Dr. Matt Agnew is a passionate scientist, author, and an engaging Edutainer. His passion for all things science has seen him work as an astrophysicist, an engineer, a data scientist and of course as a scientific communicator across invited science talks, radio and TV. Matt's credentials span the STEM portfolio: a PhD in Astrophysics, a Masters in Artificial Intelligence, a Bachelor of Engineering and a Bachelor of Science majoring in Applied Mathematics.
With a background in medical science and a passion for disability advocacy, Jocelyn Neumueller’s journey to becoming a lawyer has been uniquely challenging and deeply inspiring. Her path has been shaped by resilience, adaptability, and a commitment to breaking down barriers, both in her personal life and professional pursuits. Diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease in childhood, Jocelyn embraced para sports as part of her recovery, excelling in sailing and wheelchair basketball. In 2015, she was talent-identified in Paracanoe, where she quickly rose to the international stage, representing Australia at the Rio 2016 Paralympics and finishing fifth. She went on to claim her first World Championship title in 2017 in the VL1 200m. A serious training injury in 2018 led Jocelyn to transition from Paracanoe to table tennis and swimming before discovering para surfing in 2020. Since then, she has become a five-time world champion in para surfing, representing Australia as co-captain of Team Irukandjis and making a profound impact on the sport. Jocelyn actively facilitates opportunities for others to experience the freedom and joy of adaptive surfing, running weekly sessions designed to break down barriers and grow the para surfing community. This turning point in her life also inspired Jocelyn to explore new professional pathways. Moving from medical science into disability and human rights law, she found her passion in driving meaningful change. A placement with Sierra Legal introduced her to the transformative potential of digital automation in legal practice, sparking a new interest in commercial law and innovation. Now a lawyer at Sierra Legal, Jocelyn combines her love for digital innovation with her dedication to solving challenges and delivering client-focused solutions. Her advocacy extends far beyond her legal practice—Jocelyn serves on numerous boards and advisory committees, mentors others, facilitates peer support networks, and contributes to national initiatives that promote inclusion and equality for people with disability. In addition to her professional commitments, Jocelyn manages her own team of support workers to live an independent and fulfilling life. Outside of work, she thrives on adventure and pushing her limits, enjoying activities like surfing, sit skiing, bungee jumping, skydiving, and e-foiling. She is passionate about sharing her experiences, breaking new ground in adaptive sports, and inspiring others to pursue their passions—regardless of the challenges they face. Driven by resilience, creativity, and a strong desire to empower others, Jocelyn Neumueller embodies the belief that opportunities should be accessible to everyone, whether in sport, work, or life.
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Naomi is a deeply spiritual Traditional Owner with ancestral ties spanning South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and New South Wales, as well as bloodlines connected to 8 global communities. She speaks and sings from the heart, delivering profound personal and universal messages inspired by her Ancestors and departed family members. In her commitment to honouring the land and its people, Naomi has crafted a unique Universal Welcome to Country ceremony to acknowledge and celebrate all who live and gather on Traditional Land.
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Phil is a Partner at Main Sequence a venture capital firm founded by Australia's national science agency - CSIRO. There he invests in deep tech founders who are building unimaginable new companies with a strong connection to research. There he has invested in Cauldron, Eden Brew, Samsara Eco, Uluu, v2food, Nourish Ingredients, Every Company, Coviu and Q-CTRL. Before this he was the founder of Australia’s first incubator and venture studio, Pollenizer, where Phil played an instrumental role in developing the startup ecosystem across Asia Pacific and advised some of the world’s biggest organisations on practical ways to deliver new growth and the cultural change that is required to get there.
Paloma Newton is the Co-Founder and CEO of Elita Genetics, Australia’s first stem cell bank for pets. Elita Genetics helps pets live longer, healthier lives by providing owners and vets access to the future of stem cell treatments through its first-to-market banking service. Paloma’s experience spans startups, marketing, and operations. She’s worked with global brands like BMW and Nestlé, built the marketing team at Sydney startup Baraja, and refined her understanding of early-stage companies while honing storytelling at Blackbird VC. Now, she’s focused on reshaping pet healthcare in Australia with Elita Genetics.
George is co-founder and CEO of Vow. Working to create the world’s most tantalising and unique culinary experiences, by culturing real meat from the cells of animals, to make entirely new types of foods. Vow has raised move than $10m and is backed by Square Peg, Blackbird and Grok Ventures. George began his career as a chef whilst studying biochemistry at the University of Sydney. George is a serial entrepreneur and inventor, with over 30 patents granted.
"Rowan Simpson has been at the heart of New Zealand’s most successful technology companies. As a founding team member at Trade Me and Xero, and later as an investor and advisor to such companies as Vend and Timely, he has witnessed firsthand how great companies are built and helped shape a generation of high-growth businesses. Simpson challenges conventional thinking about startups and startup ecosystems, drawing on two decades of experience. His first book, How To Be Wrong, will be published in February 2025, and delivers a masterclass in embracing uncertainty, recognising patterns and transforming mistakes into fuel for success."
Olympia, the founder and CEO of Goterra. With a relentless commitment to innovation and sustainability. Olympia designed and commercialised the world's first decentralised, autonomous, insect farms. This technology is now deployed across Australia processing resources onsite, where waste is created. She designed the Australian Federal Governments Insect Protein regulatory framework and was a pivotal member of the working group that approved insect protein for livestock feed in Australia. Olympia’s technology is reshaping not just the agricultural landscape but also how we imagine the future of food waste management. Her work has been recognised globally in Agricultural and insect protein industries and the CSIRO has identified a recently discovered species of Soldier Fly in her name.
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Dom’s been involved in numerous start-ups and large scale technology projects since the 1990's, in Australia and overseas. Currently investing in startups through Euphemia (Dom’s family office) and Triple Bubble (one of Australia's first dedicated Fintech funds). Dom sits on the board of directors at Fintech Australia, and co-founded Up (Australia’s most successful digital bank, highest rated banking app, and most trusted bank). Up’s built to help over 1 million #Upsiders spend wisely and save effortlessly. Dom also co-founded Ferocia (a leading Australian software company, acquired by Bendigo Bank in 2021), and Pin Payments (Australia’s first all-in-one online payments platform, acquired by Checkout in 2020) and Clear Interactive (acquired by NZX in 2009).
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Deputy CFO Emma Seymour took part in leading the company to become Australia’s first unicorn in two years and can speak to Deputy’s growth plans, what it means to be part of a senior leadership team of 80% women, and the guiding principles shaping her decision-making. Emma joined Deputy in late 2021 as CFO. Previously, she spent 12 years in public practice, specialising in the business services and advisory sector where she advised a portfolio of business clients and high-net wealth families and supported them with an outsourced CFO service. She then served as CFO of JobAdder where she helped grow the business from 50-60 people to more than 200 globally. Emma has also volunteered her time to numerous charities and not-for-profit roles, as the Chair of the Finance Risk and Governance Committee for Women in Banking and Finance.
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"Gemma is the co-founder of two businesses; Stella Startups, a marketing service purpose-built to help startups develop their marketing foundations and build strong, sustainable brands from day one, and Overnight Success a media platform centered around a weekly newsletter with over 4,500 readers that wraps up the most important news, insights and opportunities from across the Australian startup and VC ecosystem. Prior to starting her own business, she worked across marketing research, advertising agencies and startup settings over almost a decade in Australia and Asia. Her experience ranges almost every type of business setting, from some of Australia’s biggest corporates, including QBE Insurance, AustralianSuper and Coles Supermarkets, not-for-profits like Australian Red Cross and TEDxMelbourne, government agencies and as the first marketer at VC-backed ClimateTech startup, Trace. Now well and truly embedded in the Australian innovation ecosystem, Gemma works with startups and their founders everyday to help them share their stories and reach their ambitious goals."
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Antonia Ruffell is CEO of StartGiving, a not-for-profit inspiring a culture of giving in the tech innovation sector. With over two decades of experience, she is one of Australia’s leading voices on philanthropy and social impact. As the CEO of StartGiving, Antonia helps successful tech founders and execs to start and scale their giving. Antonia was formerly CEO of Australian Philanthropic Services and has held leadership roles across the not-for-profit and corporate sectors. She is a director of UNICEF Australia and several charitable foundations.
Cal is on a mission with the Cake team to unlock the power of employee ownership and startup equity. He believes in the power of innovation and startups as a force for good in the world. As the leader of Cake’s Partnerships and Community Engagement, he works with global VCs, accelerators, lawyers and startup communities to empower founders and simplify startup equity. Cal has a deep understanding of investing, markets and financial services. His background includes leading investor relations for multinational banks and diverse leadership & CEO roles. Cal is a community leader, connector and advisor who loves working with founders one-on-one and at scale as a presenter, content creator and event facilitator. He loves keeping active and spending time surfing with friends. When not surfing, Cal is spending time with his wife Ali, who owns her own business, and their four sons.
Troy is a passionate technologist who helps leaders of Enterprise and Government achieve business outcomes using Technology without getting buried in the technical details. With a background in Mobile Apps & Software, Data & Analytics and Enterprise AI, Troy is looking forward to helping startups accelerate and scale by incorporating AI into their business.
Melanie is a startup expert that thrives on guiding and advising founders to accelerate their journey from startup to scale-up. She specialises in providing strategic insights and proven frameworks, enabling founders to make confident decisions in areas like growth, operations and people management. She offers a unique perspective, blending 18 years of experience in People and Leadership roles and has a global outlook shaped by six years in New York, providing well-established connections in both the US and Australian ecosystems.
I am the Founder of Sell Anything and have spent the last 8 years in b2b SaaS taking new products to market. Sell Anything works with SaaS and tech-enabled companies at pivotal points in their business growth to support leadership, enable new revenue outcomes, and drive scalable and repeatable sales processes. Need help email me sean@sellanything.io Before Sell Anything, I was a Growth Manager and account exec for new SaaS companies and built my own company Mymint in Aged Care, helping 4000+ families across Australia stay connected with a loved one in care. If you want to see my key achievements to date, check out my highlights in my experience section below. Past Acheivments /Awards not listed -Startmate Accelerator alumni, participating in Australias leading technology accelerator (Jan - April 2020) -South Australian Young Achiever of the year 2019 (May 2019) -Slingshot x HCF accelerator program (Feb 2019) -Speaker at LASA Congress on Aged Care startups (Oct 2018) -Semi-Finalist winner of the South Australian Channel 9 young Achievers award of 2018 -Student Entrepreneur delegate to Tel Aviv, Israel (January 2018) -Best pitch Hacker Exchange, Tel Aviv, Israel (January 2018) My success is the result of all the help others have provided me and I hope to pay it forward.
Michael Lang is the Solutions Architecture Manager for Asia Pacific South at NVIDIA, where he has been involved in AI solutions at NVIDIA with customers ranging from Healthcare, Financial Services, Architecture, Manufacturing to Government and Mining and everywhere in between. He's worked as a customer, business partner and at multiple vendors. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to customers looking to innovate with the latest in technology, but always with a business goal in mind. He holds degrees in Psychology, Philosophy and a Masters in Cyber Security, and is an NVIDIA certified Deep Learning/AI Instructor.
Mick Liubinskas is a climate tech investor and advisor. He co-founded Climate Salad to help build climate-focused startups and help the world get to and beyond net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. He has helped build 100’s of tech companies as a co-founder and with Pollenizer, Startmate, muru-D and Austrade.
As the founder of LUNA, Ronen has been supporting entrepreneurs and VCs since the beginning of the startup ecosystem in Australia. As an Associate Professor in Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital at Monash University and as an Angel Investor, he's a native when it comes to innovation in Australia.
Jordy Kitschke is a farmer and engineer from the Mid North of South Australia. Jordy has founded multiple AgTech companies in farming and food production. He has worked across several ag sectors including livestock, cropping, and horticulture, and up and down the supply chain from soil to supermarkets. Jordy is currently the founder of Flux Robotics, a startup working on robotics solutions to help farmers produce more food using less pesticide. Flux’s robots are capable of detecting and removing weeds autonomously with little to no pesticide.
Ben Pfisterer is the CEO and co-founder of Zeller, a leading Australian fintech company, based in Melbourne and committed to deploying innovative technologies to transform payments and financial services for Australian businesses. Since inception in May 2021, Zeller’s product offering has rapidly grown to offer over ten business solutions including payments, online invoicing, tap to pay, debit and corporate cards, transaction and savings accounts, and more. Zeller’s entire product ecosystem is seamlessly connected within the business’s Zeller Account and mobile Zeller App. Driven by a passion for innovation, Ben's extensive experience includes establishing US payments company Square in Australia and later leading Square's APAC operations. Prior to this, he held innovation-focused leadership roles at Visa, NAB, and Jetstar.
Leslie’s ethical journey started with a Masters in Bioethics from Monash University, where she collaborated with Professor Peter Singer, one of the best known philosophers of the 20th century. After getting her doctorate in social psychology she nabbed a coveted spot as a Research Fellow and Australia’s first public ethicist at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at the University of Melbourne. Having found her calling, Leslie has continued to engage diverse audiences with real-world ethical dilemmas on radio, TV and the papers, as well as in book chapters and her own fiction and non-fiction works. While staying engaged as a public thought and practice leader, Leslie is works with leaders from Australian private, public and non-profit sectors as Associate Professor of Ethics and Impact and Resident Ethicist at the Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership.
With over 20 years of experience as a gynaecologist, pain medicine physician, and laparoscopic surgeon, I am passionate about improving the quality of life of people with pelvic pain and endometriosis. Following a PhD in the immune mechanisms underlying period pain, pelvic pain and endometriosis I founded Alyra Biotech Pty Ltd in 2017 to develop and commercialise novel, neuroimmune-modifying intrauterine pain management solutions for women. For these technologies I hold US and Chinese patents with additional patents pending. As an Associate Professor at the University of Adelaide, I teach students the practical management of endometriosis and pelvic pain and supervise research. As the Co-Author and Medical Advisor for the Period, Pain and Endometriosis (PPEP-Talk) Schools Program, my aim is to educate and support school communities and allow students to live a life with less pain. As co-founder of the not-for-profit Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia I contribute to our national mission to build, support and educate Australia’s pelvic pain workforce across all types of pelvic pain in females, males and gender diverse communities. We care for both sides of the consultation desk and facilitate multi-disciplinary collaboration. I am a member of the Endometriosis Advisory Group for Australia's National Action Plan for Endometriosis, and a thought leader and presenter in the area of women's health. In 2023 it was an honour to be a finalist in the Australian of the Year (SA) Awards.
Dr Sam Costello is a recognized leader in microbiome drug development. He co-founded BiomeBank is 2019 and, together with the team, achieved the first approval for a microbiome therapy worldwide and has filed multiple patents in the field. Dr Costello undertook training in gastroenterology at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Australia) and St Mark’s Hospital (UK) and completed a PhD at the University of Adelaide. The focus of his PhD was a seminal randomized controlled trial of FMT for ulcerative colitis and was awarded the best clinical trial at the European Crohn’s and Colitis meeting. Dr Costello has contributed to many international consensus guidelines on the use of microbiome therapies and has previously worked with Cambridge, UK company Microbiotica from 2016 to 2019 on their microbiome drug development program.
Maureen is a powerful spiritual leader and Traditional Owner with deep roots in South Australia and Western Australia. Her ancestral bloodlines extend to 13 global connections, enriching her with profound cultural wisdom. Gifted with the ability to see and hear messages from her spiritual family and Ancestors, Maureen honours the guidance of both past and present generations in all she does. Today, she will lead the Smoking and Painting elements of the Universal Welcome Ceremony, sharing her ancestral gifts to create a meaningful and transformative experience.
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In Atlassian’s early days, founders Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar built giving back into the DNA of the business with the creation of the Atlassian Foundation. We believe businesses should use their assets to help solve problems and create a better world. We’re revolutionising corporate philanthropy. We’re a proud co-founder of the global Pledge 1% movement to inspire businesses to bake social impact into their DNA. Steve is the Director of Business Impact for Atlassian Foundation, Program Lead at Pledge 1% in APAC, co-founder of the Jessica King Founder Fellowship, and startup advisor for the Remarkable Tech accelerator program. Steve and his late wife Jessica King were cofounders of a startup called abil.io, a transport and navigation app that enabled people with disability to move throughout the city. abil.io aimed to make the world accessible, to equalise independent access to life. Steve established the Jessica King Fellowship in memory of his wife, providing aspiring entrepreneurs with disability (EwD), or those intrigued by entrepreneurship, the opportunity to explore the world of startups.
Antonia is a passionate CEO, charity director and philanthropy specialist, with over two decades experience across the not-for-profit and corporate sectors. Antonia is CEO of StartGiving, a not-for-profit that aims to build a new movement of giving in the innovation community. StartGiving encourages and supports successful tech founders to establish their own charitable foundations. We guide them through the process and connect them to people, ideas and support. Prior to this, Antonia was CEO of Australian Philanthropic Services (APS) for nine years. She led APS from being a small start-up to a leading provider of philanthropy services in Australia. By 2021, APS had grown to having over 600 clients, with $2 billion in assets committed to the community and over $100 million gifted to charity each year. Antonia previously served on the Board of The Social Outfit, a social enterprise and ethical fashion company that provides training and employment opportunities to refugees. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a director of several charitable foundations. She has recently completed the inaugural Social Impact Leadership Australia program, an immersive leadership program with a focus on driving positive change for our society through individual and organisational capacity building.
Simon has been editor of Startup Daily since 2019. He hosted the Startup Daily show on ausbiz.com.au from 2020 to 2023. Simon was previously associate editor of Business Insider Australia, a national restaurant critic, and newspaper proprietor during a 30-year career in journalism and publishing. He's also an investor in early stage startups, but is in no way sophisticated.
We're building a global saas platform to transform the way startup founders attract awesome investors and build great teams with employee equity 🦄 I develop and deliver tools, resources and events that simplify startup equity for founders. I'm inspired every day by the amazing people I get to work with including founders, accelerators and VCs. I Iove build a global fintech startup, investing in startups and being deeply connected with the global startup ecosystem.
JD (John-David) is the Co-founder and Partner of Eastend Ventures, Founder and Managing Director of Virtca Capital, and Non-executive director of several prominent technology and not-for-profit organisations. Originally from Canada, JD has spent the past two decades living and working throughout Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. JD relocated to Adelaide in 2021 after being awarded the Australian Global Talent Visa based on his internationally recognised technology and business achievements. JD is an accomplished, transparent, and innovative business, finance and technology leader with extensive experience growing companies to scale. JD has held key leadership and shareholders positions as the Managing Director and Corporate Technology Director of multinational organisations, where he played a significant role in leading these companies through a phase of substantial growth and international expansion (growing from 100 to over 1800 employees across 4 countries). Beyond numbers, JD's influence was felt across mergers and acquisitions, compliance and governance, operations, product development, stakeholder management and engagement, digital transformation, enterprise systems, process improvement, and the creation of some of the oil and gas industry's first widely adopted SaaS, digital workforce, IoT, AI, and machine learning-based solutions and products (with numerous fortune 500 companies as early adopters and long-term clients). JD holds a suite of qualifications, including an MBA in Finance, Graduate – Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), Project Management Professional (PMP), an array of financial and technological accreditations, and a commercial pilot license.
"Jodie is passionate about helping tech businesses start and grow. Jodie is an angel investor, advisor and non executive director. Currently she is a CoFounder and the CEO at Tractor Ventures a Fintech company that exists to help founders unlock possibilities with alternative capital! Previously, she cofounded two-sided marketplace, Occasional Butler, which was acquired by rival Airtasker and depo8 coworking. Jodie also led the SBE Australia not for profit that accelerates women led business, Innovation Bay in Melbourne, and Fashion label Leona Edmiston.
Karin Stark is the Director of Farm Renewables Consulting and founder and convener of the annual National Renewables in Agriculture Conference and Expo. Co-managing a wheat and cotton farm in Narromine NSW has given Karin a first-hand perspective of the energy challenges farmers face both on-farm and in their communities. They live on the edge of the country's first Renewable Energy Zone and she is a member of the NSW Farmer's Energy Transition Taskforce. She is on the Board of RE Alliance and has published two reports: 'Pursuing an Agrivoltaic Future in Australia' and 'Farm Powered'.
"Emma is the CEO and a Co Founder of AgriDigital which launched its digital supply chain platform in 2017 bringing effi ciency and transparency to global grain supply chains. Emma holds an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management, a LL.B. (Hons) and a B.A.from the University of Melbourne, she is a director of Australian Wool Innovation and an advisory board member of Inspiring Girls Australia. Both Emma and AgriDigital have won numerous awards for their innovation and contribution to the agtech sector. Emma was awarded the Pearcey Foundation NSW Entrepreneur of the Year in 2023 and was 2019 EY Entrepreneur of the Year for the Eastern Region. Emma farms with her family in New South Wales and is motivated personally and through AgriDigital to ensure global rural communities are sustainable, that agriculture is a valued career choice and to build connection between consumers and their food."
Leading the team working on Special Projects at FarmLab, including the Soil Carbon Innovation Challenge, Oli is a leading voice in Australia's AgriTech Community. Oli became a grape grower in South Australia’s McLaren Vale six years ago, after previously co-founding the award-winning Facebook games developer WeR Interactive. He Founded Platfarm out of the frustration of not being able to easily and cost effectively adopt precision agriculture on his vineyard. Oli helps to run the Adelaide AgTech Meetup, which brings together a community of over a thousand farmers, students, developers, agritech professionals and startups, to help build up a collaborative AgTech ecosystem in South Australia. He has an extensive history in the digital and IT space in South Australia and overseas too, where he’s become known for his entrepreneurial, creative and collaborative flair – coupled with a willingness to help others and raise the collective power of our agritech ecosystem.
"Kirsten joined Artesian in 2022 with a focus on early stage tech investing, primarily through the SAVC Fund and Female Leaders Fund. Kirsten has a passion for high growth technology startups, and is a strong advocate for supporting women in technology and finance. Prior to joining Artesian, Kirsten spent time in San Francisco, working as an operator in strategic finance for a venture backed SaaS company. She also worked in technology banking, advising a portfolio of software, consumer, and gaming clients on debt transactions up to $2bn. Before moving to the US, Kirsten worked in technology commercialisation for the University of Adelaide, and M&A with Big 4 firms KPMG and EY. Kirsten holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Adelaide, and is a Graduate member of Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand, and the Australian Institute of Company Directors."
"Jamie Pride is a serial entrepreneur, startup mentor, and author with a passion for turning big ideas into lasting ventures. As the founder of Dreamstream Labs, Jamie helps startups and founders harness the power of AI to create businesses that are desirable, valuable, and urgent. Formerly the Chief Entrepreneur in Residence at Western Sydney University and Entrepreneur in Residence at KPMG Futures, Jamie’s expertise lies in scaling startups and empowering founders to navigate the high-stakes world of entrepreneurship. Recognised as one of Australia's top startup mentors (#7 in 2024), he has guided countless ventures across various industries. Jamie has also started, funded, and successfully exited multiple startups, giving him firsthand insight into the challenges of entrepreneurship. Jamie is the author of Unicorn Tears: Why Startups Fail & How to Avoid It, a must-read for founders, and the upcoming Desirable, Valuable & Urgent: Using AI to Build Startups That Stay Up. With over two decades of experience in leadership roles, including being the Australian CEO of realestate.com.au, Jamie combines deep strategic insight with a pragmatic approach to innovation. He is passionate about founder mental health and remains dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs as they build businesses and navigate the pressures of startup life."
"Gav’ has spent the last decade in the music industry, touring Australia with artists like Rufus Du Sol and Ballpark Music. He's worked on records streamed over 50 million times and founded 10,000 Noises, a label whose releases include one sampled by Grammy-nominated PARTYNEXTDOOR. In 2020, he launched Your Favourite Team, a platform dedicated to educating the next generation of music creators. The platform later merged with LA-based management company Vitalic Noise (Bag Raiders, Hermitude, Miami Horror) to create Loose Change Publishing. Gav moved into tech, startups, and innovation, serving as Head of Artist Relations at SURREAL, Director of Community at Innovation Bay, and leading external innovation and community efforts in Australia for the global entertainment company Entain (Ennovate). In late 2024, he launched The Centre for Arts, Sports, and Technology (CAST), a membership organization driving innovation within the entertainment industry. Gav’ continues his work at CAST alongside his role as Ventures Manager at the University of Queensland. There, he leads programs designed to inspire and support the next generation of innovators, aspiring founders, creatives, and entrepreneurs."
"Sid is an Investment Manager at Airtree Ventures where he focuses on early-stage investments across ANZ. Prior to Airtree, Sid was an early employee of Deferit, where he launched the company's US operations. Sid started his career working at Blackstone in New York, and studied Electrical Engineering & Economics at Duke University. "
Adam is a Venture Capital investor at Octopus Ventures, one of Europe's leading VC's, specializing in Enterprise Software, AI applications, data, and cybersecurity. With a focus on identifying and scaling innovative B2B solutions, Adam partners with exceptional founders to build transformative companies including ANZ businesses looking to scale into UK/EMEA at Series A&B stages.
"Having worked across multiple industries over the past 15+ years, Nick is currently the APAC GTM Lead for Remote - leading their commercial division across the region. Nick is an experienced Commercial leader passionate about building and sustaining long-term relationships in order to solve business problems, with a particular focus on Remote Work, and solving complex cross-border employment problems. After a successful career leading and developing high-performing teams for a decade within the Recruitment industry, Nick spent 5 years with Topia, predominantly in California, providing Global Mobility technology solutions to enterprise organisations across the US West Coast & APAC regions. He has now coupled his hands-on experience with his passion for leadership, to drive the GTM team across APAC. Nick is extremely excited to be leading Remote's go-to-market endeavours across APAC, where he brings his enthusiasm, energy, and knowledge of remote work to everything he does. "
"Sophie Robertson is a Partner and Head of Investor Relations at TEN13, a global venture capital firm that has deployed over $110 million into early-stage technology companies worldwide, backing breakout successes like Go1 and Me&U. The firm leverages a powerful network of 500+ sophisticated investors, including family offices and angel investors, who provide both capital and strategic expertise to portfolio companies. Drawing on 15 years at Credit Suisse in London and Sydney as Director of Institutional Equity Sales, Sophie brings valuable perspective from both public and private markets. Her experience advising major institutional investors across global, Asian, and Australian listed markets, combined with her deep understanding of early-stage investing, allows her to bridge the gap between institutional capital and startup opportunities."
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Pat Stewart is a State Manager with Radium Capital. A seasoned finance professional, Pat holds an MBA and has 15 years’ banking, financial product and sales leadership experience with financial institutions across Australia. By working in a variety of roles during his career, Pat has gained a strong understanding of different businesses and their unique needs. Pat is focused on identifying market and industry trends, anticipating customer needs, and strategically implementing objectives to achieve stakeholder satisfaction. His authentic approach and strong track record supports clients to grow their businesses through R&D financing and thrive. Since launching in 2017, Radium Capital has deployed over $650m of funding to innovators.
Global communications executive with over 20 years experience working with early stage startups to large publicly listed technology firms. Specialises in corporate communications, messaging and narrative development. Strong interest in sustainability and working with innovators in this space. Caroline has a deep understanding of Australia’s venture and startup ecosystem. She was an early advocate for its growth, launching Australia's inaugural venture matching service for startups in the late 1990s—an initiative that garnered government support. Throughout her career, she has worked with some of the biggest names in tech include Square, Afterpay, GoFundMe, Dropbox, Catch Group, SEEK, Domain to name a few. Outside of work, Caroline is PR mentor to tech startups and is also actively involved in animal advocacy and is an advisor to not for profit charity, Vets for Compassion.
"I was awarded an Order of Australia (AM) in 2019 for my services to social welfare. I saw this national honour as recognition of life time service in addressing inequities in our systems and services especially for women and children, participation and governance. I bring my experience, knowledge & networks from grassroots communities (social work) to cabinet level (Chief of Staff to government Minister, South Australia) to the communities, enterprises and companies I work with across Australia. My extensive experience in multi-stakeholder engagement for complex problems and community led solutions at local, regional and national levels is well-known. High quality and meaningful opportunities to participate in decision-making been gained through: - international experience in public participation & citizen engagement on three continents. - extensive social media campaigning including creating & curating content and mobilising for action - delivering thousands of hours of workshops and trainings in engagement - facilitating online, real time, face to face small and large (up to 500 people) events for decision-making, discernment, policy making, strategy and evaluation for more than twenty years I have a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and politics, a Bachelor of Social Administration in social policy and family therapy and a Master of Letters (Distinction) that included coursework in economics and ethics. My thesis was a detailed analysis of Catholic Social Teaching from feminist perspectives. I am a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Australian Labor Party, Coralus and Social Impact Investment Network of SA. I live on Kaurna country and gratefully acknowledge their elders, stewardship, spiritual and on-going relationship to the land and seas that have never been ceded."
"Based in Sydney, Matt is focused on supporting and championing Rippling's customers and employees across the Asia-Pacific region. He spearheads Rippling’s multi-year investment initiative in the region, assisting businesses in modernising their legacy payroll, HR, IT, and finance systems. Matt brings a wealth of experience from his previous leadership roles at Slack, LinkedIn, and Salesforce, where he successfully launched the companies into Asia-Pacific markets and drove hyper-growth. Matt is also an active advisor and investor to a variety of startups across technology and healthcare."
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"Allys Todd is a founder of VALAI, a globally recognised company that integrates climate action into economic systems through cutting-edge data and digital engagement technologies. In Australia, through Home Efficiency Australia, VALAI incentivise home electrification. A specialist in shared value partnerships and innovative problem-solving, Allys has been honoured with a Prime Minister's Award for Community and Business Partnership. Allys serves as a corporate speaker for the global movement Women in Climate, sharing her insights on sustainability, the role of technology, and the importance of effective communication in driving behavioural change. Allys has collaborated with groups including AWS Innovation, McKinsey & Company, the World Energy Council and the Harvard University Behavioural Science STAR Lab."
"Dave is a certified breathwork and flow state expert focused on helping founders and teams access greater levels of clarity, creativity and connection. Blending ancient wisdom with modern neuroscience, Dave teaches teams and leaders how to access flow - the optimal state of consciousness for creativity, well-being and performance. Dave has run programs for businesses such as Canva, BCG, TikTok, VaynerMedia, R/GA and SoHo House."
Michael is an entrepreneur, operator, and advisor focused on recoding the food system. Through his company Recode Ventures, Michael supports AgriFood technology commercialisation, investment, and international market entry. His 15-year entrepreneurial journey began at the age of 21, launching the first of five ventures across a range of industries. A deep curiosity for technology solutions in agriculture led to prior roles as Director for AgriFood Tech at BDO and Managing Director for APAC at SVG Ventures Thrive. Today, he advocates for the AgriFood tech ecosystem as a Committee Member of the Australian AgriTech Association and co-organiser of the South Australian AgriTech Meetup Group. Michael's forward-thinking perspective on redesigning the food system was showcased in his TEDx talk, and recognised as a recipient of an InDaily 40 Under 40 award in 2020.
Dickie is passionate about showcasing the best of Australian Tech & Innovation to the world and helping to connect it's Startup ecosystems with other Global Communities. He does this as the Founder of Hype Man Media, a content house which tells stories about the world's most groundbreaking Innovation. And as the Founder of Startup Vagabond, which helps to connects Startup ecosystems across international borders.
Zac King is a founder, operator and fractional executive who's spent 20+ years building teams and scaling companies. From founding an (wildly unsuccessful) AI-powered healthtech platform to working with the latest wave of generative AI companies, he's been hands-on with AI for over a decade. After launching products and building teams across APAC and the US, he now splits his time between fractional leadership roles and running the Fractional Exec Community - Australia's largest network of experienced operators who work on-demand. His superpower? Taking complex business challenges and turning them into simple, repeatable systems that actually work.
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Nicole Dyson is a multi-award-winning educator and entrepreneur, and a global authority on project-based learning and youth entrepreneurship. An experienced former school leader within the public education system in Australia, she is the founder of Future Anything, an award-winning education provider that works with 15000+ young people (and their educators) each year, YouthX, Australia’s only startup accelerator program for school-aged entrepreneurs, and Catapult Cards, a design thinking toolkit for classrooms and corporates that donates 50% of its profits back to providing micro-grants for youth-led startups. Future Anything was the winner of the Xero Outstanding Micro-Business Award at the 2021 Lord Mayor’s Business Awards and was listed as one of only ten initiatives around the globe realizing the employment and entrepreneurship ambitions of young people in the Prince’s Trust Group’s Report (2021) on The Future of Work. Future Anything was also the winner in the 2023 Business Champion Awards for Outstanding Education Services. Nicole was listed in the inaugural 40 Under 40 for Queensland in 2023, as well as winning the ‘Gamechanger Award’, recognizing a person who has “re-written the rules of business to challenge, inspire and spark significant change.” She was also recognized in The Educator’s “Most Influential” list for 2023, acknowledging 45 educators significantly influencing culture and reform within Australia’s education sector, and was the recipient of SBE’s ‘Unsung Hero’ Award in 2022. Nicole passionately believes that youth-led ideas have the power to bend the future and supports educators, schools, and systems to design and deliver future-focused learning that unlocks young people’s passion and potential.
Dave is the founder of Lightning Products, a leading NoCode Product and AI agency in APAC, and Ocean Greens, an e-commerce brand and seaweed farm focused on sustainable aquaculture. He previously founded a healthcare startup in the US, giving him hands-on experience across tech, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. Dave is one of 12 globally recognized Bubble.io coaches, dedicated to empowering founders with NoCode and AI solutions.
Chanelle Le Roux is a vibrant Marketing agency owner and digital marking specialist that proudly boasts 15 years plus of experience across multiple industries. Leaving her corporate job that ‘drained her soul’ in 2017 to pursue her dreams of travelling, Chanelle turned to freelance work but soon found herself quickly growing in demand for her marketing services. With her travel bug (slightly) behind her, Chanelle created Ninki Marketing in 2018 with her agency quickly expanding to multiple team members within 12 months. Known for cutting through noise with content that captivates and connects authentically with customers, Ninki quickly became a go-to leader for businesses looking to grow their online presence. Chanelle is a regular on the speaker circuit, delivering keynote talks and joining in on panels to share her insight and expert knowledge. She is also a popular trainer and workshop facilitator for business-savvy individuals wanting to level up their marketing knowledge and skills.
Originally studying Pharmacy in Adelaide, Shilpa Mohan went onto become an award-winning Interior Designer in Sydney, working on small scale to $50m+ projects. Concurrently, her passion for storytelling saw her step onto the stage as a Speaker Curator and Host for TEDxSydney, where her curated talks have amassed $1m+ views. After deciding to pivot to tech, Shilpa joined ProcurePro, a construction tech startup, as their 8th employee in 2022 - an AFR Fast Starter company (2023,2024), ranked 3rd in LinkedIn’s Top Startups 2024. As Head of Operations, she's been instrumental in scaling the business globally with over 50 employees. Shilpa has become a passionate advocate for Australia’s startup ecosystem as a speaker, Startmate Mentor, an Airtree Pioneers Community Advisor, and SXSW Tech/Startups Advisor where she champions for the growth and inclusivity of the tech and startup landscape.
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Paola brings 20+ years of experience leading and executing successful marketing strategies across UK, EMEA and APAC for global brands (from big enterprises, to SMB’s and startups), with a specialisation in strategic ABM. She has helped numerous early-stage companies achieve significant growth through strategic ABM programs, and she is passionate about sharing her expertise with the ANZ startup community. Paola currently mentors start-ups for the Techstars accelerator program in Australia, and she is also a post-grad lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast and RMIT in international business and digital marketing strategy.
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With nearly a decade of experience as a rapid results mindset coach and over 20 years in leadership roles within startups and corporate environments, Julie is a highly sought-after speaker and coach known for delivering transformative results. She specializes in empowering individuals and teams to overcome challenges, break through barriers, and unlock their full potential. By combining practical strategies with a deep understanding of emotional and cultural dynamics, Julie creates tailored solutions that foster collaboration, build confidence, and drive sustainable success. Her innovative approach has helped corporate teams and individuals achieve measurable improvements in performance, communication, and overall wellbeing.
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Joel McKerrow is an expert on creativity-driven transformation. He has spent the last fifteen years on global stages, captivating hundreds of thousands of people with his passionate performative style and highly inspiring keynotes. From the Sydney Opera House, to Nashville's Schermerhorn Symphony Centre, to The Metropolis in Montreal Joel has presented at some of the most iconic venues around the world. He is a Creativity and Innovation Specialist, and is passionate about individuals and businesses learning how to transform stagnation into creative momentum. Joel champions the belief that CREATIVITY and STORY are far too important to be confined to those traditionally labeled as ‘creative’ or ‘story-tellers.’ Instead, they are the very factors that will lead to both professional and personal success. An award-winning writer, keynote speaker, Master of Ceremonies and one of Australia’s most successful performance poets, Joel represented Australia at the Individual World Poetry Slam Championships, is an author with Penguin Random House and is the current VIC/TAS President of PSA (Professional Speakers Australia). Renowned singer Kate Cebrano describes Joel’s work as, ‘completely free, reckless and unbound in his expression.’ whilst the CEO of Village Roadshow lauds Joel as, ‘a true creative genius’ and says of his work with their executive, 'His impact on my team was nothing short of extraordinary.
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A curious explorer of our inner and outer world, Mike is a Meditation & Dharma Teacher, Spiritual Guide, Founder of Unmapped Studios & Host of Unmapped with Mike Kelly. Mike teaches Vipassana in a global lineage of Western teachers with roots in the Theravaden Buddhist Forest tradition and includes wisdom from the Zen, Advaitic, Tantric and Taoist traditions into his teachings. The practice of meditation and process of spiritual awakening/enlightenment is simply the art of living a deeply enriched and intimate life and as such, Mike teaches deep spiritual principles in a way that feels applicable to our modern lives. Unmapped is an instrument for exploring the art of living, curating conversations with conscious, curious and compassionate leaders at the frontiers of humanity, edges of civilisation and the convergence of ideas.
With over 20 years as an 'in the trenches' founder, and having gone through two exits (the most recent of which was in the high seven figures), I have developed a deep passion, understanding, and capability in SMB operating systems, management and leadership. This has led me to my current focus as a coach and consultant where I work with founders and CEO's in a 1:1 capacity or with leadership teams in a group setting. I help these founders to be better leaders and more effective in all areas of the their life and I help the leadership teams to run better business and to achieve better results. Together with some of my favourite humans, we built and grew Nona Digital into a globally respected software design and development agency, focusing on FinTech and Blockchain scale-ups. As a result of our deep focus on positioning, Nona was acquired by Yoco in 2022, where I spent just under two years building out the Partnerships Function. My podcast, 'How to be Moderately Successful', is about sharing experiences and tools of what’s worked and what hasn’t... and it seems people like that, as thousands listen to it. I moved to Australia in 2019, and while I do miss Cape Town, I also love it here and am very grateful to be here. Last year I invested in another great software development company - Warp Development and I am actively working with their amazing team of over 120 humans as we scale globally. When I am not working, you’ll find me on my mountain bike, with my family and friends outdoors or doing something that helps me to find comfort in the uncomfortable.
Hi I’m Paz and I’m passionate about the power of community. I’m the Co-Founder of The Community Collective, a community for community builders in the Australian and New Zealand startup space. We help community managers, founders, co-working spaces and startup support organisations build stronger communities. I love helping businesses grow their communities. Previously I managed Startup Victoria’s founder community (Australia's largest startup community with over 60,000 people), grew RMIT Activator’s community from 500 to 5000+ over 3+ years, automated 9 hours of manual onboarding tasks at Happy Spaces co-working and supported an in person migrant women community through entrepreneurship at not-for-profit SisterWorks. I now live along the Surf Coast in VIC, Australia and compose relaxation music for meditation (having played classical Suzuki guitar since I was 4) via www.pazsounds.com. If any of this resonates, I’d love to connect
