ARRIVALS AND REGISTRATION

Arrive early to collect your badges and grab the best seats in the house. Enjoy barista coffee and a copy of The West Australian whilst you wait.

WELCOME TO COUNTRY

Celebrate the start of West Tech Main with our Welcome to Country

• Steven Jacobs

WELCOMES AND INTRODUCTION

Join us for the commencement of West Tech Main 2023 with opening addresses from led by your MC Rohan McDougall, Co-Founder of West Tech Fest:

• Prof. Harlene Hayne (Curtin University)
• Hon. Stephen Dawson MLC (WA Government)
• Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas (City of Perth)

SET UP FOR SUCCESS: A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR WA

What’s next for Western Australia? Join Hon. Stephen Dawson, Minister for Innovation, and Lucas Lane (the 13 year old Co-Founder of Glossy Boys) in conversation as they discuss how the West Australian State Government is helping businesses such as Lucas’ thrive and setting up our next generation of change makers for success.

• Hon. Stephen Dawson (Government of Western Australia)
• Lucas Lane (Glossy Boys)

BOOTSTRAPS TO BILLIONS: THE STORY BEHIND SAFETYCULTURE

Starting as a dream out of a garage in Townsville, Qld one of Australia’s most heavily backed technology firms SafetyCulture is now a $2.7b company – but the journey wasn’t all roses from first-time founder to VC darling. Hear from founder Luke Anear about his journey, and tips for building the next generation of Tech superstars.

• Luke Anear (SafetyCulture)
• Bec Nguyen (Upbeat Digital)

MORNING TEA

Enjoy delicious food and barista coffee courtesy of EvokeAg whilst exploring the exciting innovations exhibiting as part of the Innovation Showcase including 25 high schools as part of the Young Entrepreneurs Showcase.

FUND OF FUNDS: DIRECT INVESTING & SVB CAPITAL, THE PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

Sharing a parent company with Silicon Valley Bank (the $212bn tech-lender which abruptly collapsed in March 2023), SVB Capital is the high flying venture capital and credit investing arm of the SVB family. Join SVB Capital advisor Aaron Gershenberg and Co Ventures Founder and General Partner, Maxine Minter, as we unpack Aaron’s insights into the current funding systems and practices that underpin the startup ecosystem.

• Aaron Gershenberg (SVB Capital)
• Maxine Minter (Co-Ventures)

AN INTRODUCTION TO PLANET VC

Author Terrance Philips shares insights from his book ‘Planet VC’ exploring global VC’s role in turning cities like Beijing and Bangalore into future techno-hubs and the impact it has on America’s competitors and future innovations.

• Terrance Philips (Planet VC)

BETTING ON THE BEST: THE CONTINUED RISE OF THE APAC REGION

The world’s most dynamic economic region and its most diverse, the Asia-Pacific will soon power more than half of global GDP. The rest of the planet is watching as the region continues to gain momentum- hear about the opportunities presented from those investing heavily in its success.

• Terrance Philips (Planet VC)
• Aaron Tan (KKR) (MC)
• Maaike Doyer (Epic Angels)
• Pekka Santasolo (Rio Tinto)

WHAT LIES AHEAD: THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF AUSTRALIAN VC

Venture Capital is a dynamic and ever-evolving landscape, constantly influenced by market trends, tech advancements, and economic fluctuations. This industry has seen significant shifts, prompting both founders and VCs to adapt their strategies and approaches. Join us as we speak with some of Australia’s leading VC Fund Managers around their thoughts for the year ahead.

PANEL:

• James Cameron (AirTree)
• Brady Flockart (Startmate)
• Jodie Imam (Tractor Ventures)
• Silk Kadala (BlackBird)
• Liddy McCall (Yuuwa) (MC)
• Benson Saulo (First Nations Capital)

TECH FOR GOOD: EMBRACING THE POWER OF PURPOSE
Technology has no overall purpose on its own; its effects are driven by human choices and actions. This panel conversation aims at exploring ways in which tech companies can actually enhance welfare, examining the impact on business and society.

• Jeanette Cheah (HEX)
• Scott Glew (Fastvue) (MC)
• Mohinder Jaimangal (Curve Tomorrow)
• Steve King (Atlassian Foundation)
• Natasha De Souza (ClassBento)

CAP  TABLES, COMPLEXITIES & COMPETITION: INSIDE THE WORLD OF CORPORATE VENTURE CAPITAL

Corporate venture capital investing has reached record levels, with more than 75% of the Fortune 100 active in the space in 2022; however, the success of corporate venturing depends on navigating complex and at times competing priorities. Hear from the GM Venture Capital, Chevron Technology Ventures, Kemal Anbarci’s take on how this area of venture capital will continue to evolve.

• Kemal Anbarci (Chevron Technology Ventures)
• Rohan Silva (Evening Standard, The Guardian)

A PLAYBOOK FOR POSITIVITY: BUILDING AN INNOVATIVE FUTURE

There has never been a time when we can each contribute as much to our future as we can at this moment. We are the actioneers and technology has enabled us. Yet in the words of Seth Godin, “whoever created the car created the car crash”. How can we bring the best of us to the party, converge the technologies that we have, and create the future we can be proud to leave as our legacy.

• Christina Geritkeys (UtopiaX)

LUNCH

Connect with fellow delegates amongst the exciting exhibitions within our Innovation Showcase. The afternoon sessions at West Tech Main will be MC’d by West Tech Fest Co-Founders Larry Lopez and Paula Taylor.

FOUNDER PANEL: SCALING FROM WESTERN AUSTRALIA

How have some of Western Australia’s most successful founders scaled globally? How did they attract international investment? And what did their roadmap for growth look like? The founder’s journey is challenging at the best of times- hear from our panel about their experiences of scaling from WA.

• Jon Gregory (Vitruvian)
• Ruth Hatherley (MoneyCatcha)
• Kate Lewkowski (Neurotologix)
• Nathan Kerr (One Click Life)
• Cheryl Mack (Aussie Angels) (MC)

A VIEW TO THE FUTURE WITH NBN

• Stephen Rue (NBN Co)

LOOKING NORTH: THE POTENTIAL IN THE PILBARA

Regional startups are faced with their own set of unique challenges- but with these challenges also comes great opportunity, and technology is helping to break down many of these traditional barriers. The Pilbara is a region offering huge potential, join our panel to hear from some of the people making this happen.

• Eliza Carbines (Tender Relief)
• Andrew Dowding (Winyama)
• Angela Kelly PSM (Department of Health)
• Dr Megan Sebben (CSIRO) (MC)
• Stephen Rue (NBN Co)

FUTURE FOCUSED: PATHWAYS FOR INNOVATION TO SOLVE REAL WORLD CHALLENGES

Innovation occurs by working at the nexus of industry, government, and research; how do we bring together science, technology, and people to tackle the “big challenges” of today, and what skills will they need? Join us for this conversation between two of the great minds in ecosystem capability building in the Australian landscape today to find out more.

• Kirsten Rose (CSIRO)
• Scarlett McDermott (Tech Council)

THE STATE OF PLAY: WHAT’S WA’S REAL COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE?

Ask anyone what they think Western Australia’s economic strengths are and your most likely response will be mining, construction, or agriculture – but is it? Our panel of experts take a deep dive into the ins and outs of these opportunities and more to uncover what is the REAL competitive advantage of WA.

PANEL:

• Jason Balchand (StartupWA)
• Renu Kannu (CORE)
• Larry Lopez (Australian Venture Consultants)
• Kylie Gerrard (Purpose Ventures)
• Dr Katherine Giles (OncoRes, Brandon Capital)

TRANSFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY: PUTTING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO WORK

What organisations and executive teams need to do to prepare their workforce to take advantage of artificial intelligence? Start understanding critical role that change leadership plays as companies embark on technology transformation. Hear from the CEO of iCetana, Kevin Brown (ex-Nearmap and VGW), as he dives into the facts behind the myths to dive deeper into the certainties in this exciting area of tech.

• Kevin Brown (iCetana)
• Rimma Shafikova (VGW)

TECHNOLOGY, TRANSFORMATION & TRAINING: WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM INDIA’S INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

With a tech workforce numbering 5.4 million, India is powering innovation in multiple digital technologies, and is home to the third-largest start-up ecosystem in the world. What is the work that goes on behind the scenes to support this growth? Hear from three leading figures in the Innovation landscape around their journey to date.

• Sujit Jagirdar, (T-Hub)
• Chad Renando (Startup Status) (MC)
• Vanitha Venugopal (Tamil Nadu Technology Hub)

AFTERNOON TEA

BEYOND THE HYPE: PREDICTIONS FOR 2024

With inflation climbing, the climate crisis reaching a tipping point, and growing political unrest, what’s driving the global collective of innovators and change makers currently entering the marketplace, scaling and building. Where are they identifying opportunity, hope, and the potential for progress?

Join us for a fireside chat with Bill Tai, early seed investor of Zoom, Canva, Safety Culture, Liven, Powerledger, & Twitter on the emerging investment trends to watch for 2024.

• Bill Tai (ACTAI Global, West Tech Fest)
• Lisa Andrews (WAVIA)

FLYING HIGH: SUCCESS, SYSTEMS, AND SOLDIER FLIES

2023 ACT Australian of the Year Olympia Yarger has processed more than 35,000 tonnes of waste and saved more than 66,000 tonnes of carbon emissions. Working with the likes of QANTAS & Woolworths, she’s making a difference AND a profit-but its not been without it’s challenges. Hear her story on changing perceptions, and rising to the top.

• Olympia Yarger (GOTERRA)

THANK YOU & CLOSING REMARKS

OFFICIAL AFTER PARTY
Celebrate the conclusion of West Tech Main with fellow delegates, special guests, and our speakers at the Official West Tech Main After Party, brought to you by Macquarie Bank.