Meet the Team
Steph Brake
Founder & DirectorI am a strategic adviser based in Lutruwita/Tasmania working at the intersection of regional planning, public policy, health/social reform and community-led systems change. My work focuses on helping organisations navigate complexity with clarity, aligning governance, infrastructure, workforce, community expectations and political realities into practical pathways forward.
With more than a decade in senior roles within Tasmania’s public health system, I have led policy development, performance management frameworks, program design and cross-agency reform initiatives. That foundation now informs my consulting work through Gather & Ground, where I partner with state and local government agencies, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, regional alliances and community sector organisations operating in highly complex and sensitive environments.
I am regularly engaged to coordinate and lead multi-stakeholder reform processes that require strong governance, political awareness and careful facilitation. My work has included coordinating the development of regional land use strategy across multiple councils and State agencies; supporting strategic reform and co-designed initiatives within Community Controlled settings; leading health and youth justice service design and implementation projects; delivering large-scale needs assessments and research; and supporting governance reform within community organisations and boards.
A core strength of my practice is synthesising system-level insight with lived experience and workforce perspectives. I specialise in structured engagement processes that create psychologically safe environments for difficult conversations, enabling competing interests to be surfaced and aligned. My approach combines systems thinking with financial and governance rigour, ensuring strategy is technically informed, politically aware and implementable in real-world settings.
My professional foundation is in business and governance. I hold a Bachelor of Business majoring in Accounting and Corporate Governance, with post-graduate qualifications, and bring strong financial literacy, risk oversight and board-level advisory capability to complex reform environments. I have undertaken extensive leadership and facilitation training, with particular expertise in structured engagement design and cross-sector collaboration.
My work is deeply place-based and relational. I prioritise cultural respect and inclusivity in every process, ensuring Aboriginal leadership, community voice and frontline perspectives are meaningfully embedded. I am known for creating calm, well-held environments where complexity can be unpacked and translated into aligned action.
Beyond consulting, I serve on the Board of Playgroup Tasmania, contribute to governance and finance oversight, and volunteer as an operational firefighter and officer with the Tasmanian Fire Service. I am also an avid hiker and have led expeditions across Tasmania to raise funds for men’s health as one of Movember's community ambassadors. These commitments reflect my belief that credible leadership is grounded in service, resilience and connection to place.
Through Gather & Ground, I work with leaders and organisations who want courageous, place-based and carefully structured reform that can withstand scrutiny and deliver practical impact.
Martina Wyss
Associate DirectorI am a senior health leader and service design specialist with extensive experience across Tasmania’s health system. My career spans clinical practice, executive leadership and system-level reform, enabling me to bridge frontline service delivery with governance, quality and policy development.
My work spans population health planning, chronic condition management, mental health, primary care enhancement and integrated service models. I specialise in developing models that are not only clinically sound, but operationally feasible, culturally appropriate and financially sustainable. I bring deep experience in quality and safety frameworks, accreditation standards, governance systems and workforce model design. I led the development of Tasmania’s first Primary Health Network Safety and Quality Framework, establishing structured governance mechanisms to support regulatory compliance and continuous improvement. I have also led strategic planning and major reform initiatives aligned with State and Commonwealth health priorities, including initiatives embedding person-centred care, lived experience engagement and health literacy into organisational culture. My work often involves testing service models against regulatory requirements, funding structures, workforce capacity and risk settings to ensure reform is both ambitious and deliverable.
At the core of my work is a commitment to improving equitable access to high-quality, sustainable health services that genuinely respond to community need. I care deeply about driving meaningful reform across the health system, improving health outcomes, making care more person-centred, strengthening the workforce, and advancing equity. Over the years, I have led large-scale reform efforts and supported grassroots initiatives, always working to bring people together to create lasting change. I am guided by data and evidence but I also know that data does not tell the whole story. Real change happens when we listen deeply, work alongside communities, and design with people, not for them. I value curiosity, rigour and respect in everything I do, and I am always keen to connect with others who are passionate about creating healthier, fairer systems.
Like Steph, outside of consulting, I am actively involved in my own community and maintain a strong connection to nature. I lead kayaking expeditions through Tasmania’s wilderness and am an avid world traveller. I feel most grounded and energised when I am immersed in nature. Whether trail running, cycling through open landscapes, kayaking on quiet rivers, or working in the garden, being connected to the land and water restores my clarity and perspective. These moments outdoors are where I recalibrate, they build resilience, sharpen my thinking, and remind me of the broader systems we are part of.