Staff from across the Department of Trade, Business and Asian Relations have completed the Generator Program, delivered by Neu21. The program brought together diverse teams to tackle agency wide challenges and develop practical, innovative solutions.
Over two months, teams worked collaboratively on issues that matter most to the department, supported by sponsors who provided guidance, mentorship and strategic insight.
Each team investigated the root causes of their challenge, developed creative solutions and presented their final pitch to the Board of Management on Thursday 28 May 2026.
Tackling real challenges
Teams focused on key priority areas, including:
- Streamlining recruitment processes – led by Smasho Fun Fair (Hai Vu, Yoanna Pedretti, Aaron Tran, Louise Kaiser and Sarah Heffernan), supported by sponsor Jo Frankenfeld.
- Strengthening surge capacity – led by Yeah The Girls (Jenny Finn, Ravijani Gunathilaka, Erin Cassidy, Millicent Rushwaya), supported by sponsor Amanda Nobbs-Carcuro.
- Building a strong departmental narrative – led by The Six Shifty System Snipers (Kali Ioannou, Teresa Holdsworth, Maria Estrada, Zakwan Buang, Chati Jerry Tasantab), supported by sponsor Linda Hausler.
- Uplifting artificial intelligence capability – led by The Pathfinders (Jeremy Baxter, Jane Wang, Annu Sharma Ghimire, Zoe Malone, Geoffrey Totham, supported by sponsor Mez Korbetis.
- Unlocking opportunities in the Beetaloo – led by The Keynote Speakers (Jonathan Jones, Melia Barrie, Hongmei Hei, Ronald Lim, Adam Robson, Christa Avery, supported by sponsors Joseph Kuhn and Paul McDougall.
The Board of Management heard from all teams and expressed strong encouragement, recognising both the quality of the work and the potential for further development and implementation.
Beyond the project outcomes, the program strengthened relationships across the department and created opportunities for culture‑building, networking, knowledge sharing and professional development. It fostered resilience, teamwork and a shared commitment to innovation.
What’s next?
Several projects will now move into the next stage of development, with teams refining their proposals, undertaking further scoping and analysis, and exploring implementation pathways.
A number of proposals will return to the Board of Management for further consideration in the coming months, while others have received financial support to commence detailed planning and development. The enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated throughout the program has created strong momentum for continued innovation across the department.
At the pitch day, the Board of Management also committed to running another generator program for the department later in the year. If you’d like to participate, register your interest by emailing innovation.dtbar@nt.gov.au.