Changing The Game: Recent Episodes
Wilson Casado
Discussing the importance of innovation and diversity for transforming and creating a new reality, and how education is the key. We will deep dive in successes and failures that all listeners can learn from.
Get ready to dive into the fascinating world of Carlos Zapata Lui (卡洛斯)! If you're part of the innovation ecosystem, chances are you've already heard of Carlos. But do you really know him?
Let's uncover the authentic Carlos - from his beginnings in Peru to the driving forces behind his curiosity and ambition.
Join us as we explore his fascinating journey, hosted by Wilson Casado, FAIM – it's a conversation you won't want to miss!
In this episode of Changing The Game, we had the pleasure of speaking to Luke Callier.
With a unique background that spans both the corporate, not-for-profit and education sectors, Luke brings a different lens to school leadership, education and K-12 schools and hopes to impact education more broadly at a national level.
Luke is an innovative and thoughtful leader who is most at home influencing from the side with an uncanny ability to ask the right question at the right time.
Traveler - 40 Countries and counting... Family + Caravaning + Runner + Basketball + Coffee + Entrepreneur + Shoes + Adelaide Crows
In this episode of Changing the Game, we're excited to have Steve Baxter on board. Join us as we explore his fascinating journey – it's a conversation you won't want to miss!
Chandra Sundareswaran is the Director of the Centre for Learning Enterprise and Partnerships at Curtin University. Chandra is an entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in diverse sectors across the social enterprise, not-for-profit, retail, renewable energy, carbon markets and manufacturing sectors in India and Australia. Chandra has a personal commitment to social equity and is constantly looking for innovative solutions to foster sustainability and social inclusion through entrepreneurial activity.
Having founded and operated startups, Chandra has a deep understanding of the needs of early and growth stage startup business and projects. His work on innovation projects with government, industry and tertiary education over the past decade makes him acutely aware of the challenges and the opportunities in driving innovation in large organisations and jurisdictions.
Chandra has previously led the Australian Energy Foundation’s social enterprise startup, Positive Charge, which delivered cost-effective community sustainability services to over 20 local governments in the East Coast of Australia – reducing emissions and empowering households and businesses to manage rising energy costs.
Prior to joining Curtin, Chandra was the General Manager of Spacecubed, where he led business development and relationship management with key stakeholders including industry, government and academia. Over the six years in the role, he led the development and delivery of key startup and technology learning programs like Plus Eight and She Codes, delivered in partnership with industry.
Chandra also supports The Underground Collaborative, IDEA Academy, Hola Health and All Saints College in Board and Advisory capacities.
In this episode, Wilson Casado interviews Raby Gueye.
Raby Gueye is the founder and CEO of Teach For Senegal. Originally from Podor, Senegal. At the age of 8, Raby moved to the United States, and since then, she has maintained a strong commitment to social justice issues. At Arizona State University, Raby assisted with research on gender violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her role as an English teacher in underserved communities in India allowed her to collaborate with a diverse group of NGOs to help increase the literacy rate. In 2015, she was recruited by Teach For America to join a national corps of recent college graduates and professionals who commit to teaching in urban and rural public schools. As a teacher, Raby prioritized building strong relationships with her students and families to create an environment where all families feel welcomed and included.
A 2019 Echoing Green Fellow, Raby has a bachelor’s in Global Studies and a master’s degree in Elementary Education from Arizona State University. Raby was also honored to be featured in Forbes 30 Under 30. She was also honored at the 2022 World Youth Forum by the president of Eygpt for her work at Teach For Senegal.
Mihailo Bozic's Entrepreneurial Journey
Mihailo Bozic's path to becoming an entrepreneur was shaped by his unique interests and innate curiosity. While his peers indulged in gaming-related YouTube videos, Mihailo found himself drawn to TED Talks and other intellectually stimulating content. This divergence set him apart, but rather than feeling excluded, it acted as a natural filter that helped him form strong connections with like-minded friends from a young age. As he grew older, his entrepreneurial spirit started to take shape.
One of Mihailo's early ventures into entrepreneurship came when he was in year 10, making memes about Star Wars. Initially met with skepticism from his parents, they soon realized it was a legitimate source of income when the first payment arrived. Despite having success with his meme page, Mihailo's strict Serbian family expected him to pursue higher education. He chose Finance and Economics as his field of study at the University of Western Australia (UWA). During his time at UWA, he actively participated in various clubs and societies. However, he encountered a significant challenge - reaching out to first-year students who lacked access to Facebook, hindering their participation in events. Recognizing this problem, Mihailo saw an opportunity to create a solution.
Envited: The Birth and Launch of the Startup
In his final semester at university, Mihailo teamed up with Jordan, the co-founder of Envited, to address the problem he had identified. They began working together to create a platform that would enable better communication and engagement for all students, including those without access to mainstream social media platforms. Despite the challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mihailo saw potential in launching Envited, particularly in Perth, where the pandemic's impact was relatively mild. He believed that positioning Envited as the go-to choice for events once life returned to normal after lockdowns would give them an advantage.
In March 2021, Envited was launched, and the team's efforts started to gain recognition. Within a few months, they won a startup competition in May of the same year, marking a turning point for Mihailo and his team. This victory encouraged them to take their venture more seriously and provided validation for their idea. Leveraging their network and connections, they secured spaces at Spacecubed and WeWork to establish their operations. However, it wasn't all smooth sailing for Mihailo and his team. They faced the challenge of securing funding to further grow their startup.
Challenges and Success in Building Envited
Mihailo had initially believed that securing funding would be relatively easy, assuming that investors would eagerly support their innovative idea. However, he quickly learned that dealing with rejection was an inevitable part of the entrepreneurial journey. Out of the 60 investors he contacted, only one showed genuine interest in investing. This experience taught him the importance of building sustainable relationships over time. To manage the process effectively, Mihailo maintained a detailed spreadsheet to track interactions and reasons for disinterest, allowing them to refine their pitch and approach.
Persistence paid off for Mihailo and his team as they finally secured their first investment from Galileo Ventures after six months of building a strong relationship and showcasing their progress. Mihailo's youth proved to be an advantage in the eyes of investors, as they recognized the potential of early-stage startups led by young founders. According to him, three crucial characteristics for a CEO are the ability to recruit top talent, retain morale within the team, and manage finances effectively. These qualities were essential as Envited continued to grow and evolve.
Lessons and Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Mihailo's entrepreneurial journey taught him invaluable lessons...
Josh Van Ross, the founder and managing director of Drone Sky Shows, has an entrepreneurial journey filled with ups and downs. From exploring various career paths to learning valuable lessons through failures, Van Ross has emerged as a successful entrepreneur in the drone industry. This article will delve into different themes of his life, highlighting the pivotal moments that shaped his trajectory.
Journey of Many Passions
Josh's early years were marked by a diverse range of interests. Initially studying musical theater and earning a Wappa certification in high school, he realized that this path wasn't for him. He then pursued business law and management studies at UWA while concurrently serving in the army reserve.
While on a ship, Josh had an epiphany that he needed to start his own business. He borrowed $50,000 and ventured into the food van industry. Unfortunately, the business faltered after just one hour of operation. Undeterred, he secured a job and later went on to successfully fund another company, which was eventually sold in 2020.
The Entrepreneurial Spirit
Reflecting on his early life, Josh contemplates the origins of his entrepreneurial spirit. He acknowledges that starting a business is akin to building a house – filled with challenges, but ultimately rewarding. Although some aspects can be tedious, he thrives on the constant learning and adaptability required in entrepreneurship.
During his time with EO, Josh realised the value of connecting with fellow founders who face similar struggles. He learned the importance of not getting too emotionally attached to his business. These lessons proved vital when he sold his previous company, ultimately confirming it as a wise decision.
He also had an exciting participation in the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA). Despite being the only competitor in the initial phases, he made it to the international finals without even pitching his idea. This experience provided him with valuable insights and highlighted the need to foster entrepreneurial opportunities for Australian students.
Seizing an Opportunity
While still in the army reserve, Van Ross watched a drone show on Reddit during an exercise and realized its potential in Australia. He conducted extensive research, identified the logistics and costs involved, and after six months he had everything he needed to fund Drone Sky Shows. He believes that taking action is what differentiates those with great ideas from successful entrepreneurs.
Josh understands that innovation is not solely about creating new products but also about recognizing opportunities and bringing existing products to new markets. His venture into the drone industry exemplifies this approach, showcasing how he saw untapped potential and capitalized on it.
He firmly believes that the drone industry is on a rapid growth trajectory. Drones are already making an impact across various sectors, such as defense, medical supply delivery, mapping, and surveys. As the industry expands, competition increases, costs decrease, and ancillary support services like structural and legislation companies become vital.
Conclusion
Josh Van Ross's journey to success in the drone industry showcases the power of resilience, adaptability, and seizing opportunities. From his failed food van venture to his flourishing drone show company, he exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit and the willingness to learn from both successes and failures. With his unwavering determination and passion for innovation, Josh continues to make strides in the rapidly evolving drone industry.
And if you enjoyed Josh’s talk and are excited to see more game changers, feel free to check out the Changing the Game podcast, either on YouTube or on your preferred platform.
Cath Rogers is a global leader in the venture capital industry, currently serving as a GP at Antler, a global early-stage venture capital firm that builds and invests in the defining technology companies of tomorrow. With a diverse background in law, commerce, finance, and private equity, Cath's journey to her current role has been one of passion and curiosity. Her interest in technology and innovation began early on in her career when she worked as one of the first hires for a b2b platform for construction in Europe during the dot-com boom.
She then went on to work in consulting and banking in Australia, which led her to develop a real interest in the idea of investing, particularly in private equity. Cath spent a significant part of her career studying and working outside of Australia, in locations such as London, New York, Latin America, France, and Singapore.
Cath's Approach to Investing
Cath is driven by her desire to invest in companies making a positive impact on society. As a GP at Antler, Cath is able to bring all of her experiences and passions to bear. She is part of a global, early-stage firm with 25 locations, focused on backing great founders building the deployment companies of tomorrow. Cath and Antler are seeking to make exceptional returns for their investors by investing across a diverse portfolio of opportunities that they can diligently evaluate over a period of months.
A diverse background in law, commerce, and finance, coupled with her interests in technology, innovation, and investing, presented her with many choices in her career. However, she believes that her curiosity and desire to learn and experience new things have led her to where she is today. Cath has always personally placed a lot of value on life experiences from different cultures, places, and people, which has impacted her career choices.
Curious and passionate
Motivated by a desire for exploration and personal growth, Cath's journey has been influenced by various factors including her travels, exposure to the dot-com boom, and a drive to make a positive impact through investing. As a successful GP at Antler, she is able to combine these elements to help shape the future of the venture capital industry.
Her experiences have taught her the value of being adaptable and seizing opportunities, such as taking a position in a sovereign wealth fund focused on clean tech investing in Abu Dhabi. A consistent theme in her career has been a passion for investing in companies that have a positive impact on society.
Cath's success in the venture capital industry highlights the importance of pursuing one's passions and seeking out opportunities that align with personal values. She believes that the key to success in venture capital lies in identifying great founders who are building the deployment companies of the future. To this end, Cath focuses on early-stage investments in a diverse portfolio of opportunities that can be carefully evaluated over a period of months.
Throughout her career, Cath's interests have been wide-ranging, and she has faced the challenge of choosing between various opportunities. She studied commerce and law at university but was also considering a cadetship with the Reserve Bank or switching to Medicine. She decided to spend a year living in London after university and eventually found a job with a startup in the finance industry. She was one of the first ten hires and worked on various tasks, including marketing and strategy.
Cath's interest in different cultures and places has been a driving force throughout her career. She has lived and worked in various locations, such as New York, Spain, Latin America, and Abu Dhabi. Her fluency in Spanish also allowed her to explore the Latin American market during a time of economic growth...
Rebecca Loftus and Nicole Gazey have collaborated to establish Idea Academy, an unconventional educational choice for young students in Australia. With their diverse backgrounds in science, teaching, and counseling, they offer a unique outlook on education. They are devoted to assisting creative and entrepreneurial students, and their commitment to this is evident in the way they have designed the academy.
Idea Academy is intended for students aged 15 to 24 who want an alternative to traditional education. It offers both full-time and part-time options, and students can build professional networks, connect with workplaces, and develop skills to prepare for their next phase. Situated in the city, it is accessible to students from all walks of life.
A Challenging Process
The process of creating Idea Academy was challenging for Rebecca and Nicole. They had to pitch their idea persistently and even attended a pitching event just four days before Rebecca's childbirth. Nevertheless, their perseverance and passion for providing an unconventional educational option for young people have paid off. Idea Academy is a testament to their vision and hard work, and it is sure to make a positive impact on the lives of many young students in Australia.
Team Effort
Working with children and teenagers can be difficult, particularly when dealing with a volatile age group. Parents often feel apprehensive about entrusting their children to others, particularly when their children are struggling with school and life. However, working as a team can significantly improve the lives of these young people.
They have found that parents appreciated their ideas because they were part of a team effort. Instead of taking control and dictating what to do, the team collaborated with parents and engaged them in the process. This approach is similar to the primary school model, where parents are encouraged to participate in their child's education.
The team's approach involves enlisting parents as part of the plan and maintaining a broad network of connections to provide comprehensive strategies for the young person. The team meets the child where they're at and works with them, even if they can only make it to school sporadically. They find something for the student to engage with, and even small efforts can make a significant difference.
Parents have praised Idea Academy's approach, noting a positive change in their child's behavior. Students who once refused to attend school now show up every day. They meet them where they're at and work with them to keep them motivated and engaged. The Academy’s comprehensive strategy also includes having a reference point and a vast network of connections. This ensures that they can provide support and resources whenever the young person needs it.
Beyond the academic challenges
Assisting young people not only with their academic struggles but also with life challenges, they provide support and resources to help students cope with mental health, social issues, and family problems. With their comprehensive strategy, they can help young people overcome these challenges and realize their full potential.
In summary, Their approach is an excellent example of how involving parents in the process can make a significant difference in the lives of children and teenagers who are struggling with school and life in general.
Parents are no longer hesitant to entrust their children to others, but instead, they are involved in the process, making it a team effort. A comprehensive strategy, a broad network of connections, and a focus on helping young people cope with life's challenges are all critical factors that contribute to their success. This approach is a positive step towards helping young people reach their full potential and lead...
Charlie Caruso’s background is less of a story about finding a passion and working on it and more of a constellation, where each passion shines on its own and leans into the others into a complex yet fascinating network.
These passions include writing, podcasting, consulting for start-ups, blockchain, NGOs, all of which are tied to her love of problem solving and disruptive technological solutions that puts her in ever new and exciting projects.
Charlie’s trajectory was marked by her constant reliving of a moment that is somewhat rare for most entrepreneurs: The moment when you fall in love with a new idea. Which is what makes her such an amazing guest for today’s Changing the Game episode.
The Greatest Pleasure in LifeFrom a very early age, Charlie was the type of kid who would read lots of books and probe adults for logic gaps with question after question, that’s right, a nerd, but not like most of the nerds you saw at high school or maybe in the mirror.
She was the type of nerd that had a very clear talent, one that teachers didn’t seem to recognise at first.
“ A Writer?” they would say, “With those grades why settle for being a writer?”, and yet, it felt right for Charlie, so much so that she saw writing as the way to convince her sister to let her borrow her clothes through a five page contract.
This was when her mother told her she should be a lawyer, and now, a self-published author and a master of international law, Charlie is living proof that the greatest pleasure in life is to do what others say you cannot do.
A Founder In The Frontiers of PodcastingLike most things in her life, Charlie’s entrepreneurial and podcasting journey began as the solution to a problem, namely being stuck in traffic with nothing good to listen on the radio.
The usual music radio was playing Rihanna’s “S&M”, not exactly what the children in the backseat ought to be listening, switching radios only proved equally disheartening as the alternative, TalkBack Radio was about a Cricketers wife losing pregnancy weight.
Something had to be done. And Charlie was going to take matters into her own hands.
So, after a quick search, she embarked on a journey that would eventually lead her to having her own online radio and podcast long before those were a thing.
This was not an easy journey by any means. From a technological standpoint, Charlie was too early, and circumstances soon began to poke holes at her business model, meaning she had to make too many compromises, ultimately leading to its end.
And yet, there is something of value to be taken from this “failure”, as she did at the time, which is having the fortitude to roll with the punches of having a business sink and going for something new.
The Wealth of ErrorIn many ways, having a business that didn’t work out was paradoxically essential for Charlie’s success, as her problem-solving mind was able to soon detect the patterns of those mistakes in other businesses, making her an excellent consultant.
Granted, the corporate world was not her natural habitat, but it did have something she needed at the time: money. And it was not long before she found something to be passionate about as a consultant.
She soon found out that helping founders tell their stories and raise funding was something she could really get behind, so much so that she began to undercharge for the sake of sticking with the founders she believed in.
Quokka CapitalCharlie’s newest project, Quokka Capital is an early-stage venture capital limited partnership created to provide start-ups in Perth with tax incentives in order to help them start off on the right foot and develop.
Quokka operates off a government incentive that gives investors an exemption of tax for investments up to 250 million dollars per investment, a golden opportunity for a state like WA that they want to take...
Reading Kylie Frazer’s bio may get you a slew of interesting information, including her amazing work at Flying Fox, the venture capital agency she co-founded that helps Australian startups hit it big abroad and interest in bringing empathy to early stage investment.
What you don’t get from her bio is the “uncool” confession that Kylie also loves being a lawyer and that even while practicing law, she was trying to humanise client/firm relations in terms of making the exchange rewarding for both sides.
As we’ll see, this is a pattern for Kylie, one that she perpetrates with good humor and a genuine passion for seeing the founders she funds succeed.
And, as we get to know her, we’ll learn quite a bit about angel investing from her perspective.
The Women Behind Flying Fox“I wasn’t looking for a female partner, I was looking for the best partner”, Kylie remarked about coming together with Rachel Newman for co-founding the Flying Fox, a sentiment that now extended to her yet undisclosed third partner who was confirmed to be a female.
Kylie made a point, however, to remark how women were still shamefully missing from decision making spaces, both in investing and beyond, and that unfortunately, companies like hers were still a minority in the market.
Her views on such matters are worth taking note, as they show what can happen when we let problematic thought patterns get in the way of good intentions.
This becomes clear in her comment on how investors would always hand her female founders to work with based on nothing but her gender, with the underlying premisse that she, as a woman, would only invest in other women.
Getting a woman’s profile on the table solely because they’re female is just as much of a mistake as not doing it for the same reason. Inclusivity is about different people working together in unison, not in enclosed bubbles.
Worms For The Economy (and the planet)Being an angel investor, Kylie had the chance to work on several trailblazing projects, and though she refused to tell me her favorite one for professional reasons, we still got to hear about the startup that was turning worms into money for the environment.
The company was called “Go Terra”, and it had several contracts in Australia for waste management which they tended to by adding an organic factor into the process: Worms.
Nature’s little janitors are employed to have their fill of food and organic waste and wound up having so much food that they would eventually die of gluttony, but worry not, they had a happy and fitting end as the chubby ingredients in pet food products.
The founder for Goterra, Olympia Jager, eventually got the Australian of the Year Award for her company’s work, showing not only what founders are capable of, but also the potential of companies like Flying Fox, that help them get off the ground.
Sharing Is CaringSomething else that’s unique about Flying Fox is its policy regarding sharing their carry with founders, something so unique that it gets to the point of being mindblowing in terms of what it means for the sector.
The initiative arose out of Kylie and Rachel’s desire to walk the talk when it came to being “founder friendly", and to create an environment where founders could help each other while still being rewarded for their efforts.
Sure, most venture partnerships are based off founders mutually supporting each other because that’s just how it tends to work in early stage investments, but being a good lawyer, Kylie wanted their intent to be represented in their structure.
This makes Flying Fox the first company of its kind in Australia, one that hopefully starts a trend of less greedy investment partnerships and funds.
Helping FoundersThe first thing an investor should bring to the table for their founder according to Kylie Frazer?
Cash.
Sure, you can be a great advisor...
2022 was a busy year and I was lucky enough to finish it off with a conversation with Aprill Allen.
Aprill is the COO and co-founder of Tractor Ventures, an initiative focused on providing technology start-ups from Australia and New Zealand with non-dilutive strategic funding in order to foster their growth.
Along with her business and life partner, Matt Allen, Aprill boasts an investment portfolio of over 50 companies and provides her process improvement expertise to the companies supported by Tractor ventures.
Fridays Off Stepping out of the confines of her bio, Aprill tells us how she met her husband Matt while working for the Australian telecommunications company One.Tel in the late 90’s. She would eventually leave the company to become a solo consultant before joining Tractor full time.
Tractor has a “Fridays off” policy which Aprill uses to work on her art studio and can often be found painting on Fridays in between enjoying her weekend with her husband and two teenage sons.
Not having gone through any graduation in the field of technology beyond a computing certificate from the Computer Power Training Institute, which landed her the position in One.Tel from which she’d build the rest of her expertise through experience.
She also points out how much of what she’s learned from her current line of work came from absorbing the information that she was able to catch from observing her husband’s work as a start-up builder.
Aprill’s story is just another trail blazer open to divert from the beaten path of high school-> college -> career along with so many that we have seen on the podcast thus far. It bears repeating that there are many ways to educate a professional. College is just one of them.
Tractor VenturesSo, what’s with Tractor Ventures and “non-dilutive” funding solutions for tech businesses?
Aprill explains:
“We help tech founders who traditionally aren’t super attracted to venture capital, they may not have the same aspirations, they still have ambition but don’t necessarily want to go at that rocketship pace.”
And this is the centre of tractor ventures' entire identity, most ventures try to be rocketships, they tend to be very expensive to build and tend to involve a lot of risks. Sure, there might be a big pay off if they stick to landing, but they also explode just as often.
Now tractors have the distinct advantage of being cheaper, simpler, and easier to fix, a farmer can rely safely on his tractor with the certainty that it will in all likelihood, never explode.
What tractor ventures does is support “tractor” businesses with revenue-based finance within a non-dilutive model, that is a loan that goes back to the fund through a top line share of the monthly revenue.
Tractor Ventures still supports their tech companies with everything they need, much like angel investors would, not only about their gross charges, but also with useful connections through the Tractor Ventures “village” where founders can get in touch and cooperate.
The Story thus farThe story of tractor ventures goes back to the year of 2012 when Zero did their dual listing on an IPO on the Australian and New Zealand stock exchanges which paved the way for Aprill and her husband to start a self-made superfund.
Since then Aprill has advised some of the most successful vanguard companies out there, with Flowork being a worthy mention on her part, along Mr.Yum and GoTerra, helping entrepreneurs manage talents at their disposal within the company.
As Aprill told me of all the companies she has worked with, I couldn’t help but notice a glitter of excitement in her eyes when talking about how these businesses have grown, this kind of passion that is quite common amongst angel investors.
Angel Investing: Facts and MythThe first fact about angel investing is that it tends to be very high risk, and for...
Terry Rich is a successful CEO and President of 25 years who loves to engage and entertain audiences across the globe. During his appointment by three Governors, his leadership increased lottery sales and profits by 50%. He also led the Blank Park Zoo to profitability from a $600,000 deficit while positioning it as the second largest attended attraction in the state. But his national insight on business, banking, gaming, TV production, marketing and PR led him to success in his professional career and to his passion for public speaking. Oh, and he’s also given away over $1 billion. Recently, Terry headed the team that cracked the largest lottery fraud in US history. During the investigation, Terry oversaw day-to-day operations while considering longterm consequences, adapting quickly to change, and delivering on promises. Before that, he started four successful entrepreneurial businesses, and has numerous national media appearances including ABC, NBC, HBO, CBS, 20/20, CNN, CNBC, USA Today and The New York Times; a movie host on Starz!; and appeared as a panel guest on the "Tonight Show". He’s a disruptive innovator and entrepreneur with a drive for integrity and honesty. He’s worked in the trenches, survived new business trends and had success with generational changes. Terry’s keynotes are energetic, motivating and perfect for an early morning, lunch or after dinner presentation. Terry Rich has authored two books: The $80 Billion Gamble and Dare to Dream, Dare to Act.
Cheryl is the CEO of Aussie Angels, on a mission to democratise angel investing in Australia & NZ. She’s an active angel investor with 20+ investments, a Venture Partner at Black Nova VC, and leads an angel syndicate with over 130 investors. She’s a strategic advisor for several startups, and in her spare time, she mentors for programs including Startmate and Founder Institute. A community-builder at heart, she recently held leadership roles at Stone & Chalk, and the Australian Computer Society. Before that she was the CEO of StartCon for 4 years, and created the APAC-wide Pitch for $1M competition. In case that’s not fun enough for you, Cheryl is also regularly featured on Startup Daily as the Pitch Doctor. Get in touch with https://au.linkedin.com/in/cherylmack (Cheryl)
Esther Oh, Founder and CEO of Agile 8 Traumatic experiences transformed Esther’s vision to deploy eXtended Reality + Artificial Intelligence to get mission critical work done much Smarter. Faster. Safer while protecting frontliners on-the-job. A pioneer who designed and implemented some of the world’s 1st breakthrough innovations, including global e-banking, biometric authentication, digital certification and AI predictive analytics for global banks, governments and multi-national corporations, Esther earned various recognition ranging from WA Innovator of the Year, Cyber Security Technology Award, WitWA Tech+ Award, Defence Agile Command & Control hackathon, Entrepreneurs Institute Global Impact Award, WA 40under40 award, Hong Kong Australia Business Award to Konica-Minolta Female Entrepreneur Award amongst many other excellence awards for innovating, optimising and globalising advanced technologies. With multiple qualifications in IT, commerce & law and a passion to upskill the next gen, she served on several boards and committees, including Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, CPA Australia and CITIC Pacific with Ministerial appointment to reform TAFE education to prepare our workforce for the Industry X Revolution where intelligence is the driving force of change. Get in touch with https://www.agile8.com.au/ (Esther).
Royce Crown is the Chief Executive Officer of Monarc Global. Monarc Global is the leader of real-time, accurate, automated pricing software for aircraft charter operators. As a helicopter pilot of 21 years, and over 20 years experience in hospitality globally, Royce has always seen a lack in customer service in the private aircraft charter industry, as well as the need for a more on-demand booking system giving existing and potential clients a centralised solution for viewing, booking and paying for private aircraft charter. Royce has been an entrepreneur since the age of 5 where he had a string of lemonade and Koolaid stands with a staff of 8 other kids aged 4-6. At the age of 19, Royce built his first food truck, and quickly grew that to 5 food trucks within 2 years. Royce transitioned from food carts in NY, London, France, Spain and NZ to helicopter transport to and from mega yachts in the Mediterranean. Royce obtained his commercial helicopter license at the age of 18, and was given his first job as a pilot at 23, when he was given the opportunity to fly guest to and from mega yachts in the Mediterranean in summers and volunteering as a pilot in Africa working with D.W.B, and W.H.O off season for 5 years. When arriving in Australia in 2012, Royce opened Bread & Meat Co. Bread & Meat Co quickly grew to three shops and 1 truck between Brisbane and Melbourne within the first 18 months of operations. At this point, the passion for hospitality wasn't as strong as Royce's passion for aviation. Royce began with Monarc Helicopter Airlines in 2013. The objective was to alleviate the commuter traffic on the M1 and M3 for corporates living in the Gold Coast and commuting to Brisbane. This quickly pivoted to Monarc Aviation, which was a rideshare app for helicopters and jets. It was here when Royce saw the true problem with how aircraft charter was broken. Monarc Global has released Travech, the first internal automated quoting system for fixed wing aircraft charter operators November 2019. Get in touch https://www.linkedin.com/in/royce-crown-335b4b123/ (Royce).
Greg’s extensive experience in corporates, SMEs and start- ups, has helped him hone a unique set of skills that recognises where enabling technologies combined with highly- scalable business models can result in fundable high performance operating businesses. With over 20 years experience in most facets of the emerging technology sector, Greg ran what was the first technology incubator in Perth, managed a fund investing in technology start-ups, has been a co-founder of a number technology businesses and more recently as an adviser to founders on how to become investment ready, how to get scale, create and capture value and how to position their ventures to harvest returns for shareholders, investors or stakeholders. In 2020, Greg was recognised as the Australian Angel Investor of the Year and was awarded the 2020 WA Pearcey Entrepreneur Award. Get in touch with https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregriebe/ (Greg).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieljovevski/ (Dan Jovevski) has a deep background in financial services and technology over the last 12 years in the consumer credit space. Prior FinTech founder with an exit (built and sold http://switchmyloan.com.au/ (SwitchMyLoan.com.au) to ASX listed Pioneer Credit). A lot of problems I saw in the consumer space with credit have bothered Dan, so he got sick and tired of waiting for someone to solve it, so he created https://www.wemoney.com.au/ (WeMoney). Get in touch with https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieljovevski/ (Dan).
Monique is the living example that combining a challenging and successful career with a very intense personal life is possible! She is the mother of 3 kids under the age of 5, including a set of twins, and is one of the Managing Partners at Visagio - a global consulting company. Engineer by background, she was born in Brazil and joined the company as an Intern, becoming a partner only 4 years later, as a recognition for being a top performer. She is extremely passionate about developing people, and her happiness comes from seeing the success of others. Is an advocate for diversion and inclusion in Australian workplaces, and knows there is a lot more that can be done in this space. Get in touch with https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquemvimercati/ (Monique).
Grace Mugabe CPA, GAICD is an award-winning money management expert and speaker who specializes in narrowing the financial wealth and information divide that acutely impacts women and minorities. In the years following the 2008 financial crisis, Grace walked away from a lucrative financial role in the mining sector to reroute her skills around financial literacy, management and business development to help improve the earning potential and financial infrastructure of businesses and communities led by underrepresented women and minorities. Under the banner of Financial Empowered, Grace has courted governments, schools, community organizations as well as the private sector at large as some of her most ardent supporters and clients. Moreover, she has sat on a number of boards some include the philanthropic fund, 100 Women, Business Station, and Ishar Multicultural Women's Centre, where she also chaired the Audit & Finance committee. She is an Auspire Inspiring Australian Ambassador and the ambassador for Behind the Brands, a community for female entrepreneurs in Australia. In these roles, Grace seeks to not only speaks up for those who are often forgotten but to also be an example of what is possible regardless of what ‘other’ category you may fall into. Get in touch with https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracemugabe/ (Grace).
Jill Tang is a serial entrepreneur, community builder and Women in STEM advocate. She is the co-founder of Ladies Who Tech, a social enterprise focusing on changing the status quo and promotes gender diversity and inclusion in STEM industry through offering digital upskilling education, career opportunities and community network. It connects more than 30,000+ members across all social media in greater China and now has presence in 11 cities including Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Forbes China, the Guardian, BBC, TechNode, Paper, CGTN and CNN also reported her work. Jill is the finalist for 2016 Australia China Young Alumni of the year and top 100 Gen T in China by Asia Tatler in 2019. In 2020, Jill was awarded ’Social Impact Award’ at AmCham Future Leaders of the Year Award. She holds Bachelor of Commerce from Latrobe University, Master of Applied Finance from Monash University and MBA from Melbourne Business School. Get in touch with https://www.linkedin.com/in/jilltang/ (Jill).
Lisa Shreeve has been lucky enough to work all around the world and now call Busselton home. As the CEO of the Busselton Jetty, Lisa is proud to work with a community of passionate locals who saved the Busselton Jetty after Cyclone Alby and continue to volunteer their time to the town’s heritage icon – that is Busselton Jetty Inc, the not for profit organisation that runs the businesses on the Jetty and contributes 25% of its ticket sales to its sustainability. In today’s competitive world and especially post COVID, the Busselton Jetty has to keep reinventing itself to continue to attract tourists. Lisa started at the Jetty in January 2015 and with the Board of Management, BJI has ambitious plans to grow and develop tourism to attract over 1 million visitors per year. Lisa has a Bachelor of Business, a Masters in Regional Development, has worked in the non-profit, public sector and private sector for the past 29 years. BJI’s mission is to ensure the Jetty is here for future generations and it is Lisa’s goal to ensure her grandchildren get to enjoy it and pass this legacy on. Lisa has been an Olympic torchbearer on two occasions, represented Australia at the United Nations, captained a State Netball team and won many awards in her career including being a Telstra Small Business Finalist and Young Australian of the Year finalist. She is loving her job at the Busselton Jetty, recently awarded WA’s Major Tourist Attraction in 2018 and 2019 and in 2019 the Sir David Brand Medal for Tourism, and is enjoying getting out and about to meet people and talk about the huge opportunities for the Jetty and Tourism in WA. Get in touch with https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-shreeve-a8981557/ (Lisa).
Elizabeth Knight is an entrepreneur with a big dream to transform our education system and how we prepare young people for their futures here in WA. She is the founder of Purposeful, a ed-tech startup helping students to find their place in the world, through their self-exploration and purpose-discovery programs. During her time at university, she is fortunate to have led Bloom, a youth-led incubator that acts as the catalyst for early stage founders to begin their entrepreneurial journey in WA. She is a Fogarty Scholar, a TEDx presenter, Plus 8 accelerator participant and in 2019 received the Boston Consulting Group Scholarship for Australia & New Zealand. Get in touch with https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-knight-009757149/ (Elizabeth).
Dinia is a Gender Equality Advisor, passionate about teaching and implementing mechanisms that allow conciliating personal, work, and family balance. She has experience in Strategic Consulting, Revenue Management, and Customer Service in Fortune 500 Companies. She is certified as Gender Equality Advisor by UNPD (Panama), MSc in Business Administration at Instituto COPPEAD (UFRJ-Brazil), Industrial Engineer at Universidad de Costa Rica (Costa Rica). Get in touch with https://www.linkedin.com/in/diniamongemora/ (Dinia).
Paula Rogers Paula Rogers has over 20 years’ experience in management, sales, marketing and business development in other roles such as Publisher and CEO, General Manager, Professional Services BD, Communications and Marketing Manager. She has significant expertise in economic development, stakeholder engagement, communications both traditional and digital, events development, management and execution including sales and marketing initiatives and fundraising. Until July 2020, Paula was the State Director of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) and developed a program supporting and promoting the social, environmental, and economic development of the State and Australia. She now runs her own consulting business Paula Rogers Consulting and some executive search appointments with a global firm, Stanton Chase. Paula is also a board director on three boards, North Metro Health Services (NMHS), Barking Gecko Theatre and Edith Cowan College. She has completed the AICD Company Director course and was selected to be a part of the 2017 Director Pipeline Program and graduated from the ELIAS Leadership program with the Centre for Social Impact in 2019. With a B.Soc.Sci. from University College Dublin (UCD) Ireland. Paula has strong connections in the public, private and community sectors. She understands the key economic drivers for WA and is a passionate advocate for Perth and WA and in making a difference to our world and WA. Get in touch with https://www.linkedin.com/in/paularogers1/ (Paula).
Katie is the property journalist at WA Business News. Katie started with the company in 2016, shortly after completing a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Western Australia. Katie left Business News in 2018 for a stint in copywriting before returning to the editorial team last year. During her professional career, Katie has received several awards for her writing, including a few honors at the MEAA's State Media Awards and being named a national finalist for the Association for Data-driven Marketing and Advertising's Young Creative of the Year in 2019. Get in touch with https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiejmcdonald/ (Katie).
Yola Bakker is a creative spirit for change that traverses an incredibly diverse array of intersectionality. Pursuing her calling as a professional artist at the Jakarta Institute of Arts early in her career cemented her commitment to creative process and more importantly her resilience to pressures of superficial conformity, tokenism and the conventional thinking/methodologies that support the status quo for un-holistic practice. From the performing arts to real estate, the consular corps and human rights, to social & environmental impact, Yola is now based in Western Australia bringing her creative flair to the resource sector and multicultural communities. She is a formidable advocate for inclusive processes that authentically enhances diversity as building blocks for growing equity, often exposing the echo chambers of complacency that exist within the individual and therefore institution. She founded LANAH, a profit-for-purpose that builds people solutions to place problems, from the ground up as a legacy for meaningful change. Yola is an influential leader within the organisations and communities she serves. As the first ever recipient of the Alumni Scholarship on the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation's flagship program, and the first ever woman employed by the Western Mine Workers' Alliance, her natural style and passion are attractive to those that are either inspired or challenged by her - often both! As a Makassan Moluccan woman, cultural cultivation shapes the definitive set of values by which she works and plays, underpinning her astute business drive, personal practice framework, overall character and genuine capacity to connect. Carrying herself as a multi-disciplinary artist regardless of the industries she moves in, she practices the use of language (poetry), imagery (design & photography) and movement (dance) to shift individuals, families and communities. Difficult to define and impossible to label is just the way she likes to stay. Get in touch with https://www.linkedin.com/in/yola-bakker-ab25a841/ (Yola).
Jemma Greene is the Executive Director Transformation with South Metropolitan Health Services (SMHS). Based at Fiona Stanley Hospital, she is responsible for providing executive leadership across innovation, research & development, informatics and organisational development. Prior to joining SMHS, Jemma was the Chief Innovation Officer within Local Government. She has a passion for driving change that adds value within a Government context, which she demonstrates in the application of intrapreneur leadership that embraces creativity and collaboration. Jemma was a finalist in the 2020 Telstra Business Women’s Award for Public Sector & Academia and winner of the Public Sector Leadership Award through the Perth Business Women’s Alliance in 2019. Her career prior to working in government innovation, included almost 15 years in generalist Human Resources and Business Improvement leadership roles across the private sector. Jemma’s strong advocacy for innovation capability building across Government and her ability to collaborate with external partners has seen her invited to speak nationally and internationally on the subject. She has co-designed and co-delivered civic innovation masterclasses around Australia in partnership with a Harvard Professor and is a co-founder of the Switch Innovation Program delivered through Curtin University Graduate Business School. Jemma is an Advisory Board Member for Western Australia Leaders, an Healthcare Advisory Panel member with Enterprise Ireland, and represents Australia on the Global Innovation Management Institute’s International Innovation Think Tank Group. Get in touch with https://www.linkedin.com/in/jemmagreene/ (Jemma).
Pia manages a portfolio career, holding a number of positions that are connected through a common focus on the opportunities that innovation, technology and diversification offer. Her experience is a result of over 30 years across the private, not for profit and government sectors. She commenced her career as a corporate lawyer in Sydney and later practiced commercial law in Western Australia. Evolving from legal advisor to commercial director, I have held senior positions within the industry, provided leadership and governance as a company director across a range of businesses, and facilitated innovation through a number of State and Federal Government initiatives. Get in touch with Pia.
Shivani is the CEO of The Remarkable Women. Her passion for empowering women comes from a personal place, crediting her financial independence as a life raft for being able to leave an early adult marriage. “Money is critical in life for the choices it affords you” says Shivani. It gave her a first hand understanding of the importance of personal, professional and financial independence for women - which she now fuels into the work she does at The Remarkable Woman every day. Shivani has gone on to win the Top 50 Small Business Leaders award and has quickly become recognised as a feminist thought leader for women, helping them navigate their careers, businesses and financial success. Get in touch with https://www.theremarkablewoman.com.au/about-shivani-gopal (Shivani).
Alison began her career in teaching before diverting to child care management, professional learning and sales. She is known for her creativity and has utilised this to design learning experiences that provoke critical thinking and the authentic use of technology. Her experience as a business development manger led to the creation of Frogponds when she saw solutions for both sides of the procurement process. Nothing is more important to Alison that the happiness and success of those around her. Jodie is a highly qualified and experienced educator with a passion for details. Her extensive career spans early learning through to university lecturing and beyond. As a professional learning consultant she designed and facilitated workshops and coaching programs to support teachers integrating digital technologies in the classroom. She co-created Frogponds to help drive equality and integrity in education. Jodie brings a wealth of experience not only in education but across business and technology after time in account management and procurement. Those that know Jodie appreciate her ability to express deep sentiment with a single facial expression. Get in touch with https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-welsh-091a5893/ (Alison) and https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodie-rybicki-8a23642b/ (Jodie).
Tracie is an entrepreneur, board member, adviser and investment professional with extensive experience in business strategy, investment management, financial services and company accounting. She has founded two successful financial services businesses and has a passion for supporting and mentoring future entrepreneurs – Vice chair of Perth Angels and member of Scale investors she is an active Angel investor, and has provided support and advice to numerous start-ups from inception to exit. Get in touch with https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracie-clark-26263b53/ (Tracie).
Courtney Barron is a Senior Executive in the Western Australian Government. Over the past 12 years, Courtney has undertaken a range of legal and policy roles in Government, and in her current position as Director of Executive Government Services at the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, she is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Cabinet, its sub-Committees and Executive Council. With lived experience of the welfare and public housing system, Courtney is a vocal advocate for women, in particular in relation to employment, housing and health. She pursues these passions through mentoring and board work. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts (honours) from the University of Western Australia, and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice. Get in touch with https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyjpb/ (Courtney).
Kate is a passionate advocate for women in STEM and the innovation ecosystem. Founder of She Codes, she has led the steep growth of the project since 2015. Thanks to her work, more than 4500 women have learnt to code through free programs. With a regional upbringing, she strongly believes in empowering women from the world’s remotest regions, providing opportunities for women from as far north as Port Hedland and Karratha, and east as far as Brisbane. Kate has also contributed to the growth of the startup ecosystem and Spacecubed, and since 2014 has played a pivotal role in building community and coordinating other programs including Plus Eight, Startup Weekend and Meshpoints. She is also an Activator for SheEO, personally committed to funding female founded startups. Kate was awarded the West Australian Rising Star award, was a runner up for the 2019 and 2020 Seven News Young Achiever Awards, and recently Kate made to the 2021 40under40 Award Winner list. Get in touch with https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-kirwin/ (Kate).
Suzanne Waldron is a behavioural change facilitator, interviewer and curator. Working globally with influential leaders, her focus is on embedding healthy relationships within ethical systems. For business, community and culture. She's an active ambassador for RUOK?, Nakuru Hope, and leads the TEDxPerth team. A twice published author, Suzanne has also been nominated for Western Australian of the Year 2016. Get in touch with Suzanne.
Changing The Game is going live on Wednesday, the 10th of March. I have had the privilege of already interviewing Suzanne Waldron, Kate Kirwin, Courtney Barron and Tracie Clark and can't wait to share their incredible stories with you. Join me and some incredible people on the 10th of March at 9am, as we launch the Changing The Game show officially.
Introduction to Changing The Game: Discussing the importance of innovation and diversity for transforming and creating a new reality, and how education is the key. We will deep dive in successes and failures that all listeners can learn from.