Catch up on all the program highlights from the inaugural Future Founders Festival, brought to you by StartSpace and Study Melbourne.
The Future Founders Festival ran from 23-27 September 2020, and was Australia’s first digital startup festival for international students, innovators and founders. Attendees heard from successful business founders and entrepreneurs from the international student community in a series of workshops, panel discussions and talks.
Go to the playlist of all recorded content, or watch individual events below.
Foot in the Door to Founder
Be inspired by an intimate conversation with Ivan Lim, CEO and co-founder of leading furniture and homewares company Brosa. Follow Ivan’s journey from arriving in Australia as an international student to becoming a Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 leader.
Liven the Dream: An Inspiring Founder’s Journey
Grace Wong, co-founder of Liven, discusses all things fintech, crypto and paying it forward. Hear about Grace’s journey as a founder, some of the challenges she’s faced along the way and her advice for young entrepreneurs.
The Impact of Gaming On My Approach To Business
A conversation with Wai Hong Fong, once listed in The Age’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Melbourne. Wai Hong is now back in Malaysia as chieftain and co-founder at Storehub, a cloud-based enterprise POS system. In conversation with Jeanette Cheah (Hacker Exchange).
Startup Ecosystem 101
This quick introductory session provides a crash course on different parts of the startup ecosystem, including founders, coworking spaces, accelerators and investors. Featuring Aiman Hamdouna (Hatch Quarter), Diletta Legowo (SPARK Deakin), David Fevaleaki (Back Picker), Hans Chang (Fab9) and Judy Anderson (Startup Victoria).
Future Ready
The world is changing rapidly, and so are our major industries. Hear from leaders in the STEM, medical tech, accessibility and migrant entrepreneur spaces to find out where we’re headed and where the opportunities lie. Featuring Ruwangi Fernando (STEM Sisters), Usman Iftikhar (Catalysr), Darren Rajit (Monash Young MedTech Innovators) and Angela Li (Enabled Futures).
Impact and Purpose
Our panel share the stories of their purpose-guided startups which focus on sustainability, diversity and generosity. Featuring Mateo Palacio Gómez (charityBay), Sasiranga De Silva (Thermalr) and Bedi Othow (DivTal).
Female Founders Forum
Female founders discuss what they’ve learned about building their own businesses from the ground up, and candidly share the stories of how they got there. Featuring Manon Beauchamp-Tardieu (Little Green Panda), Catherina Toh (5i Capital), Allie Hilmer (ZippyCrowd) and Mariam Mohammed (MoneyGirl).
Cultural Connections and Entrepreneurship
What does it mean to be an entrepreneur in our global and multicultural world? Hear from experts in a lighting talks format, followed by a panel discussion on what we can learn from each other – no matter where we’re from. Featuring Andrea Myles (China Australia Millennial Project), Luz Restrepo (Migrant Women in Business), Devarshi Desai (Internash) and Mikaela Jade (Indigital).
Decoding Career Paths in the Tech and Startup World
Our panel of experts give their advice on crafting your career, learning on the job and top tips to land the tech job of your dreams – perhaps even while working on your side hustle! Featuring Kiranjeet Purba (GO-JEK), Elisa Xu (Qwilr), Isaac Su (Culture Amp) and Kruti Patel (Shebah).
Future Forward: How Can Government and Startups Work Better Together Post-COVID
The lasting impact of COVID-19 on society remain unknown. What are the potential steps needed for different levels of government and the startup community to prepare to tackle post-COVID problems and grab opportunities as they arise? Featuring Daizy Maan (Australian South Asian Centre), Chris Lee (Study Melbourne) and Mehak Sheikh (U-Learn). Moderated by Rachel Bui (Asian Pioneers).
