Game Changers

Game Changers

By Dr Phil CumminsEducation
Download on the App Store

Game Changers episodes

  • Series 17 Episode 189 Benjamin Cooper (Part 2): Spice and Heat
    The Game Changers podcast celebrates those true pioneers in education who are building schools for tomorrow. In episode 189 (Part 2) of Game Changers, Phil Cummins joins in conversation with Benjamin Cooper, Executive Chef at Chin Chin.
    Hailing from the small town of Taree in New South Wales, Benjamin Cooper has been Executive Chef at beloved Southeast Asian restaurant Chin Chin for the past 13 years. He has worked with several of Australia's most celebrated chefs, flexing his skill and knowledge in kitchens across Melbourne and the UK.
    Originally aiming to pursue a career in economics, Benjamin ended up completing a culinary apprenticeship on a gap year — and never looked back. The early days of his career saw him head to the UK, where he worked with head chefs at renowned restaurants including Nobu London, Bluebird in Chelsea and Smiths of Smithfield.
    Cooper’s passion for authentic techniques and high-quality ingredients grew as he worked with Australia's best-known Thai cuisine chef, David Thompson, at Nahm within London’s The Halkin — the first Michelin-starred Thai restaurant in Europe.
    Returning to Melbourne, Benjamin worked as Head Chef at fine-diner Ezard and esteemed Thai restaurant Longrain, both stints cementing his love of fresh and fiery flavours.
    In 2011, Benjamin joined restaurateur Chris Lucas to launch Chin Chin, where his now trademark big, brash flavour combinations had diners lining up down the street from day one. An icon of Melbourne’s food scene, Chin Chin arguably kickstarted the city’s trend of dining with energy, colour and music from its location on Flinders Lane.
    Benjamin's passion, understanding of ingredients and knack for experimenting with flavours and texture combinations has redefined Southeast Asian cuisine in Australia. It’s helped drive Chin Chin’s incredible success within the country’s hospitality scene, not just with the restaurant’s original Melbourne location, but also its second outpost in Sydney’s Surry Hills (opened in 2017) and the addition of Club Chin Chin at GMHBA Stadium (2024).
    Aside from the fiery Asian food he brings to life at Chin Chin, Cooper is passionate about coffee and cheese, and shares his years of culinary experience with those keen to learn via Chin Chin’s own ‘Cooking with Cooper’ classes. Benjamin’s recipes and kitchen experience have also contributed to Chin Chin’s three cookbooks, ‘Chin Chin: The Book’, ‘Chin Chin: Feed Me’ and the just-released ‘Chin Chin: Still Hungry’.
    The Game Changers podcast is produced by Evan Phillips supported by a School for tomorrow (aschoolfortomorrow.com), and powered by CIRCLE. The podcast is hosted on SoundCloud and distributed through Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe and tell your friends you like what you are hearing. You can contact us at [email protected], on Twitter and Instagram via @GameChangersPC, and you can also connect with Phil and Adriano via LinkedIn and Twitter. Let’s go!
    33 min
  • Series 17 Episode 189 Benjamin Cooper (Part 1): Without Fear
    The Game Changers podcast celebrates those true pioneers in education who are building schools for tomorrow. In episode 189 (Part 1) of Game Changers, Phil Cummins joins in conversation with Benjamin Cooper, Executive Chef at Chin Chin.
    Hailing from the small town of Taree in New South Wales, Benjamin Cooper has been Executive Chef at beloved Southeast Asian restaurant Chin Chin for the past 13 years. He has worked with several of Australia's most celebrated chefs, flexing his skill and knowledge in kitchens across Melbourne and the UK.
    Originally aiming to pursue a career in economics, Benjamin ended up completing a culinary apprenticeship on a gap year — and never looked back. The early days of his career saw him head to the UK, where he worked with head chefs at renowned restaurants including Nobu London, Bluebird in Chelsea and Smiths of Smithfield.
    Cooper’s passion for authentic techniques and high-quality ingredients grew as he worked with Australia's best-known Thai cuisine chef, David Thompson, at Nahm within London’s The Halkin — the first Michelin-starred Thai restaurant in Europe.
    Returning to Melbourne, Benjamin worked as Head Chef at fine-diner Ezard and esteemed Thai restaurant Longrain, both stints cementing his love of fresh and fiery flavours.
    In 2011, Benjamin joined restaurateur Chris Lucas to launch Chin Chin, where his now trademark big, brash flavour combinations had diners lining up down the street from day one. An icon of Melbourne’s food scene, Chin Chin arguably kickstarted the city’s trend of dining with energy, colour and music from its location on Flinders Lane.
    Benjamin's passion, understanding of ingredients and knack for experimenting with flavours and texture combinations has redefined Southeast Asian cuisine in Australia. It’s helped drive Chin Chin’s incredible success within the country’s hospitality scene, not just with the restaurant’s original Melbourne location, but also its second outpost in Sydney’s Surry Hills (opened in 2017) and the addition of Club Chin Chin at GMHBA Stadium (2024).
    Aside from the fiery Asian food he brings to life at Chin Chin, Cooper is passionate about coffee and cheese, and shares his years of culinary experience with those keen to learn via Chin Chin’s own ‘Cooking with Cooper’ classes. Benjamin’s recipes and kitchen experience have also contributed to Chin Chin’s three cookbooks, ‘Chin Chin: The Book’, ‘Chin Chin: Feed Me’ and the just-released ‘Chin Chin: Still Hungry’.
    The Game Changers podcast is produced by Evan Phillips supported by a School for tomorrow (aschoolfortomorrow.com), and powered by CIRCLE. The podcast is hosted on SoundCloud and distributed through Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe and tell your friends you like what you are hearing. You can contact us at [email protected], on Twitter and Instagram via @GameChangersPC, and you can also connect with Phil and Adriano via LinkedIn and Twitter. Let’s go!
    32 min
  • Series Seventeen Teaser
    The Game Changers podcast celebrates those true pioneers in education who are building schools for tomorrow. In this teaser of the Seventeen series of the Game Changers podcast, your host, Associate Professor of Education and Enterprise Philip Cummins, gives a sneak peek at what’s coming up in the new season.
    The Game Changers podcast is produced by Evan Phillips supported by a School for tomorrow (aschoolfortomorrow.com), and powered by CIRCLE. The podcast is hosted on SoundCloud and distributed through Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe and tell your friends you like what you are hearing. You can contact us at [email protected], on Twitter and Instagram via @GameChangersPC, and you can also connect with Phil and Adriano via LinkedIn and Twitter. Let’s go!
    6 min
  • Series 16 Epilogue: Adieu to Adriano - Phil Cummins and Adriano Di Prato
    The Game Changers podcast celebrates those true pioneers in education who are building schools for tomorrow. In this final episode of the sixteen series of the Game Changers podcast, your hosts, Associate Professor of Education and Enterprise Philip Cummins and prominent educational Thought Leader Adriano Di Prato, explore the series theme 'Why Creativity Matters?' and wrap up the series that's been.
    The Game Changers podcast is produced by Evan Phillips supported by a School for tomorrow (aschoolfortomorrow.com), and powered by CIRCLE. The podcast is hosted on SoundCloud and distributed through Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe and tell your friends you like what you are hearing. You can contact us at [email protected], on Twitter and Instagram via @GameChangersPC, and you can also connect with Phil and Adriano via LinkedIn and Twitter. Let’s go!
    37 min
  • Michael Anderson In Conversation With Phil Cummins Part 3: The Will, The Energy, The Commitment
    The Game Changers podcast celebrates those true pioneers in education who are building schools for tomorrow. In this special series of Game Changers, Phil Cummins joins in conversation with Michael Anderson, Professor of Education, Founder 4C Transformative Learning, Co-Director of the CREATE Centre, The University of Sydney.
    Michael is an internationally recognised educational leader. He has taught, researched and published in education and transformation for over 20 years including 13 books and 55 book chapters and journal articles. His international research and practice focus on how the 4Cs can be integrated using coherent frameworks to make learning meet the needs of 21st Century learners.
    The Game Changers podcast is produced by Evan Phillips supported by a School for tomorrow (aschoolfortomorrow.com), and powered by CIRCLE. The podcast is hosted on SoundCloud and distributed through Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe and tell your friends you like what you are hearing. You can contact us at [email protected], on Twitter and Instagram via @GameChangersPC, and you can also connect with Phil and Adriano via LinkedIn and Twitter. Let’s go!
    30 min
  • Series 16 Episode 6: Mainstream the Edge - Russel Howcroft
    The Game Changers podcast celebrates those true pioneers in education who are building schools for tomorrow. In this sixth conversation of Series Sixteen, we talk with Russel Howcroft.
    Over a long career in media and marketing, Russel has been one of the most prominent voices on the cultural and economic importance of advertising, particularly through his role as a panellist on the ABC’s Gruen program and host of ABC documentary How Australia Got Its Mojo.
    Howcroft co-hosts 3AW Breakfast with Ross & Russel – the #1 breakfast radio show in Melbourne. He has also recently launched advertising podcast AdMission which he co-hosts with industry up-and-comer Freddie Young (co-founder, Good One), in partnership with 9Podcasts. AdMission delves into untold stories behind the world’s most talked-about brands, as well as exploring the latest in advertising news, creative ideas and business.
    Howcroft has held multiple senior roles across the industry having served as PwC’s first Chief Creative Officer, Executive General Manager at Network 10, and CEO of one of Australia’s leading agency groups, Y&R Brands – where he was also a member of the global management team.
    Russel has had board involvement at a number of prominent organisations and is currently serving as Chair of the Jim Stynes Foundation. Previous positions include the inaugural ThinkTV Chair, Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) Council Chair, AFI/AACTA board member, Screen Forever Advisory Board Member, Enero (ASX: EGG) board member and Advertising Federation of Australia Chair.
    Howcroft has written or co-written three best-selling books, with his most recent book Right Brain Workout II currently published throughout the world. He is a founding partner and Brand Design Advisor at Sayers Group. He continues to be actively involved in the advertising industry via investments including marketing software platform Mutinex, and in particular, the young creative agency Good One.
    In 2023, Russel was inducted to the Advertising Hall of Fame – recognising his long career and impactful role in shaping the industry.
    The Game Changers podcast is produced by Evan Phillips supported by a School for tomorrow (aschoolfortomorrow.com), and powered by CIRCLE. The podcast is hosted on SoundCloud and distributed through Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe and tell your friends you like what you are hearing. You can contact us at [email protected], on Twitter and Instagram via @GameChangersPC, and you can also connect with Phil and Adriano via LinkedIn and Twitter. Let’s go!
    49 min
  • Series 16 Episode 5: The Prototyping of Seasons - Susie Wise
    The Game Changers podcast celebrates those true pioneers in education who are building schools for tomorrow. In this fifth conversation of Series Sixteen, we talk with Susie Wise.
    Susie Wise is a designer and currently the Director of Strategy at the Alameda County Community Food Bank. She is the author of Design for Belonging: How to Build Inclusion and Collaboration in Your Communities (2022) and a co-creator of Liberatory Design. She founded and led the K12 Lab network at the d.school and has a PhD in Learning Sciences and Technology Design from Stanford University. She lives with her family in Oakland, California.
    The Game Changers podcast is produced by Evan Phillips supported by a School for tomorrow (aschoolfortomorrow.com), and powered by CIRCLE. The podcast is hosted on SoundCloud and distributed through Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe and tell your friends you like what you are hearing. You can contact us at [email protected], on Twitter and Instagram via @GameChangersPC, and you can also connect with Phil and Adriano via LinkedIn and Twitter. Let’s go!
    47 min
  • Michael Anderson In Conversation With Phil Cummins Part 2: A Deeper Sense Of The World
    The Game Changers podcast celebrates those true pioneers in education who are building schools for tomorrow. In this special series of Game Changers, Phil Cummins joins in conversation with Michael Anderson, Professor of Education, Founder 4C Transformative Learning, Co-Director of the CREATE Centre, The University of Sydney.
    Michael is an internationally recognised educational leader. He has taught, researched and published in education and transformation for over 20 years including 13 books and 55 book chapters and journal articles. His international research and practice focus on how the 4Cs can be integrated using coherent frameworks to make learning meet the needs of 21st Century learners.
    The Game Changers podcast is produced by Evan Phillips supported by a School for tomorrow (aschoolfortomorrow.com), and powered by CIRCLE. The podcast is hosted on SoundCloud and distributed through Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe and tell your friends you like what you are hearing. You can contact us at [email protected], on Twitter and Instagram via @GameChangersPC, and you can also connect with Phil and Adriano via LinkedIn and Twitter. Let’s go!
    28 min
  • Series 16 Episode 4: Lead Through Curiosity - Pip Cleaves
    The Game Changers podcast celebrates those true pioneers in education who are building schools for tomorrow. In this fourth conversation of Series Sixteen, we talk with Pip Cleaves.
    Pip currently works as Associate Principal, at Global Village Learning, a community that empowers young people to build communities that positively impact the world. She is passionate about learners driving their own education, and in order to do that at GVL, is currently unlearning the 'business of schooling'. She hopes to never lose her sense of curiosity. Some may call her creative, but she has yet to define what creativity means to her.
    The Game Changers podcast is produced by Evan Phillips supported by a School for tomorrow (aschoolfortomorrow.com), and powered by CIRCLE. The podcast is hosted on SoundCloud and distributed through Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe and tell your friends you like what you are hearing. You can contact us at [email protected], on Twitter and Instagram via @GameChangersPC, and you can also connect with Phil and Adriano via LinkedIn and Twitter. Let’s go!
    50 min
  • Series 16 Episode 3: Impose Joy - Mykel Dixon
    The Game Changers podcast celebrates those true pioneers in education who are building schools for tomorrow. In this third conversation of Series Sixteen, we talk with Mykel Dixon.
    Mykel Dixon is an award-winning speaker and author, master facilitator and recognised authority of Creativity, Culture and the Human Future of Work. He works globally with a stellar cast of fortune 500 and ASX 200 listed companies who want to liberate themselves from boring work, bland events and beige bosses.
    A jazz musician by trade, gypsy by nature, fierce non-conformist and prolific anti-perfectionist, Myke leads a new wave of conscious, creative business leaders who strive to make work feel more like play, teams feel more like family, and organisations feel more like festivals of possibility.
    In 2018, he was named Australia’s Breakthrough Speaker of The Year (by the Professional Speakers Association) and in 2021, his second book Everyday Creative was named the #1 Leadership book in Australia by the esteemed Australian Business Book Awards.
    Blending his unique career and life experience, an obsession for audience participation and a magnetic stage presence, Myke’s live learning experiences are unrivaled. Fusing live music, spoken-word poetry, visual storytelling and spontaneous audience interaction. Just like that time you were upgraded to first class, once you’ve experienced a Mykel Dixon anything, it’s hard to go back to coach.
    The Game Changers podcast is produced by Evan Phillips supported by a School for tomorrow (aschoolfortomorrow.com), and powered by CIRCLE. The podcast is hosted on SoundCloud and distributed through Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe and tell your friends you like what you are hearing. You can contact us at [email protected], on Twitter and Instagram via @GameChangersPC, and you can also connect with Phil and Adriano via LinkedIn and Twitter. Let’s go!
    53 min

About Game Changers

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to the Game Changers podcast. I'm your host, Professor Phil Cummins.