtown-based duo into one of the most thrilling showings ever seen from a Sydney fashion brand.

"The future of performance in Sydney is radically more inclusive, specific in intention, centres community and reimagines audiences as individuals rather than some homogenous group,” says Dino. “It isn’t only about what we’re doing, but how we’re doing it: it’s a future that demands fearless leadership, unapologetic structural change, and a fight to reclaim the power of the 'live' in a world that will be increasingly challenged by political turbulence and new technologies."

Follow Dino here: @dino__dimitriadis

‘It’s Vine Time!’ became a catch-cry during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, when Matildas forward Cortnee Vine scored the penalty goal that put Australia in the semi-finals. Overnight she became a celeb, recognised by dads in the street asking her for autographs for their daughters. But, despite her new star status, Vine didn’t pack up and head over to Europe or the US to play in one of the bigger-buck, bigger-status football leagues. Instead, she re-signed with her local Sydney Football Club – a move that helped lift interest in Australia’s domestic Liberty A-League comp (especially interest from the little girls who look up to Vine as their hero). Of the decision to stay in Australia, she told Time Out, “I think it's so important to be a part of the domestic league and show girls that this is the [pathway],” she says.

“[When I was younger], I didn't know there was a league. I was playing in the boys’ for so long, I guess I thought I was going to be an elite men's player [laughs], I don't know. There was no visibility of elite women.” At the end of 2023, Vine’s club Sydney FC not only set a new total membership record – they surpassed 10,000 women’s league memberships for kids. A whole generation of kids who will continue to be inspired by Vine to live an active life and work hard to kick their goals. 

Follow Cortnee here: @cortneevine

James Thorpe doesn’t take no for an answer. As CEO and Director of Odd Culture Group – which has Sydney favourites The Old Fitz, Odd Culture Newtown, The Duke of Enmore, and the newly opened Pleasure Club under its belt – it’s fair to say there’s been a fair bit of red tape he’s had to cut through over the years in order to help reinvigorate Sydney’s nightlife in a post-lockdown and post-Covid world. James and the team at Odd Culture Group are incredibly invested in creating diverse, pokies-free and live-music venues in Sydney, and the proof is in the pudding: you can catch a free gig at The Duke most nights of the week, and Pleasure Club, which stays open until 4am, has wild and wacky entertainment every night. Yeehaw!

“Ever since the advent of the lockout laws, Sydney's restrictive licensing and planning laws have heavily informed the type of venue openings we see across the city. If we want a truly diverse and interesting hospitality economy, it has to work the other way around, or else you end up with an array of greyness and homogeneity. The most interesting venue concepts always result in an incredulous stare from government bureaucrats. "What do you mean you want to have a wine bar inside a retail bottle shop?"; "what do you mean you want to have 4am trading in a residential area". "The system simply isn't set up that way". We say instead: come up with the venue concept of your wildest dreams; make it commercially viable – and then ram it through the liquor and council system. You'll get the incredulous stare, but the tide is changing – and these days the answer is usually "yes".

Follow Pleasure Club here: @alwaysapleasure.club

Meet the dynamic Sydney duo who are on a mission to empower everyone with the information, confidence and tools to unlock a lifetime of fulfilling sex: statistics nerd and business gun Lucy Wark, and certified sex coach Georgia Grace. They’re the co-founders of Normal, a next-gen sex toy brand where all product sales help fund the creation of free, expert-led digital education on sexual health, consent, pleasure and more. (Fun fact: their video courses are used in more than 40 countries, and their bite-sized educational videos have clocked more than 30 million views on socials.) In 2023, Normal caused quite a stir when they teamed up with Abbie Chatfield to tackle one of the most long-lasting sexual taboos out there – anal pleasure – with the launch of a world-first modular butt plug kit. No ifs, ands, or butts: this brand is about so much more than surface level vibes. Not only is Normal filling the gaps of our school systems’ severely lacking sex-ed with a considered and inclusive approach, but their toys and accessories are actually beautiful, modern and functional.

Normal is Sydney born and bred, however Lucy explains that as they contemplate launching the brand’s first flagship retail store and workshop space (think Aesop for sex toys!) they're butting heads with severe restrictions. “If you've ever wondered why you have to walk upstairs through a dingy-looking ground-floor door to reach a sex shop in Sydney, that's why!” says Lucy. “It actually makes cities like Melbourne a more attractive and welcoming place to create shame-free, sex-positive spaces. So I'm hoping to shape the city of Sydney by pushing for the normalisation of this space in our laws, and on our streets.”

Follow Normal on Instagram here: @normalco

You don’t expect to see a politician on stage at the TikTok Awards, but Rose isn’t your average politician. The NSW Housing Minister (who’s also Minister for Homelessness, Water, Youth, Mental Health and the North Coast – plus a mum of two!) puts a lot of time into creating content on TikTok and Instagram. Why? Because she says: one, young people are at front and centre of the work she’s doing in the housing space, and two: she believes it’s important to engage politically with young people by communicating on the channels that they spend time on. “Young people can feel very disconnected from political decision-making processes,” she acknowledges. “That's partly because they look at the consequences of the decisions – they look at the housing market, for instance, they look at their rent going up; how hard it is to become a homeowner. They see all these things and they think, ‘the system doesn't care about me, the system doesn't work for me’, and so they become disengaged. I've always argued that I don't believe young people don't care. They care deeply. I just think that they feel very disillusioned with government decision-making, and rightly so. So what I try and do through my content is make sure that they know their voice is powerful and valued. I actually think citizens and communities have a lot more power than they recognise." 

When asked about housing accessibility in NSW, she says, “Government housing policy, for a long time in Sydney, has not planned well for the future – it's delivered for established homeowners, but the planning system hasn’t worked for people who are hoping to enter that market. We're working to change that, to deliver more affordable housing in well-located areas where they can access public transport and services."

Follow Rose on Instagram here: @rosebjackson
And on TikTok here: @rosejacksonmp

Before she launched WOOM (a company dedicated to reducing period shame in the workplace by providing accessible period care for all) Erin Moy was already making waves in the world as a young powerhouse. At 25, she co-founded Entropico – a production company that now has offices in Sydney and Los Angeles, producing work for some of the biggest brands in the world (the likes of Apple, Virgin and Netflix, to name a few). In early 2023, Erin turned her attention to female empowerment in the workplace; launching WOOM alongside her day job, with the mission of “making period shame a thing of the past and working towards a more inclusive future”.

“I want to be able to go into any bathroom in Sydney and find accessible period care,” says Erin. And while she cites the Inner West Council’s vending machines offering free period care as evidence that the city is making progress, she says we still have a long way to go. Erin says, “If there’s toilet paper, there should be period care." And thanks to WOOM, free period care products are now stocked in some bars, restaurants and businesses across Sydney.

Follow WOOM here: @woom.care

From the outside, One Playground may seem like just another gym company (and Sydney has a lot of gyms). But everything One Playground does is about inspiring change – for members, fitness staff, and the industry as a whole. Co-founder Justin Ashley believes gyms and personal trainers should be at the forefront of preventative healthcare, helping people live healthily to reduce rates of disease. So instead of offering soul-less rooms full of equipment, they build beautiful gyms with accessible membership pricing and a diverse range of experiences and highly trained PTs, so people actually use their memberships and get results. “I love designing beautiful spaces with a whole menu of things to try. If we create environments that excite and inspire people, there’s a higher chance they will discover or reignite their love for the gym, and health and wellness will become part of their lifestyle.”

Justin says the beautiful look and feel of their gyms make people want to come in the first place, but that’s not what makes people stay. “What makes people keep coming back is the quality of the great humans who lead our classes, and coach our members to achieve their goals. As well as the engaging events and community they become part of.” One Playground focuses on quality, not quanity, when it comes to expansion – they have clubs in Newtown, Marrickville and two in Surry Hills, with more to come in other parts of Sydney.

Follow Justin here: @justinashley.one & @oneplayground

If the name Anton Forte doesn’t ring a bell, we’d bet all our hot chips that you’ve wined and dined in his venues. But first, let’s rewind. In 2008, Anton was working as a bartender; he, along with waiter Jason Scott, had a shared passion for nightlife in Sydney – and a vision for how it could be better. So, with half an idea and all the gusto, together they opened a bar of their own. That bar was Shady Pines Saloon, which remains one of Sydney’s finest boozers. Anton and his crew (which later became hospitality group Swillhouse) went on to open whiskey den The Baxter Inn, basement haunt Frankie’s Pizza (RIP), Parisian bistro Restaurant Hubert, good-times-only Alberto’s Lounge, Le Foote in The Rocks, and lava-hot The Caterpillar Club, venues that have all helped shape Sydney’s ever-improving drinking and dining culture.

A purveyor of good booze, great food and exceptional times, with unmatched taste and foresight, Anton is a trailblazer that Sydney is damn lucky to have. “We knew that good bars existed and were operated by regular people like us,” says Forte. “Our goal was to open a bar that we could both work in for the rest of our lives. The last thing we imagined was owning restaurants, bars, live music venues and having a team of 200 staff.”

Follow Anton here: @grooverstick & @swillhouse.hospitality

Julia Gutman is one to watch. A multidisciplinary artist living and working on Gadigal Land, the UNSW alumna is pushing the needle on our expectations of sustainability and the rules of form with her artistic practice. Julia creates large-scale textile ‘patchworks’ from rescued and ‘gifted’ materials that draw on the history and iconography of Western oil paintings to explore themes of community, femininity, intimacy and memory. In 2023, she caught the nation’s attention when, at 29 years old, she became the second-youngest artist ever to win the The Archibald Prize. The winning portrait of singer-songwriter Montaigne, titled ‘Head in the sky, feet on the ground’, also made her only the 11th woman to win the coveted prize since it began in 1921.

Before the Archie win, Julia was also one of six artists who exhibited in the 2022 edition of Primavera. This annual exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art showcases the next generation of Australian artists, and it’s a highly sought-after opportunity. When asked about her vision for Sydney's future, she said, “I don’t think about the future very much because it makes me anxious, but right now I’m happy to be a part of what feels more like a community than a scene. I went to see Amrita Hepi perform recently, and the performance was beautiful, biting and funny. Nadia Hernandez was sitting in the audience beside me and remarked on how inspiring it is to be surrounded by friends making challenging, honest and distinctive work.”

Julia is amongst the first cohort of artists in residence at the recently relaunched Artspace in Woolloomooloo. With an instantly recognisable aesthetic, Julia’s work merges the old with the new; her labour-intensive pieces have a subtly punk, crafty edge to them that protests existing conventions of fine art and beauty – it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s part of what’s exciting about it. Keep your eyes peeled, Julia’s work is going to light up the sails of the Sydney Opera House for Vivid 2024. 

Follow Julia Gutman here: @julia__gutman