Venessa Paech (BFA, MA) is an internationally regarded online communities expert and educator. She has led community for Lonely Planet, REA Group, Envato and Australia Post. 

Through her private consultancy, Venessa helps organisations design, build and maintain thriving communities that meet strategic objectives, offering strategic development, coaching, training, and capacity building. Her clients have included: ABC, Teach for Australia, QUT, University of Sydney, Australian Conservation Foundation, SANE, Bunnings and Woolworths.

In 2009 Venessa founded the Australian Community Manager Roundtable which in 2011 became Swarm, Australia’s premiere conference for community practitioners. Venessa programmed and led Swarm for 11 years, gathering hundreds of community professionals across Australia and beyond.

In 2023 she founded and launched All Things in Moderation, the world’s first global conference for humans who moderate. ATIM returns for a third successful year in 2025.

Venessa is Co-Founder and Director of Australian Community Managers (ACM), the national centre of excellence for online community management training and resources. ACM hosts a 6000+ online community, produces research into community management, facilitates the national Code of Ethics for community professionals and offers certified training for anyone working with online groups or communities (professional or volunteer). 

Venessa works in several international community management leadership collectives, and liaises with industry, government and researchers to grow community management practice in APAC. She has served as an expert witness in Australia for legal matters surrounding the use of social media and online communities. 

Venessa developed and taught the first post-graduate online community management Unit for the University of Sydney, and also teaches online community management for post-graduates at the University of Melbourne. She teaches community as a leadership practice for C-suite executives at the University of Sydney Business School. 

Venessa is a published academic and a PhD Candidate (University of Sydney) specialising in the intersection of AI and online communities.

Before online community, Venessa trained in musical theatre at Tisch School of the Arts (NYU) and worked in New York and Australia as a performing artist.