Sydney Speakers
Keynote Speakers
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01
Catherine Ball
SheFlies
Dr. Catherine Ball is an author, founder, and ethics advocate working across global projects where robotics and new technology meet environmental protection.
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02
David Bennett
IP Australia
As Australia's first Intellectual Property (IP) Counsellor to China, David engages with China on IP policy issues and provides Australians with practical guidance on how to protect their IP in China. He has been based at the Australian Embassy, Beijing, since December 2016.
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03
Jessica Wilson
STASHD
Jessica Wilson grew up in Karangi, a small farm town. She started her first business when she was 16, running formal after parties for students on the farm land she grew up on. Expanding the business to host birthday parties, she made enough money to put herself through her first year of university.
Catherine Ball
Position:
Co-Founder and Chief Engagement Officer
Organisation:
SheFlies
Dr. Catherine Ball is an author, founder, and ethics advocate working across global projects where robotics and new technology meet environmental protection.
A sought after voice in industry, Dr. Ball is now working with the application of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) across remote communities, schools, industry, and citizen scientists. Dr. Ball is leading the call for discussions around the ethics of spatial data, and commercial drone operations.
Dr. Ball’s biggest passion is found working on projects that have a humanitarian aspect, ranging from the use of RPAS for emergency response, to recording cultural heritage, and agricultural assessments.
Dr. Ball’s latest project is #SheFlies whereby women and girls get a chance to fly and try drone technology. She Flies aims to reach 100,000 Australian women and girls by 2020, and is already expanding internationally.
Dr. Ball continues to support Australia as being the world leader in the non-military application of drone technology, also known as ‘drones for good’. As such, Catherine has co-created a new, global congress to be held annually in Brisbane starting in August 2017. The congress will run annually and will be the first significant global drone conference to focus on all parts of the drone economy, and the future of the industry.
David Bennett
Position:
Intellectual Property Counsellor to China
Organisation:
IP Australia
As Australia's first Intellectual Property (IP) Counsellor to China, David engages with China on IP policy issues and provides Australians with practical guidance on how to protect their IP in China. He has been based at the Australian Embassy, Beijing, since December 2016.
Originally joining IP Australia as a biotechnology patent examiner, David has also worked in the international, domestic, and trade policy sections. He was previously Director of Intellectual Property at a Los Angeles-based biomedical startup company. David has a technical background in molecular biology, studying in Australia, the USA and Japan.
Jessica Wilson
Position:
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Organisation:
STASHD
Jessica Wilson grew up in Karangi, a small farm town. She started her first business when she was 16, running formal after parties for students on the farm land she grew up on. Expanding the business to host birthday parties, she made enough money to put herself through her first year of university.
Despite being told by a career advisor that she ‘didn’t have it in her’ to obtain a career in the fashion industry, Jess secured an internship which led to her working at fashion weeks in Australia, New York and Paris.
Jess’s unique perspective of the global fashion industry allowed her to recognise the emergence of tech and changing buying cycles. Armed with this knowledge, at 21 Jess booked a one-way ticket to Silicon Valley. While there, Jess met people from Yahoo, Facebook and Google, and the insight she gained led her to found STASHD, a technological solution designed to introduce western brands to the Chinese millennial market.
In 2016 Jess took STASHD into China, launching via TV series ‘The Next Unicorn’ (a cross between Shark Tank and The Apprentice). Jess placed in the grand finals with the bronze trophy and was the last western contestant and last female founder.
Jess has been named by Forbes as one of 1000 entrepreneurs under 30 to change the world in 50 years and in Smart Company’s 30 Under 30 three times.
Speakers
Position:
General Manager, Sydney Office
Organisation:
Aapo Skorulis is the department’s New South Wales State Manager. Based in Sydney, he leads an expert customer service team that delivers Australian Government programs and information to businesses across the State.
Aapo has a diverse background spanning science, research, industry and innovation. He has undertaken research ranging from kangaroo migration and Norfolk pine surfactant damage, to funnel web spider anti venom development. Aapo was the Research Manager at the University of Wollongong when it received the Prime Minister’s Award for Australia’s best industry research collaboration in 2000.
As a collaborative research leader, Aapo had extensive involvement with the Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) programme over many years and was Executive manager at the Australian Research Council.
Aapo has managed intellectual property (IP) portfolios in both private and public sector organisations and has been intimately involved in all aspects of utilization of this IP from public disclosure through to licensing and the establishment of startup companies for the successful commercialisation of IP.
Prior to joining the department in 2012, he was the Chief Operating Officer for a company which delivered innovative software management solutions for water management.
Position:
Asia Lead, Global Markets
Organisation:
Bing Liu is currently responsible for the coordination and support of client service delivery across Austrade’s Asian markets. Prior to this role, Bing worked as Acting Executive Director, International Markets and Acting General Manager, Asia.
Returning to Australia in 2016, Bing was the Senior China Adviser heading Austrade’s China Hub which provides insight into the China market for both external and internal key stakeholders.
Bing started working with Austrade in 2001, the most recent role offshore was the Senior Trade Commissioner/Deputy Consul General at the Australian Consulate Shanghai. While in Shanghai, Bing managed the Austrade East China network of offices by providing business opportunities and services for Australian entities in trade, education and inward investment.
Bing has also worked in similar roles at both the Australian Consulate in Guangzhou and the Australian Embassy in Beijing from 2004-2012.
Bing holds a bachelor degree of Medicine from China and a bachelor degree of Nursing from Australia.
Position:
Associate Director, SME - NSW & ACT
Organisation:
As Associate Director for SME, NSW and ACT, Charith is responsible for implementing and executing Efic’s origination strategy for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in NSW and the ACT. Working closely with clients, banks and other industry contacts, Charith provides tailored financial solutions to support a company’s growth aspirations when expanding offshore and winning export or export-related contracts.
Charith has more than 10 years’ experience in banking, finance and international business in Australia and Sri Lanka. Prior to joining Efic in 2014, he held a variety of positions in corporate, small business and retail banking with St George Bank and ING Direct.
Charith also has industry experience from his time at Hayleys Group and Avery Dennison (formerly Paxar Corporation), where he held various sales, account management and international business development positions, and dealt with prominent retailers like Marks & Spencer, Next, Tesco, Nike and Quantum Clothing Group.
Position:
Chair
Organisation:
Dianne has had a long and varied career in international trade promotion and facilitation. Dianne Tipping is the founder and Managing Director of Excon International Pty Ltd. a Global Management Consultancy business that specialises in the teaching, training and management of international trade, especially focusing on ongoing evolution by recognising the changing needs of the international business community. Over the years Dianne has increasingly developed practical programs and creative business tools that build the capability and capacity of companies to grow internationally.
Dianne is involved with many public and private organisations dedicated to the betterment of international trade as well as being a participant on numerous Government and non-Government Committees including the Department of Home Affairs’ National Committee on Trade Facilitation and the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources’ DAWR Cargo Consultative Committee.
Position:
Assistant General Manager, Client Programs
Organisation:
Dom is responsible for delivery of the Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) scheme and other Austrade programs.
The EMDG scheme is a key Australian Government financial assistance program for small to medium, aspiring and growing export-ready Australian enterprises. EMDG encourages businesses to increase international marketing and promotion expenditure to achieve more sustainable international sales.
Dom’s background is in export, export assistance, litigation, financial services regulation and compliance. Dom lives in Sydney with his wife, son and two kelpies.
Position:
Founder
Organisation:
Fleur Brown is a creative entrepreneur, writer and a champion of emerging business brands and talent.
A founder of Launch Group, leading ideas festival TEDxSydney, and the Entrepreneurs TV Show, Fleur has spent the past two decades working within and representing some of the world's most innovative technology and media brands. Fleur is also a Director at the advocacy body for technology startups, TechSydney.
Prior to establishing Launch Group in 2004, Fleur was head of corporate communications for Channel Seven and Director of Communications, Marketing and Tourism for the City of Sydney in the lead-up to the 2000 Olympic Games. An expert trainer, facilitator and public speaker, Fleur has taught public relations at Sydney's leading business colleges. Fleur is a Lead Mentor with Stone & Chalk FinTech hub in Sydney. Fleur has worked as a journalist and copywriter and will publish her first business book on personal brand in 2018.
Position:
Innovation Connections Facilitator
Organisation:
As company founder and CEO of hi-tech organisations in photonics and sensing Gary has over 20 years’ experience at the interface or industry, academia and government facilitating the commercialisation of corporate and academic research. With a background in photonics and laser engineering, his product management activity has led to new photonics and sensing products, services and processes in environmental, life science, chemical, pharmaceutical and military applications.
As a Research and Innovation Facilitator for AusIndustry, he has supported more than 35 Australian SMEs per year identify opportunities then manage their interaction with Australian research organisations to develop new products, processes or services through collaborative research. He co-founded Fibre Photonics Ltd in 2006 with a Russian scientist specialising in mid infrared fibre optics and grew the company to over £1 million GBP of bootstrapped sales inside three years. He later took the company through ISO9001:2008 certification before moving strategic R&D effort to South Australia in 2012 to commercialise university research. He has successfully secured a customer base that includes BAE Systems, Diageo, ABB, Thermo, Bruker, Syngenta, BP Chemicals, Pfizer, and GlaxoSmithKline.
Position:
Chief Executive Officer
Organisation:
Grant McAvaney is a senior media and IP lawyer, commencing as the CEO of the Australian Copyright Council in January this year. Grant was previously a Partner at Minter Ellison, where he performed significant work (both as a solicitor and as counsel) for a variety of News Limited entities. He was later Senior Legal Counsel at Ninemsn, before joining the ABC to head their litigation team.
Grant's wealth of varied legal experience – both litigation and commercial – includes pre-publication work, defamation, contempt, newsgathering, intellectual property, privacy and confidentiality, contractual issues and legislative/policy reviews. He has also been active in the wider profession, including lecturing media law to university students and members of the Media & Entertainment Arts Alliance. He was recently awarded a 2017 Pro Bono Award by the Arts Law Centre of Australia.
Position:
Supervising Examiner of Patents
Organisation:
Originally from the UK, Kevin’s passion for aircraft lead him to study aerospace engineering at university where he majored in gas turbine cycle design and airframe integration. Kevin spent seven years working for research organisation QinetiQ, the commercialised portion of the UK’s equivalent of Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation. His work covered a diverse range of novel aircraft concepts, including supersonics, blended wing body aircraft, and ultra-efficient loitering drones.
Kevin moved to Australia in 2007 and took up a position at IP Australia. He now leads the mechanical engineering patent examination section that is responsible for granting patents in areas such as agriculture, automotive and marine fields, and turbo machinery.
Position:
Co-Creator and Chief Operating Officer
Organisation:
Malcolm McKechnie is co-creator and COO of Australian based global cycling accessories brand Knog.
Knog began as an internal project for Catalyst Design Group, one of Australia’s leading industrial design and brand development companies. Malcolm, with Hugo Davidson directors of Catalyst, is a recipient of multiple design awards; Australian and International, having developed products and solutions for international consumer electronics, telecommunications and sporting accessories brands for over 2 decades.
The Knog brand was launched on to the global stage at Taipei Cycle Show in March 2003 with a striking range of bicycle lights and luggage. Knog now manufactures, facilitates and supplies more than 300 products to independent, online and dedicated retail stores through its distribution partners in over 50 countries.
Malcolm is passionate about design and the importance it plays in sustaining a competitive global brand. Among many other things, Malcolm is responsible for the highly regarded and recognised intellectual property stance that Knog has in protecting its brand and products across the globe.
Position:
Head of Communications
Organisation:
Matt Overington heads up communications for online furniture company, Koala. He has a background in technical journalism and experience in marketing communications agencies (including Hill+Knowlton Strategies and Edelman-owned Zeno Group).
Matt spent five years in Seoul, running LG Electronics’ global agency relationship on behalf of WPP, before returning to Australia and ultimately following his passion to work for a startup.
Position:
Manager, Client Engagement (Startups)
Organisation:
Matthew Proft has an extensive international career in forging connections for Australian companies and startups around the world. He has spent more than 15 years in international trade promotion and has extensive on the ground experience across Asia.
Matthew currently leads the Jobs for NSW Startup team. Previously he founded the specialist consultancy Globalist Advisory, assisting startups on their market selection and Go-Global Strategies.
Prior to founding Globalist Advisory, Matthew led the establishment of the Australian Government’s Landing Pad Program which provides a unique platform to assist startups scaling globally.
Position:
Managing Director and Co-founder
Organisation:
Natalie is Co-founder and Managing Director of gemaker, a science and technology commercialisation consultancy. In 2017, gemaker won three Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards for Innovation, and the NSW Telstra Business Award for Microbusiness. Natalie is also Corporate Communications Manager for ASX-listed Alkane Resources, and a Director of Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia (KCA). Her previous work, as General Manager of Commercialisation at the Smart Services CRC, resulted in two spin-off businesses. As Leader of Business Development and Marketing at ANSTO, she provided strategic advice and managed the commercialisation of the intellectual property portfolio, including incubating new businesses and growing technical consultancy services.
In 2018 Natalie launched the #AUSinnovates initiative to celebrate Australian technology commercialisation success and bring attention to Australian researchers and innovators who are changing our lives for the better by creating new industries and jobs, enhancing our health and education, and making the world safer.
Position:
Director General
Organisation:
Patricia was appointed Director General of IP Australia in 2013. Prior to joining IP Australia, she was a Deputy Secretary in Commonwealth departments responsible for industry and innovation from 2004-2013. Patricia has had a public sector career spanning over thirty years. Her experience in other portfolios includes the Department of Social Security and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Her tenure has seen IP Australia take a strong external focus: developing technology-enhanced customer tools, a range of value added customer services, establishing an IP Counsellor in China, and proactively engaging with customers and stakeholders, including on policy and legislation issues.
Patricia represents Australia at the General Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization and serves as chair of Group B+ (the group of around 40 developed nations). She is also a member of the Executive Board of the Department of Industry Innovation and Science (DIIS).
Patricia has a Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in communication and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Position:
Co-Founder and Managing Director
Organisation:
As a second-generation farmer North Queensland, Robert’s inventive mind was evident from an early age. Growing up and working on the family farm gave Robert time to create and invent better processes for the business.
In 2008 he won an episode of the ABC’s New Inventors program for a 100% recyclable protection insert for banana cartons. The ground-breaking Australian invention was his first major attempt in the patent field.
Robert’s innovation in the banana industry continued. His desire to reduce wasted crops led him to discover that green bananas contain a powerful prebiotic fibre. During this time Robert also created machinery to peel, separate and dry the green bananas.
Through his company Natural Evolution, Robert has developed and commercialises gluten-free flour and other fibre supplements which he now exports around the world.
Position:
New Ventures & Commercialisation Leader
Organisation:
Shelley Copsey leads New Ventures & Commercialisation at Data61, Australia’s data and digital research powerhouse. In this role, Shelley works with teams to commercialise cutting-edge data technologies and leads its venture incubation program. This includes the mentoring of researchers as they move into entrepreneurial roles and building capital-raising strategies to enable businesses to spin out of Data61. Shelley also manages the Data61 investment and licensing portfolios, along with a number of strategic organisational partnerships. Prior to joining Data61 in May 2016, Shelley spent over a decade at consulting firm PwC, most recently as commercial director of its digital ventures team.
Shelley holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University and is a Chartered Accountant. She has recently studied Corporate Venturing at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and is currently studying the impact of artificial intelligence on business strategy through MIT.
Position:
Co-Inventor & Director
Organisation:
Stuart Anderson is co-inventor of the revolutionary honey extraction system, the Flow Hive, which took a love of bees and a decade of work with his son, Cedar, to create. The Flow Hive shot to fame when it was launched via crowdfunding in February 2015, and in just six weeks attracted a record-breaking US$12.2 million in pre-orders of what beekeepers have touted as the greatest advancement in beekeeping in more than 150 years. More than an inventor, Stuart also co-founded Beeinventive, the company behind the Flow Hive. The Flow Hive has inspired thousands of new beekeepers around the world with over 48,000 customers in over 139 countries, helping people to have a stronger connection with their environment.
Position:
Assistant Director
Organisation:
Tegan Van Nispen leads a team of more than 10 trade mark examiners at IP Australia. She has a background in both law and commerce, and has found trade mark examination to be the perfect mix of the two fields.
Tegan has five years’ experience in examination and is currently completing her masters in law at the University of New England.
Position:
Host
Organisation:
An experienced economics commentator and globetrotter, Tim is the host of the TV show The Airport Economist. The show is a primary source of business intelligence for companies engaged in trade and international business in the Asia Pacific region.
Tim is the J.W.Nevile Fellow in Economics at the UNSW Australia Business School in Sydney and teaches International Business Experience in Asia, and more recently in Latin America.
Tim was formerly the Chief Economist of Austrade and has worked as an economist at the ACTU and the Reserve Bank of Australia and in the private sector in the UK, USA and Israel.
Tim is also International Engagement Adviser to the Premier of South Australia and an Expert Panel Member of the Fair Work Commission.
Tim is the author of six books on international business including the international best seller The Airport Economist.
Position:
Venture Associate
Organisation:
Dr Ulric Ferner is on the investment team at Right Click Capital, a VC fund that invests in technology businesses with global ambitions. His career has been a mix of entrepreneurship and disciplined strategy; he is an ex-startup operator, and although he's now in venture will always be an engineer at heart.
Ulric focuses on deep tech. as well as the internet of things (IoT), and did his Ph.D. in Computer Science and his Masters in Aeronautics & Astronautics, both at MIT in Boston. He is an alumni of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and a Fulbright Scholar. He has a patents in data storage and communication systems, is a published researcher in algorithms, and loves coming up with creative tests for product/market fit.