AIN is a committed team of socially conscious health and business professionals. We are a company limited by guarantee and a registered not for profit with the ACNC. We have DGR 1 status and fundraising authorisations in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and Tasmania. We are in the process of applying for fundraising authorisation in Western Australia, Victoria and Queensland..

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The AIN was founded by Trish Leonard in 2014 after experiencing the gaps in service first hand. In 2007 Trish gave up her career as a corporate lawyer to become a full-time carer and advocate for her mother Damiana who suffered a brain-stem stroke and was left completely paralysed. With the help of family and friends fundraising, Damiana was able to access daily exercise at home, which included a computerised exercise bike from overseas and standing table. The impact extended beyond Damiana's health and quality of life, her reliance on expensive medical consumables reduced and the daily carer burden on Trish and her father reduced. Since her parents' passing in 2013 Trish has dedicated herself building the right team and partnerships to begin to implement much needed strategic change and address the gaps in Australia's community-based neuro-rehabiliation services.

The Story Behind Our Logo



Maximus is the name we have affectionately given to the figure who is the centre of our logo. Maximus stands for maximising the human potential of indiviuals with brain and spinal cord damage. Maximus represents the person-focused approach we will strive for. The colour blue was chosen because it was Damiana's favourite colour and green was also chosen to symbolise recovering and new life after brain and spinal cord damage. Special thanks to Cosimina Nesci, Roger Martinet, Jackie and Eva Hammond, Dr Joanne Britto and Danica Brookes for bringing Maximus to life.

Meet Our Team:

Will Moncrieff – Chairman
Will is a lawyer practising in the areas of corporate, commercial and resources law, including mergers and acquisitions, capital raisings, corporate advisory, corporate governance and company restructures. Will was a partner of one of Australia’s major national law firms and is now a partner of Jackson McDonald, Western Australia’s largest independent law firm. Before joining Jackson McDonald, Will co-founded McKenzie Moncrieff. Will is recognised as a leading corporate and securities lawyer in WA and is regularly engaged by public companies, boards of directors and advisory firms to provide sound advice and judgement on matters requiring a professional approach within a commercial environment. Will has been recognised in 2014 Best Lawyers Australia survey for Corporate, Corporate/Governance Practice, Employee Benefits and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Will has successfully worked with many companies and advisers (local, national and international) on a number of significant M&A and capital raising transactions, including cross-border acquisitions, divestments and fundraisings. For several years Will worked as an executive officer at ASX. Will’s professional associations and memberships include the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Financial Services Institute of Australia.

Damian Cullura – Public Officer
Damian is a graduate of Edith Cowan University and has a Bachelor of Business with a double major in accounting and finance. He is a member of the Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants, a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is also a Registered Tax Agent. Damian has over 15 years of experience in the provision of accounting and taxation advice, as well as financial consultancy. He holds positions with both Cullura & Associates and Futuro Financial Services Pty Ltd.

Dr Stephen De Graaff
Dr. Stephen de Graaff is Director of Pain Services and Senior Rehabilitation Physician at Epworth Healthcare. He is a Fellow of the AFRM (RACP). His areas of research interest include Stroke Rehabilitation, Spasticity Management, Pain Management, Post-Polio Sequelae & Continuing Professional Development. He is the Immediate Past President of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (RACP). He previously served as Chair of the Education Committee and Policy and Advocacy Committee of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (RACP).

Rob McKenzie
Rob is currently a partner and Board Member at Jackson McDonald and prior to this Executive Director of McKenzie Moncrieff and for 22 years a partner in a top tier national law firm. He has acted on a number of Australia’s most significant listed company reconstructions and regularly acts in resolving complex corporate and commercial disputes. Rob is currently a director of Black Swan State Theatre Company and has in the past been national Chair of Law Council of Australia Insolvency and Reconstruction Committee and State Chairman of the Corporations Committee. He has also chaired the Law Society of WA Commercial Law Committee and the Hole in the Wall Theatre Company. He was a director of the West Coast Eagles. He is mentioned in Chambers and Who’s Who as a Leading Restructuring and Insolvency Lawyer in Australia.

Anne Siegers
Anne is a corporate risk management professional, having held executive positions equivalent to Chief Internal Auditor, Chief Risk Officer, and Head of Fraud and Compliance. She has over 20 years of extensive international experience across a number of different sectors ranging from banking to higher education, pharmaceutical, energy, logistics, transport and consulting. Anne holds an MBA from a French Grande Ecole, a baccalaureate in mathematics and physics, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

New Team Members
More information coming soon.

Meet our National Ambassador Emma Gee - Acclaimed International Speaker, Author and Young Stroke Survivor

The AIN is proud to announce Emma Gee has come on board as an ambassador to raise awareness about the value of supporting community neuro-rehabilitation programs for Australians living with physical disabilities from neurological conditions.

On 13th August 2016, Emma supported the AIN by participating in the inaugural Neuro-rehabilitation Awareness Day. She is looking forward to being part of this year’s Neuro-rehabilitation Awareness Day on 13th August.

Emma is one of Australia’s acclaimed international speakers and authors. She is the author of ‘Reinventing Emma’. Emma is herself a young stroke survivor, acquiring her condition at just 24 years of age. Prior to her stroke, Emma worked in the field of occupational therapy. Emma has uniquely experienced neuro-rehabilitation services from both the perspective of an allied health therapist as well as a patient. She is passionate about supporting AIN to raise awareness. “Funding neuro-rehabilitation services in the community to enable Australians to continue their neuro-recovery really is as important as funding research for a cure,” Emma said.

“It’s so important that AIN’s community neuro-rehabilitation projects and research receive the public’s support,” Emma added. “In becoming an AIN Ambassador I want to ensure that Australians know that rehabilitation is a recognised human right. As a country we should be realising the full recovery potential of every individual and this also makes good economic sense,” Emma stated.

AIN’s Director and Immediate Past President, Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine Dr Stephen de Graaff added “We are very excited to be working with Emma. Over 700,000 Australians live with the physical, emotional and financial impact of neurological conditions. Together with Emma we will work hard to raise awareness about the value of neuro-rehabilitation and bring technology-assisted exercise programs for neuro-recovery, to communities across Australia.”

Emma urged Australians, “Please make a donation to the AIN today”. Together we can unlock new possibilities for Australians living with disabilities from brain and spinal cord conditions.”