Allan Lalic is the founder and CEO of Kebloom, based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He is deeply committed to empowering young people to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. By establishing Kebloom, Allan has…
Allan Lalic is the founder and CEO of Kebloom, based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He is deeply committed to empowering young people to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. By establishing Kebloom, Allan has created a platform designed to catalyze opportunities for youth aspiring to become successful entrepreneurs. His dedication has led to the facilitation of numerous workshops, resulting in increased confidence among participants, successful business launches, and a wealth of inspiring entrepreneurial success stories.
With over 20 years of experience in the finance and software sectors, Allan brings a wealth of knowledge from a diverse array of organizations. His career includes roles at small startups, large corporations, and private banking institutions, as well as launching and managing his own financial planning business as a qualified financial planner. This extensive background has equipped him with a unique perspective on strategy, innovation, growth, and business development, laying a solid foundation for Kebloom's vision and success.
Allan's involvement in mentoring and advisory roles further highlights his commitment to supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs. He serves as a student mentor for the Generation Entrepreneur Group, helping young individuals bring their ideas to fruition. As a peer mentor with the Founder Institute and a strategic adviser for the ViiSR Platform, he collaborates with other experts to guide startups and scaleups towards achieving their business goals.
In addition to his entrepreneurial and mentorship activities, Allan has been recognized for his accomplishments in fundraising and business development. As a co-founder of Kebloom, he successfully raised capital from notable investors, including Telstra. His leadership in launching key projects—such as a Minimum Viable Product within four months—demonstrates his ability to execute strategies effectively. Allan's passion for innovation and dedication to fostering entrepreneurial success mark him as a vital figure in the startup ecosystem.
#business-development#edu#founder
Alon Zweig (PhD)
AI/ML/CV Researcher/Developer/Leader
An AI/ML/CV Researcher/Developer/Leader. 20 Years in the field. Experience in academia, startups and large enterprises. Currently working as an IC at Canva focusing on AI for Video editing. Also acting as Chief AI…
An AI/ML/CV Researcher/Developer/Leader. 20 Years in the field. Experience in academia, startups and large enterprises. Currently working as an IC at Canva focusing on AI for Video editing. Also acting as Chief AI officer at Qylur Intelligent Systems and involved in a few other startup initiatives.
#aiml#science#technology
Asthaar Kool
Asthaar Kool is the Founder of Koollab, a brand and go-to-market agency helping tech startups turn complex products into clear, memorable brands. With a background in venture capital and experience working with…
Asthaar Kool is the Founder of Koollab, a brand and go-to-market agency helping tech startups turn complex products into clear, memorable brands. With a background in venture capital and experience working with companies across Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States, she helps startups build brands that are impossible to ignore.
#branding#marketing
Celine Nguyen
Founder of Zenify Investments
Founder of Zenify Investments. We specialise in mergers and acquisitions, focusing on small to medium-sized deals or transactions involving small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with under $50m in revenue. By nature…
Founder of Zenify Investments. We specialise in mergers and acquisitions, focusing on small to medium-sized deals or transactions involving small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with under $50m in revenue. By nature, I'm a go-getter, a doer, someone who makes things happen. I'm hyper-analytical, always in due diligence mode. These are my superpowers.
Of all the things I could do, I chose to focus my superpowers on helping ambitious business leaders and founders - those who don't want to settle for ordinary growth, those itching to leave a mark, and those who want to do things differently. They know the right merger or acquisition can fast-track their vision. But they also understand that getting it wrong can have serious consequences. So they need someone capable - someone they can trust. That's where I come in.
My role is to help them answer critical questions:
1. Will this deal make our business stronger, more competitive, and more valuable?
2. How do we structure it to minimise risks - risk of picking the wrong company, risk of paying too much, or overpaying, risk of post-deal disasters - all of which could ultimately undermine the very purpose of pursuing M&A in the first place?
With Zenify, you get Tier 1 Firm M&A Execution for a Fraction of the Tier 1 Firm Price Tag.
If you need help assessing deals, structuring acquisitions, or navigating the M&A process, feel free to reach out.
Email: celine @ zenifyinvestments.au
WhatsApp/Viber/WeChat: +61 404 887 166
TikTok: tiktok.com/@zenifyinvestments.au
#business-development#funding#investment#ipo#vc
Danny Bhandari
Exited Founder and Active Investor
Exited Founder and Active Investor. I co-founded Tibra Capital and exited in 2019, background in financial markets and algorithmic trading. 15+ years as an angel investor, mentor, company director and advisor. Building…
Exited Founder and Active Investor. I co-founded Tibra Capital and exited in 2019, background in financial markets and algorithmic trading. 15+ years as an angel investor, mentor, company director and advisor. Building projects in hedge funds, robotics and automation and occasionally incubating startups with small, talented teams.
#financing#investor#trading-algorithms
Dina Saffer Myers
MD of Paradyme Consulting
The Strategist Behind Paradyme - Dina is the MD of Paradyme Consulting. She is a student of strategy with a track record of shaping growth and transformation for some of the world's most respected businesses…
The Strategist Behind Paradyme - Dina is the MD of Paradyme Consulting. She is a student of strategy with a track record of shaping growth and transformation for some of the world's most respected businesses, organisations and brands. Her experience spans the corporate world, education sector, sustainability and community organisations.
Global Experience. Local Impact. - Dina's career includes leadership roles with multinational giants and has worked with global and iconic local brands across Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Asia, and Africa. As a former Marketing Director at Procter & Gamble South Africa—and later in regional roles—she led large-scale strategy and transformation initiatives with measurable results.
What Sets Dina Apart:
• Sharp Strategic Insight: Dina distils complexity into clear, actionable roadmaps.
• Trusted by Leaders: Known for her pragmatic, results-focused approach.
• Collaborative by Nature: She builds alignment through deep curiosity and meaningful stakeholder engagement.
• Proven Track Record: From boardrooms to teams, she brings strategies to life—consistently and effectively.
#consulting#leadership#marketing#strategy
Dror Ben-Naim (PhD)
Empress VC Partner
Founder and former CEO of Smart Sparrow, Dror is a deep tech entrepreneur turned venture investor. His work in adaptive learning technology began at UNSW and evolved into one of Australia's most notable edtech ventures…
Founder and former CEO of Smart Sparrow, Dror is a deep tech entrepreneur turned venture investor. His work in adaptive learning technology began at UNSW and evolved into one of Australia's most notable edtech ventures. Today, he's Chief AI Investment Strategist at Empress Capital. At Empress Capital he backs ambitious AI founders and shapes the firm's thesis around next-gen reasoning models. With a background in physics, computer science, and AI, Dror brings a rare blend of technical depth and storytelling flair to everything he does.
#aiml#edu#founder#vc
Eran Ben-Shahar
CTO/CEO with multiple exits
I'm a walk-the-talk technology executive, serial entrepreneur, and strategy and business development manager. In my free time, I also serve as a startup advisor. Currently, as the CTO of LeapForward in Sydney, I'm happy…
I'm a walk-the-talk technology executive, serial entrepreneur, and strategy and business development manager. In my free time, I also serve as a startup advisor. Currently, as the CTO of LeapForward in Sydney, I'm happy to offer technical advice and ideas to anyone who needs them.
Sydney CTPs groupSydney Startups Pro Group#adviser#business-development#cto#series-a
Erick Avina
Founder
Spent a year building an MVP nobody wanted. Now focused on no/low-code and generative AI to ship faster, while understanding the real constraints of these tools, with ability in short-form content and automation.
Evelina Kek
Experienced Product Manager
Evelina cares deeply about building products that people actually enjoy using - blending technical skills with a strong instinct for user experience. She's worked across SaaS, edtech, AI and early-stage startups, often…
Evelina cares deeply about building products that people actually enjoy using - blending technical skills with a strong instinct for user experience. She's worked across SaaS, edtech, AI and early-stage startups, often jumping into the unknown and helping bring order to the chaos. She's the kind of person who asks the right questions, connects the dots, and keeps things moving. Thoughtful, hands-on, and always focused on what's most useful, Evelina brings calm and clarity to fast-paced teams.
#cpo#leadership#product#projectmanager#strategy
Gil Chamiel (PhD)
VP of Algorithms and Data Science at Taboola
Gil Chamiel is the VP of Algorithms and Data Science at Taboola, a leading AI-powered performance marketing technology company. He holds a PhD in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) from the University of New…
Gil Chamiel is the VP of Algorithms and Data Science at Taboola, a leading AI-powered performance marketing technology company. He holds a PhD in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) from the University of New South Wales. At Taboola, Gil leads the company's global AI and machine learning R&D efforts, overseeing a team of over 100 machine learning engineers and data scientists across multiple international R&D centers.
Gil began his career as a software engineer while completing his undergraduate degree in Computer Science. He went on to earn both a Master's and a PhD from the University of New South Wales, focusing his research on personalization and preference elicitation—specifically, how AI and structured information can be leveraged to enhance personalization.
In late 2010, after completing his PhD, Gil joined Taboola as the company's first algorithm engineer. Then a small startup building a recommendation engine to help users discover content on the open web, Taboola provided Gil the opportunity to shape a hybrid role that combined research, data science, and software engineering. In 2014, he established and began growing the company's first machine learning team. Under Gil's leadership, the team has developed highly impactful machine learning platforms and models that sit at the core of Taboola's growth and success. As the company scaled, so did the team, and in 2019, Gil was appointed VP of R&D, Algorithms.
Gil brings deep expertise in predictive modeling, deep learning, generative AI, big data technologies, and large-scale machine learning platforms. In addition to his technical skills, he is a seasoned technology leader and R&D executive with extensive experience building and managing high-impact teams.
#aiml#data#leadership
Greg Einfeld
Founder and CEO of Lime Actuarial and Price Wizard.
Greg is the Founder and CEO of Lime Actuarial and Price Wizard. Greg founded Price Wizard in 2019, a platform that provides dynamic pricing services for Build-to-Rent and accommodation businesses through data analytics…
Greg is the Founder and CEO of Lime Actuarial and Price Wizard. Greg founded Price Wizard in 2019, a platform that provides dynamic pricing services for Build-to-Rent and accommodation businesses through data analytics and AI-based pricing strategies. He established Lime Actuarial in 2013, which provides instantaneous SMSF actuarial certificates. He also founded and exited other businesses in the fintech and wealth management space. Greg previously worked at MLC in various roles including CEO of Life Insurance, General Manager M&A, and Head of Strategy & Planning. He was also Pricing Actuary at Lend Lease. Greg holds an MBA and MEc degrees. He is a director of the Hakoah Club and Wolper Hospital Foundation.
#dynamicpricing#smsf
Günther Petelin
Founder of PTLN. Fractional CMO
Günther Petelin, founder of PTLN. Operator and fractional CMO for finance and tech startups, bridging Europe and APAC.
Austrian, Sydney-based. Twelve years in banking, consulting and fintech. He built his track…
Günther Petelin, founder of PTLN. Operator and fractional CMO for finance and tech startups, bridging Europe and APAC.
Austrian, Sydney-based. Twelve years in banking, consulting and fintech. He built his track record in Europe, the world's largest single market, spending 2014 to 2022 as an operator inside the industry, including scaling the investment business at Raisin (one of Europe's largest savings and investment platforms) and building out its robo-advisor. Independent since 2022, he now brings that playbook to the APAC region as a fractional CMO: positioning, messaging, PR and go-to-market. It runs both ways. He takes APAC founders into Europe and DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), and brings hard-won European operating experience to companies building here.
#fintech#growthmarketing#marketing
Hannah Deuk
Principal Lawyer and Founder of Click Legal
Principal Lawyer and Founder of Click Legal, a boutique law firm supporting entrepreneurs, financial institutions, and small business owners. We offer fractional general counsel services and software solutions to help…
Principal Lawyer and Founder of Click Legal, a boutique law firm supporting entrepreneurs, financial institutions, and small business owners. We offer fractional general counsel services and software solutions to help clients navigate legal risk while building robust, scalable businesses.
#fintech#founder#legal
Hemi Gur Ary
CTO, DevOps and tech lead
As the CTO of a technology and cybersecurity boutique consultancy, I spent six years of my career growing our company's technology capabilities, while also helping our clients shape and build their own tech. I helped my…
As the CTO of a technology and cybersecurity boutique consultancy, I spent six years of my career growing our company's technology capabilities, while also helping our clients shape and build their own tech. I helped my clients develop go-to-market strategies, compliance programs, security features, and complete transformation programs. I provided one of my clients with a PCI-DSS-compliant on-premise to AWS migration plan and architecture. The challenges included a CDN strategy and the modernisation of legacy Perl code.
organisations by adopting collaborative and agile technologies that accelerate innovation. Over the last four years, I've been heavily invested in platform engineering within organisations such as WoolworthsX and Resolution Life. These experiences have shown me how much mature shared services and Developer eXperience can positively impact outcomes.
I hold a degree in Economics and Logistics and have a long career in banking, cloud, and security. Outside of work, I enjoy working with organisations such as OWASP and other security associations. I talk at conferences, get involved in projects, and used to lead local chapters
Trained as a physicist, currently CTO at a seed-stage startup. I am here to learn and offer perspective where I can. My strengths lie in quantitative analysis, leading R&D projects, and designing useful systems, with…
Trained as a physicist, currently CTO at a seed-stage startup. I am here to learn and offer perspective where I can. My strengths lie in quantitative analysis, leading R&D projects, and designing useful systems, with subject matter expertise spanning physical science, scientific computing and software, machine learning, and hardware prototyping. My work has set records, achieved world-first results, and published in Science.
#aiml#cto#science#technology
Jag Kandasamy
CTO & Principal at Designpluz
As the CTO & Principal at Designpluz, I operate at the intersection of high-level technical strategy and hands-on architectural excellence. My core mission is to empower our clients by transforming their digital…
As the CTO & Principal at Designpluz, I operate at the intersection of high-level technical strategy and hands-on architectural excellence. My core mission is to empower our clients by transforming their digital ambitions into powerful, enterprise-grade software solutions.
With over two decades of experience in the software industry, I have a proven history of not just building applications, but creating significant value. I've personally led the architectural design and development of SaaS products now valued at over $10 million, guiding them from a simple concept to a market-ready platform.
The bedrock of my technical expertise is in .NET and C#, and I specialize in architecting modern, decoupled systems using microservices and MACH architecture (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless). I lead the development of sophisticated front-end experiences with Angular and JavaScript, ensuring our solutions are as intuitive as they are powerful.
Ultimately, my passion is to leverage this blend of strategic architecture and technical skill to solve your most critical business problems, ensuring every solution we build delivers tangible, lasting results.
#c#leadership#net#saas
Jason D'Souza
CTO at Flurry Fit
Based in Sydney, Jason is a seasoned software engineering leader with a strong foundation in full-stack and backend development, cloud infrastructure, and system design. With over a decade of experience across startups…
Based in Sydney, Jason is a seasoned software engineering leader with a strong foundation in full-stack and backend development, cloud infrastructure, and system design. With over a decade of experience across startups, scale-ups, and enterprises, he brings a pragmatic yet forward-thinking mindset to building resilient, high-performing engineering teams.
Jason thrives at the intersection of people, process, and technology. Whether building AI fitness agents, architecting scalable platforms, or nurturing junior engineers into leaders, he believes in engineering as a force multiplier—not just for business value, but for human potential.
#cto
Jessye Clayton
Podcast producer and host
Hi, I'm Jessye - Podcast producer and host with a passion for creating audio that connects on a deeper level. I bring together inspiring content and down-to-earth, authentic conversations that truly resonate with…
Hi, I'm Jessye - Podcast producer and host with a passion for creating audio that connects on a deeper level. I bring together inspiring content and down-to-earth, authentic conversations that truly resonate with audiences. My focus is on crafting audio that inspires, engages, and leaves a lasting impression; whether it’s a branded series, directing guest interviews, an original show, or a one-off episode that hits home. From concept to launch (and everything in between), I believe in the power of voice to spark inspiration, connect communities, and fuel meaningful change. At the heart of it all: content that’s not only inspiring, but something we can all take stock in.
Let’s chat.
Joe Purves
User Experience (UX) specialist
I'm a curious User Experience (UX) specialist based in Sydney. I come officially Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g) UX Certified and have worked on dozens of successful Digital projects. I'm passionate about leveraging AI in…
I'm a curious User Experience (UX) specialist based in Sydney. I come officially Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g) UX Certified and have worked on dozens of successful Digital projects. I'm passionate about leveraging AI in UX to enhance workflows and streamline processes. I am lucky enough to be a multi-Award Winner: AMY "Digital Person of the Year" Award, Westpac "Digital Superstar" Award, AFR "Fast Starters" Award (47.1% Growth) and Deloitte "Tech Fast 50" Award (1,354% Growth).
A key asset is my entrepreneurial streak; I started, built and scaled a digital agency called DMG and sold (via Geronimo M&A) to a Global company called SmartMedia Technologies with offices in New York, LA, London and Switzerland.
My client experience includes Westpac, CommBank, Citi, Optus, Telstra, ABC, Stan and Virgin. And my passion is helping Startups scale via harnessing UX processing and AI augmentation. My strapline is: Design with Purpose
On top of being a Westpac UX Principal, I do swimming, gymming and tennis, and I'm open to collaborating on a few UX side projects - let's chat. I stay humble by mentoring UX professionals and to give back, I'm about to launch a free UX Community: UX.com.au
Are your digital products and services creating exceptional experiences for your users? If not, reach out to me for a UX Audit. I'd love to help you push innovation and deliver engaging and immersive digital experiences for your precious users. UX is Paramount !
#design#uiux
Josh O'Sullivan
5x Australian Ninja Warrior Grand Finalist
Founder of Workabl.ai, I help businesses automate intelligently using AI, systems thinking, and no-code tools. I'm a 5x Australian Ninja Warrior Grand Finalist, co-holder of the world record for the highest Warped Wall…
Founder of Workabl.ai, I help businesses automate intelligently using AI, systems thinking, and no-code tools. I'm a 5x Australian Ninja Warrior Grand Finalist, co-holder of the world record for the highest Warped Wall, and part of Team Australia's win on ANW: USA vs The World. I'm also a multiple-time BJJ champion, Subversion titleholder, and Olympic Judo draft Athlete. Now I channel that performance mindset into building scalable automation systems, from $0 to $200K/month as a solo founder using AI, not headcount. If you're building lean and bold, let's connect.
#aiml#founder#proptech
Junyi Zhu
Founder of Architag SaaS
Junyi Zhu is the founder of Architag, a Sydney-based SaaS platform transforming how architects and interior designers source and manage product specifications. A registered architect since 2011, Junyi also leads a…
Junyi Zhu is the founder of Architag, a Sydney-based SaaS platform transforming how architects and interior designers source and manage product specifications. A registered architect since 2011, Junyi also leads a design studio with a team of five talented architects.
Passionate about spatial design, AI, and product innovation, she created Architag to bridge creativity with technology and simplify workflows across the design industry. Since founding the platform in 2019, her mission has been to connect building material suppliers with local architects and specifiers—delivering accurate, up-to-date product information while reducing repetitive administration. Beyond her practice, Junyi is fuelled by entrepreneurial spirit and the belief that collaboration is key to shaping the future of design.
Kae Porter is the founder and CEO of Amicii, a hospitality tech platform designed to help venue owners and managers attract, engage, connect and reward their customers by leveraging their foundational purpose of…
Kae Porter is the founder and CEO of Amicii, a hospitality tech platform designed to help venue owners and managers attract, engage, connect and reward their customers by leveraging their foundational purpose of fostering human connection.
New to the tech startup world, Kae brings 25 years' experience in marketing, communications, PR and events management. For ten of those years, she was the founder and CEO of an award-winning PR and comms agency, focusing on for-purpose and community-building projects. The agency was founded with purpose-led business at its core and certified as a B Corp in 2018, successfully recertifying in 2022, and recognised as a Best For The World B Corp for three consecutive years, putting them in the top 5% of B Corps globally.
A purpose-driven leader, Kae's driving force has always been community and connection. To fulfil this drive, she has held several volunteer roles in recent years, including being a member of the Whitelion NSW Ambassador team and holding the Events Chair for B Local Sydney from its formation in 2019 throughout the pandemic. This community focus is carried through into her current venture, which aims to create social connection, reignite community and rebuild thriving local economies at scale.
Passionate about bringing people together, Kae loves nothing better than gathering around a table for great food, fine wine and stimulating conversation!
Kevin Jochelson
Serial entrepreneur, investor, and coach
Kev Jochelson is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and startup coach who works with early-stage startup founders to stress-test ideas, hit product-market fit, and get a taste of their first revenue. He is the Founder and…
Kev Jochelson is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and startup coach who works with early-stage startup founders to stress-test ideas, hit product-market fit, and get a taste of their first revenue. He is the Founder and Head Coach at OPSIZE, bringing hands-on expertise to help startups dodge costly mistakes, validate faster, and take their startup to the next level. Kev's approach is shaped by real-world experience—from his "Bootstrap Sabbatical," where he built and launched multiple businesses in 12 months, to his time as employee #2 at Blackbird-backed Workyard, where he led operations across Sydney and California as the company scaled from marketplace to SaaS, raised $10M+, and hit eight-figure revenue.
More than a decade ago, Kev founded Fiestafy, a two-sided marketplace and adtech platform that expanded from Sydney to Singapore and London, and was an early team member at Jayride (ASX:JAY). He began his career in investment banking at UBS, working across Equities and Operations in Sydney and Hong Kong.
A sought-after speaker, guest lecturer, and mentor, Kev advises Blackbird Giants, Startmate, LaunchVic, TechStars, and various startups. He's passionate about travel, art, music, great food, and good coffee.
Contact Kev at Opsize.co
Kurt Yang
Experienced product leader
Kurt is an experienced product leader, passionate about leveraging innovative digital technologies and lean product management methodology to help organisations and customers solve their problems effectively. Over the…
Kurt is an experienced product leader, passionate about leveraging innovative digital technologies and lean product management methodology to help organisations and customers solve their problems effectively. Over the years, Kurt accumulated solid product management experience from companies like CBA, VMware, and Cashrewards. Kurt also provides lean product management consulting to startups and product coaching to individuals.
Laura Haines
CTO and CPO with over 20 years of experience
Meet Laura [Haines] - CTO at CES (the technology behind returning your container for 10c across Australia).
She's a seasoned CTO and CPO with over 20 years of experience leading technology and product teams across…
Meet Laura [Haines] - CTO at CES (the technology behind returning your container for 10c across Australia).
She's a seasoned CTO and CPO with over 20 years of experience leading technology and product teams across Europe, the US, and Australia.
Laura’s helped scale companies like Canva, Typeform, and Skyscanner, and these days she also advises founders, startups, and boards on how to grow with clarity and confidence.
In short – if it involves turning chaos into scale, Laura’s probably done it, and lived to tell the tale.
#circulareconomy#cpo#cto#scale
Leigh Davidson (Dr.)
Founder, Your Vet Online
Founder, Your Vet Online | Founder, Vet My Super Veterinarian | HealthTech, Fintech Founder | Media Contributor. About me: I am a veterinarian, entrepreneur, and founder of Your Vet Online, a digital health platform…
Founder, Your Vet Online | Founder, Vet My Super Veterinarian | HealthTech, Fintech Founder | Media Contributor. About me: I am a veterinarian, entrepreneur, and founder of Your Vet Online, a digital health platform providing 24/7 online access to vets across Australia and New Zealand. I'm also a founder of VetMySuper, a social enterprise helping workers track unpaid superannuation (early stage). With a career spanning clinical practice, pharmaceutical consulting, and digital media, I bring a deep understanding of both animal health and human behaviour. I've worked across vet, equine, and farming sectors, and regularly appear on TV and radio to demystify pet health and industry issues.
Why I am here: To connect with forward-thinking founders and investors across health, media, and tech. I'm especially interested in partnerships that blend purpose with innovation — and love a good blue sky session.
Strengths: Health tech innovation ; Strategic content + brand building ; Deep vertical knowledge (vet/pharma/agriculture) ; Media experience: TV, radio, social ; Commercial savvy across B2C and B2B models
Fun fact: I've bootstrapped both digital & concrete vet businesses, worked with elite racehorses and wild animals, and now I'm chasing down superannuation thieves through tech. Always keen to swap stories or explore big ideas over coffee (or a G&T).
yourvetonline.com | vetmysuper.com
#fintech#founder#healthcare#media
Lex Kuncevic (MSc, GDE)
19+ years building from zero to one—and beyond
Recognised tech leader. Hands-on technical advisor, educator, and systems thinker focused on solving interesting problems and tech challenges at different stages of the business growth. With a background in software…
Recognised tech leader. Hands-on technical advisor, educator, and systems thinker focused on solving interesting problems and tech challenges at different stages of the business growth. With a background in software engineering and entrepreneurship, Lex helps businesses overcoming ambiguity, navigating the tech stack landscape, and build for purpose. He brings clarity and a practical mindset to hard technical and operational problems. Collaboration and transparency lies at the core of his approach.
Liisa Hiltunen is an ideas-driven startup founder developing a social impact startup to address loneliness and strengthen human connection in Australia, while seeking collaborators to help bring the vision to life. She…
Liisa Hiltunen is an ideas-driven startup founder developing a social impact startup to address loneliness and strengthen human connection in Australia, while seeking collaborators to help bring the vision to life. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (PACFA), executive coach, and trauma-informed specialist with over 20 years of experience.
#founder
Liz Wilson
Founder and principal of Wilson Financial
Liz Wilson is the founder and principal of Wilson Financial, a multi-award-winning financial services firm based in the Southern Highlands. Over the past twenty years she has grown the company into a diversified…
Liz Wilson is the founder and principal of Wilson Financial, a multi-award-winning financial services firm based in the Southern Highlands. Over the past twenty years she has grown the company into a diversified practice offering residential and commercial lending, leasing and asset finance, financial planning, and general insurance broking. Supported by a strong professional team, Wilson Financial has become known for delivering complex lending and structuring solutions with a high level of compliance and client care, particularly in the self-employed space.
Liz has been consistently recognised in the industry. She won the Australian Broking Awards 2021 – Regional Broker of the Year, and was recognised by her licensee, Astute Financial, with Business Operator of the Year (2021) and Leadership of the Year (2017). These acknowledgements, amongst others, highlight her commitment to growth in an ever-changing yet tightly regulated sector.
Her experience in navigating the operational challenges of a busy, regulated business has sparked her interest in how technology can be used to drive efficiencies across industries. Liz brings not only domain expertise but also a proven track record of execution—having scaled a high-compliance business operating under three financial licences while maintaining strong client outcomes and staff culture. Having identified gaps in how financial services technology supports efficiency and compliance, she is now working with technology leaders on solutions designed to move the industry forward.
Founding Engineer | Head of Engineering | Fintech & AI
I'm a hands-on engineering leader with more than 20 years of experience building software products from idea to production. I've spent most of my career designing and implementing backend platforms in fintech, payments…
I'm a hands-on engineering leader with more than 20 years of experience building software products from idea to production. I've spent most of my career designing and implementing backend platforms in fintech, payments, blockchain, banking, and enterprise commerce.
I was the founding engineer at RelayPay, where I built the company's crypto payments platform from the ground up as the first engineer. That platform later became the technical foundation for Block Earner, where I led engineering while remaining deeply involved in architecture, implementation, cloud infrastructure, and technical decision-making. Together we built Australia's first crypto-backed lending platform and expanded into broader consumer lending products.
My technical background includes:
Java & Spring Boot
AWS cloud architecture
Distributed systems & microservices
API design & integrations
Payments & fintech
Blockchain infrastructure
AI-assisted software development
Engineering leadership & scaling teams
Outside work, I enjoy solving difficult technical problems and helping founders avoid expensive engineering mistakes. I'm always happy to discuss architecture, hiring engineers, building MVPs, scaling backend systems, developer productivity, or integrating AI into software delivery.
Sydney CTPs groupSydney Startups Pro Group#apis#architect#automation#aws#b2c#blockchain#cto#developer#devops#fintech#github#innovation#it#leadership#strategy#technology
Matt Ainsworth
Founder - Global Day Zero • Mentor and Speaker
Having spent almost 20 years across product, marketing, tech, sales and comms. He has worked with startups both in Australia and Japan and is now building a platform to help founders go global.
I also works on a…
Having spent almost 20 years across product, marketing, tech, sales and comms. He has worked with startups both in Australia and Japan and is now building a platform to help founders go global.
I also works on a variety of projects from Japan market entry, to ecosystem and community events, mentoring, speaking and more.
Nathan is a Senior Full Stack Engineer from Sydney, Australia. Having worked in the industry for 10 years, Nathan lives and breathes code. He believes that there's nothing that cannot be conceived or created, and only…
Nathan is a Senior Full Stack Engineer from Sydney, Australia. Having worked in the industry for 10 years, Nathan lives and breathes code. He believes that there's nothing that cannot be conceived or created, and only through relentless dedication and conviction can we tackle the most impossible problems. Nathan's worked on all kinds of SaaS, Mobile Apps & Platforms across 7+ industries, and has big ambitions to create the kinds of technology that will eventually propel humanity forward in outer space and helping fast-track humanity into an inter-planetary species with a particular focus on Mining, Exploration + Communication technology. The first step to achieving the impossible is to start by believing that you can.
#developer#full-stack#technology
Ninus Kanna
20 years' financial services experience
Ninus has over 20 years' financial services experience, including investment management and stockbroking. He was a founding team member of award-winning Quay Global Investors, and has covered listed real estate with…
Ninus has over 20 years' financial services experience, including investment management and stockbroking. He was a founding team member of award-winning Quay Global Investors, and has covered listed real estate with CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets, ING Investment Management, Merrill Lynch and Morningstar. He has also served in a high-level strategic finance role with the NSW Ministry of Health, advising the CFO and Minister on a third of Australia's health budget. Ninus has an MBA and a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University.
Serial entrepreneur. Just launched my new startup in fintech space: Finoya.ai - AI CFO for SMEs. Previously a founder of Digital Crew - Global Cross Cultural Digital Agency. Started as a side hustle and scaled to 70…
Serial entrepreneur. Just launched my new startup in fintech space: Finoya.ai - AI CFO for SMEs. Previously a founder of Digital Crew - Global Cross Cultural Digital Agency. Started as a side hustle and scaled to 70 people with 7 offices in 5 countries in 7 years. Worked with brands like Twitter, FedEx, Kroger, AusTrade, Chemist Warehouse, Loreal, Cebu Pacific Airlines, LG, etc. Also a co-founder of an Ecommerce brand and Corporate Skills Training Company. Experience in Sales, Marketing and Tech. Startup mentor with Founders Institute ANZ and Asialink.
Renee is a community builder and tech leader who leads Customer Success Engineering at Procore Technologies. She's passionate about creating meaningful connections between people, ideas, and impact. Renee also heads the…
Renee is a community builder and tech leader who leads Customer Success Engineering at Procore Technologies. She's passionate about creating meaningful connections between people, ideas, and impact. Renee also heads the Sydney chapter of She Loves Data and curates events that bring together innovation, culture, and purpose.
#leadership
Richard Forshaw, CTO at Instatruck
CTO at Instatruck
After spending 10 years in large-scale C++ systems, I switched my focus to startup-based web development after recognising that that was where the frontiers were being pushed. Currently the CTO of Instatruck (an…
After spending 10 years in large-scale C++ systems, I switched my focus to startup-based web development after recognising that that was where the frontiers were being pushed. Currently the CTO of Instatruck (an on-demand last-mile delivery company), I love playing with the scalability of elastic cloud solutions as well as driving business value through agile development. My passion is discussing tech-strategy with business founders as well as helping them break down their big goals into value-driven iterative deliveries and building tech and teams that support that.
#cto#python#web
Robert Silver
CEO & Co-Founder
Robert Silver is the co-founder and CEO of Bestever.pics, a QR code-based event photo sharing platform that has helped over 1,500 hosts capture and share memories from more than 30,000 events worldwide. With 15+ years…
Robert Silver is the co-founder and CEO of Bestever.pics, a QR code-based event photo sharing platform that has helped over 1,500 hosts capture and share memories from more than 30,000 events worldwide. With 15+ years of senior digital product leadership—including roles as Head of Product at ConnectID (Australian Payments Plus), NatWest, and Barclays—Robert brings deep expertise in digital identity, payments, and building intuitive, scalable products.
Sydney Startups Pro Group#b2b#b2c#founder#growthmarketing#product#saas
Shai Haim is the CTO of Karbon and he is deeply passionate about guiding technology organizations through their critical growth phase from startup to a scale-up. His background encompasses a PhD in Computer Science…
Shai Haim is the CTO of Karbon and he is deeply passionate about guiding technology organizations through their critical growth phase from startup to a scale-up. His background encompasses a PhD in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) and extensive experience leading global teams — spanning all continents but Antarctica — in diverse B2C, B2B (Fintech), and B2B2C settings, from early-stage ventures to publicly listed companies. Having worked in the dynamic tech ecosystems of Israel, Silicon Valley, and now Sydney, Shai also dedicates time through his consultancy to advise younger CTOs and CEOs on scaling their technology and leadership.
#cto#fintech#leadership#strategy
Sophie Sin Yu Auyeung
Co founder of MYRRAR
Hi, I'm Sophie the founder of MYRRAR. MYRRAR is an AI powered beauty app that helps women of all walks of life find beauty products and techniques for their unique facial features. How the app works is you can either…
Hi, I'm Sophie the founder of MYRRAR. MYRRAR is an AI powered beauty app that helps women of all walks of life find beauty products and techniques for their unique facial features. How the app works is you can either scan your face or scan products and we can tell you if that product works for your face.
I focus more on the growth, business, marketing and community management whereas my co-founder Richard focuses on the tech and also operations side.
CEO, COO, Co-founder, Board Director, Business Advisor
Comprehensive experience as Senior Executive, Co-Founder, Board Director of Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) and International Public Companies, Board Advisor to several Start-ups. Extensive experience as Chief Executive…
Comprehensive experience as Senior Executive, Co-Founder, Board Director of Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) and International Public Companies, Board Advisor to several Start-ups. Extensive experience as Chief Executive Officer, Country Manager, Chief Operating Officer, Commercial Director, Sales & Marketing Executive and Global Director of IT Professional Services.
Strategic Leader, Growth oriented with Global Business Development experience closing and delivering complex and large deals in multi-cultural business environments in Australia-New Zealand (ANZ), Asia Pacific (APAC), part of Europe (EMEA).
Broad experience across industries including Telecommunication, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Bio Tech, Public Sector, Government (State & Federal), Higher Education, Transport and Retail.
High interest with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning solutions especially in the Healthcare and Retail Industries.
Technology Sales bundled with Services - Consulting Services, Professional Services and End-to-End Delivery (Cisco, Sun microsystems, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), InterSystems and iSOFT).
Recent extensive experience with ASX compliance, Capital Raising, Restructuring and Turnaround for ASX listed companies.
Recent Executive and Board positions during the last 5 years:
• Invigor Group (IVO)/Yetta
Group Chief Operating Officer, Company Secretary, Executive Director & Board Member
• Virusight Diagnostic
Board Member
• Inventive Healthcare Solutions (IHS)
Co-Founder, Executive Director, Board Director, Chief Operating Officer
• Lorgan Global
Advisor to the CEO
• Various Global Startups
Board Advisor
A Chief Technical Officer with extensive experience in large-scale digital transformation and software development projects. He specializes in the analysis and enrichment of retail and institutional data, ensuring…
A Chief Technical Officer with extensive experience in large-scale digital transformation and software development projects. He specializes in the analysis and enrichment of retail and institutional data, ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks and standards, and implementing security and quality control automation. His expertise spans banking, insurance, and asset management.
He is proficient in technologies such as Azure, AWS, C#, Python, and SQL. Vlad holds a CFA charter and is currently pursuing a Master's in Artificial Intelligence from IU-International University of Applied Sciences. He has a strong background in Computer Science with an AI specialization and holds multiple Microsoft professional certifications.
#aws#azure#c#cto
Yousef Hosseini (PhD)
Technologist / Blockchain Architect / Investor
Technologist /Blockchain Architect / Investor on AI & ML & Cryptography & Blockchain/STO , We are building a MVP blockchain enabled Security & Utility exchange , Tokenizing startups , Patents , Assets , etc. LinkedIn…
Technologist /Blockchain Architect / Investor on AI & ML & Cryptography & Blockchain/STO , We are building a MVP blockchain enabled Security & Utility exchange , Tokenizing startups , Patents , Assets , etc. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uozef/
#blockchain#developer#stack
Zicci Zhou
CEO of PickC iAI
Lost in the sea of building product requirements? PickC is the AI product finder that delivers a shortlist of best matches for your project. Zicci Zhou has been there. A registered architect with 10 years' experience…
Lost in the sea of building product requirements? PickC is the AI product finder that delivers a shortlist of best matches for your project. Zicci Zhou has been there. A registered architect with 10 years' experience and over 100 projects behind her - from houses and apartments to hospitals and commercial buildings, she has lived this pain first-hand. But her journey didn't stop at design. She also stepped into the construction side, earning a Diploma of Building and Construction and applying it in cost estimation and subcontractor coordination. That dual experience gave her a rare vantage point: seeing exactly how sourcing creates delays, triggers rework and blows up budgets. Out of that insight, she founded PickC to cut through the massive time sink of endless scrolling in product sourcing - turning it into a few clicks and confident selections in minutes.
#aiml#architect#founder#proptech
Zvezde Klingenberg (Zed)
Tyroola ex-founder
Zvezde Klingenberg is an experienced startup founder best known for building Tyroola from scratch to Australia's leading online tyre and mechanics network marketplace, which he successfully exited through a sale to…
Zvezde Klingenberg is an experienced startup founder best known for building Tyroola from scratch to Australia's leading online tyre and mechanics network marketplace, which he successfully exited through a sale to Michelin. Tyroola grew from inception to a major player in the market with double digit millions of revenues, experiencing rapid growth and multiple investment rounds. His passion and background is in marketing and sales, as well as finding creative growth solutions for tech companies in the early stages. Zed has continued to mentor and support other founders, sharing his expertise in scaling businesses and navigating the challenges of startup growth.
