About Kerry
Introduction
Kerry Grace works at the point where conversations turn into action.
Kerry has spent more than two decades working across regional Australia, with work in change and community spanning more than 30 years.
Her work spans economic development, social impact and community capability, with a strong grounding in how change happens in practice.
She works with organisations, communities and leaders where there is strong intent, but no clear path forward, helping to create alignment, build trust and support practical next steps.
Kerry’s work began in the 1990s, supporting independent artists to work and organise differently.
Since then, she has worked across government, community and organisational settings, often in environments where progress depends on relationships, judgement and the ability to move without perfect conditions.
Her approach has been shaped by working closely with people and communities, rather than applying theory from a distance.
What she has built
Kerry is the founder of Social Impact in the Regions, a national conference built in regional Australia for the people doing the work and those investing in it.
The event has contributed more than one million dollars into host communities through event tourism, with each event generating over $280K in local economic impact with a year-on-year growth.
She is also co-founder of Ready Communities, a place-based approach focused on strengthening the conditions that allow change to take hold and be sustained.
Kerry is the author of Spiralling Up: A Guide for Accidental Leaders, which introduces a simple, practical approach to navigating change.
Kerry's Story
Why action matters
Kerry’s early career was shaped across advertising, marketing and business services before moving into vocational education, where she spent more than a decade as a teacher and later in business development with TAFE NSW.
Alongside this work, she established Evolve Network in 2004, building a business that has worked with regional communities for more than 20 years. What began as a practical way to balance work and family in a regional town has grown into a long-standing commitment to social impact.
Her focus on action has not come from theory.
It has been shaped by lived experience, including periods of personal adversity where standing still was not an option. Over time, Kerry learned to keep moving, to make decisions without perfect conditions, and to find a way forward even when the path wasn’t clear.
She could have stepped back at many points. Instead, she chose to keep moving.
That experience continues to inform how she works.
Kerry grew up on the Mid North Coast of NSW and, like many regional young people, left home soon after completing her HSC. She returned in 2003 to raise her family and has remained closely connected to regional communities through both her life and work.
Her leadership has not followed a traditional path. Much of it has been taken up in response to what was needed at the time, stepping in, making decisions and continuing to move forward.
Kerry has spoken openly about overcoming the tall poppy thinking that shaped her early years. That experience, alongside her lived experience of navigating change, continues to inform how she works with others, particularly those who find themselves leading without seeking the role.
Today, Kerry supports leaders, communities and organisations through her speaking and writing, offering practical ways to navigate complexity and move from conversation into action.
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Would you like to work with Kerry?
If you would like to work with Kerry, require more information or simply wish to touch base and connect, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Kerry is always looking to broaden her network as well as answer questions that potential clients might have.