Real,heartfelt,and practical

Grounded in lived experience

Strengths-based by design

Built for complex environments

Speaking engagements that don't just leave you feeling inspired - they equip you with practical tools that serve as roadmaps for success, tried and tested by those navigating through the toughest adversities.

MEET SHAYNE…

Shayne is a for-purpose entrepreneur, speaker, and lived experience leader redefining how we approach youth justice and social work. He’s the Co-CEO of 16 Yards - a mentoring and training organisation led by young men with justice system experience - and Director of Wounds and Wisdom, which builds personal resilience and leading coaching practices in complex environments.

Shayne’s life story - shaped by family violence, addiction, and the realities of street life - sits at the heart of his work. It’s not shared for sympathy. It’s what grounds his practice, sharpens his thinking, and helps him connect with people doing it tough.

As a real-talk coach and seasoned consultant, he doesn’t speak in slogans or surface-level inspiration. Shayne weaves lived experience with systems insight to deliver sharp, human, and practical sessions that cut through. Audiences walk away with real tools—and a renewed sense of what’s possible, even under pressure.

Shayne Hood is a trusted speaker, consultant, and CEO with lived experience and a national footprint. He’s trained thousands of practitioners across Australia — from frontline youth workers to executive leaders — and brings real insight into the challenges facing justice, social work, education, and care systems. His talks are raw, practical, and built for people doing the work. Whether he’s in a courtroom, a boardroom, or a training room, Shayne speaks with clarity, presence, and credibility.

What they say….

  • Shayne was a natural at engaging and connecting with our young people. As a lived experience practitioner, he was able to take them on a journey by sharing his own stories openly and generously. His honesty and vulnerability allowed open conversations with everyone there, our team was as invested as our young people.

    Amy Battle
    (Event Manager - Asuria Australia)

  • Shayne supported messaging to our staff around resilience and professional wellbeing. He was so engaging and authentic and had everyone on the edge of their seats. Shayne speaks from the heart and is able connect staff to purpose through meaningful conversation around his life experiences. I look forward to working with Shayne on new opportunities to strengthen our toolkits. Thank you Shayne.

    Allison Wainwright
    (CEO - Family Life)

  • Shayne's work with my team really left them wanting to hear more. His ability to connect in a short time, spoke to his ability to engage people at where they are at with their work and understand the need of true engagement. It also wasn't just Shayne speaking to them, it was providing them with the tools to use in their practice that was reflected by theory and experience.

    Ely Lee
    (General Manager - DOJ Youth Justice)

  • Shayne is an excellent facilitator and is very knowledgeable in supporting teams to perform at their optimum in complex community environments. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Shayne

    Cleona Feuerring
    (Director - Westjustice)

  • Shayne has a unique and powerful way of engaging any audience. He speaks from the heart but brings together a broad range of professional experiences that assist the listener to "make sense" of complex and sometimes confronting issues.

    Heidi Tucker
    (CEO - Anchor)

  • Shayne has walked the walk, and can talk the talk. His communication style and language connects so well with the staff. While his content is steeped in proven frameworks, he has a way of making these easy to understand for people who don't have a psychology degree.

    Sarah Hughes
    (Program Manager - Vacro)

WHAT SHAYNE SPEAKS ABOUT