Open the Pod Bay Doors

In this episode of Open the Pod Bay Doors, Ian Gardiner sits down with long-time friend and tech leader Matt Loop, now Head of Asia Pacific at Rippling. Matt has been at the heart of SaaS for two decades. From opening Salesforce’s first Australian office out of his Bondi apartment, to helping LinkedIn scale across Asia and the US, guiding Slack through the chaos of COVID, and now leading Rippling’s rapid expansion across APAC — Matt has lived through (and helped build) some of the most iconic software companies of our time. They cover: Opening Salesforce AU with nothing but a laptop and a dream Lessons from LinkedIn’s hypergrowth and $26B acquisition by Microsoft Scaling Slack globally during the pandemic and its $27B acquisition by Salesforce Building Rippling’s Australian business from scratch to 100+ people in two years The hard realities of scaling from 10 → 100 people (and why it’s “really bloody hard”) How to hire and evaluate top sales talent (including Matt’s playbook) Product-led growth vs sales-led growth, and why the best companies do all three (PLG, SLG, and community-led) How Rippling is using AI today — and where it’s headed Scaling culture across regions and why “toxic hires” can kill momentum Liquidity, secondaries, and the trade-offs of staying private at $16B+ valuation Matt is a natural storyteller with practical lessons for founders, operators, and investors — and plenty of laughs along the way. Quick Fire Round📚 Book recommendation – Going Infinite by Michael Lewis (Sam Bankman-Fried story)🎧 Podcast recommendation – SmartLess (Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes)🗞️ News source – AFR, LinkedIn Newsfeed, and a mix of global outlets👨‍💼 Favourite CEO – Satya Nadella (plus reflections on Benioff, Jeff Weiner, Stewart Butterfield, and Parker Conrad)🛠️ Productivity tool – Slack (still his #1)📱 Favourite app – Slack (for staying connected to work + investor/advisory communities)📺 TV / movie recommendation – Mob Land (Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Tom Hardy), plus Yellowstone and the Taylor Sheridan spin-offs🎤 TED Talk topic – The evolution of US sports: from blue-collar pastime to corporate billion-dollar industrySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Ian sits down with Evan Walden, CEO of Getro—a startup rethinking how VCs support their portfolio companies through meaningful connections and talent networks. From his early days at General Assembly to leading a platform used by top-tier VC firms, Evan shares candid insights on leadership, founder relationships, startup career pathways, and why authentic networking matters more than ever. Whether you're a founder, investor, or ecosystem builder, this conversation is packed with practical ideas and fresh perspectives on value creation in venture capital. 🔑 Key Conversation Highlights: From Philosophy to Tech:Evan’s unconventional path from studying philosophy to building tech platforms that empower communities and ecosystems. Lessons from General Assembly:The founding journey, scaling a mission-driven business, and how career outcomes, not just education, shaped their growth. The Power of “Network-Driven Outcomes”:Why intros and warm connections still drive results, and how Getro helps VCs operationalise this at scale. Rebuilding the VC Tech Stack:What most venture firms get wrong about talent support—and why the future of VC is about network intelligence. Getro’s Origin Story:From internal project to standalone company, and what it’s like spinning out of a fund like OnDeck. Tactical Advice for VCs:How to actually help founders. Hint: it’s not just capital. Evan shares real strategies around intros, hiring, and network mapping.   Quick Fire Round: 📚 Book recommendation – The Great CEO Within - There's a PDF that's available for free, but to me this is like the Bible for any startup founder and I would just recommend anyone starting a company go get it like right now.🎧 Podcast recommendation – This Jungian Life - not business related but a funny poscast to listen to🗞️ News source – I've actually been using X a lot more recently. I realised once I curated who I follow it became the best place to learn about the nuances of what's getting built in AI and tech, stuff that never makes it into the news cycle.👨‍💼 Favourite CEO –  Collison brothers (Founders of Stripe) for their ability to build a massive company while maintaining their value system and Brian Chesky (Founder of Airbnb).🛠️ Productivity tool – Superhuman and chatGPT📱 Favourite app – Whisper Flow - a speech to text app that's 99% accurate📺 TV or movie recommendation – I'm half way through The Last of Us🎤 TED Talk topic – Networking doesn't have to suck: building authentic relationships in a world of fakeness. The Innovation Bay job board is powered by Getro. Looking for your dream role? We have you covered with over 450 open roles across almost 5000 companies: https://jobs.innovationbay.com/jobsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Open The Pod Bay Doors, Host Ian Gardiner is joined by Chris Morgan, Co-CEO of Oxygen Advisors, a fast-growing outsourced CFO service supporting early-stage tech startups across Australasia. Chris shares the story of how Oxygen grew from a one-man band in New Zealand to a 45-person team, helping more than 100 startups scale and raise capital. He dives into the challenges and opportunities of expanding into Australia, the evolving needs of startups, and how Oxygen is staying ahead by introducing new services like fractional revenue operations (RevOps) and exploring AI tools to drive efficiency — all while maintaining a strong, relationship-first approach. Episode Highlights: How Oxygen Advisors scaled from New Zealand to Australia. Key differences between the New Zealand and Australian startup ecosystems. The critical role of building trust and relationships in early-stage support. Trends in fractional services, including CFO and RevOps support. How AI is shaping the future of outsourced finance and operations. Chris’s personal career journey and lessons learned from growing a high-performing services business. Quick Fire Round: 📚 Book recommendation – Personally I like to read as a form of escapism from the heavy pressures of the world. So I really just read fiction. The one book that stays with me is slaughter house fire by Kurt Vonnegut. It's a classic, anti war sort of sci fi combo. It's weird. It's wonderful.🎧 Podcast recommendation – I don't listen to a lot of podcasts but my go to would be Desert Island Disc👨‍💼 Favourite CEO –  From an international perspective Jason Lemkin from echosign, but then from a personal front I'd say James Sampson from file invite and Lincoln wantson from BraveGen 🗞️ News source – I can't help but check the New Zealand Herald. BBC for international news, but if I ever want to learn something or go deep on something, my go to is, Johnny Harris? He's a YouTube independent journalist. 🛠️ Productivity tool – I wouldn't be able to do my job without Slack. Both for managing external clients and internal📱 Favourite app – Seesaw to stay up to date with what my oldest son, Teddy, is learning in his first weeks at school📺 TV or movie recommendation – I'm partial to any British comedy but I think the top for me would be Gavin and Stacy 🎤 TED Talk topic – The art of fractional working - not fractional services but how to work in a fractional environment.  Tune in for a masterclass on scaling services for startups and the power of adapting to new markets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special live edition of Open The Pod Bay Doors, Ian sits down with independent MP Allegra Spender in front of a live audience at Jelix Ventures. With a federal election in Australia just weeks away, Allegra offers candid insights into her journey as a parliamentarian, Australia’s economic crossroads, and the critical reforms needed to ensure a thriving, future-facing nation. The conversation explores Australia’s global trade vulnerabilities, the urgent need to diversify partnerships, and the growing capital challenges faced by the startup sector. Allegra shares her perspective on climate policy, the energy transition, and why Australia is uniquely positioned to lead in solar innovation. The discussion also delves into geopolitical dynamics, immigration, education, and the pressing need for smarter regulation and stronger support for innovation. Throughout the episode, Allegra outlines clear action items—from improving access to innovation funding to bringing startup voices into Parliament—while encouraging Australians to stay politically engaged. This is a must-listen for anyone passionate about Australia’s economic future, climate leadership, and the role of independent voices in shaping smarter policy. We hope you enjoy this insightful and special live recording of Open The Pod Bay Doors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this episode of Open the Pod Bay Doors host, Ian Gardiner, is joined by Rob Sibo, Head of AI/ML Customer Engineering ANZ, Google. Ian and Rob sat down in late 2024 to discuss all things AI. From demo's to production: Scaling AI in 2025. Rob’s focus for the coming year is clear: move beyond quick wins and proofs of concept to real production use cases. He anticipates a leap in conversational and multimodal AI agents—ones that can autonomously act on your behalf via voice, text, or other inputs. In this incredibly insightful session you can expect:🧠 Insights on AI Adoption📊 Advice for Startups & Builders🧭 On Ethics, Responsibility & The Agent Era🌐 How to Get Involved with Google Cloud“In 2025, the conversation won’t be about what’s possible, it’ll be about what agentic experience do we want to create.” Quick Fire Round: 📚 Book recommendation – I'm a sucker for dune by Frank Herbert. I've read them all twice🎧 Podcast recommendation – The Well, Babbage, and AI daily brief👨‍💼 Favourite CEO – Sundar Pichai, Google and Sam Altman, OpenAI🗞️ News source – Google news🛠️ Productivity tool – OmniFocus📱 Favourite app – The Gemini App and Apple Music📺 TV or movie recommendation – Historical dramas, whether they're accurate or not. Medicis and the Ancient Apocalypse.🎤 TED Talk topic – ethical and responsible AI Google Cloud program mentioned:The Google for Startups Cloud Program helps pre-seed to Series A startups thrive by giving them access to the technology, community, and resources they need to start and scale their business. Check out the additional benefits for AI and Web3 startups. Eligible AI startups can get up to US$350k in Google Cloud credits, dedicated technical supports, hands-on AI training, exclusive access to events, webinars, and more. Apply today. Web3 startups can get up to US$200k in free credits, invite-only access to gated Discord channel, foundations grants, VIP event access and more. Apply today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Open the Pod Bay Doors is back for 2025! To kick off the year, host Ian Gardiner sits down with Stuart Dullard, Partner at Ashurst, for a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities facing founders in today’s venture landscape. Ashurst is a global corporate law firm with over 30 offices worldwide. Stuart leads the High Growth and Venture Capital team in Australia and is the global co-head of the Tech M&A practice. Described by Ian as one of Australia’s most experienced startup lawyers, Stuart has built a career helping early-stage, high-growth tech companies navigate complex legal and funding challenges.  This episode is a must-listen for founders looking to effectively manage their funding journey and achieve sustainable growth. Key takeaways: 🚀 Ashurst’s strategy for building long-term advisory relationships with high-growth startups💰 Challenges and strategies for securing funding🗺️ Navigating venture capital and private equity landscapes💡 Understanding legal frameworks, investor relationships, and the funding process📑 Structuring deals, negotiating terms, and setting up for successful fundraising rounds Quick Fire Round: 📚 Book recommendation – Fiction: The Goldfinch (“Read the book, don’t watch the movie!”) | Non-fiction: Time to Breathe by Bill Mitchell🎧 Podcast recommendation – The Teacher’s Pet (The Australian), The Sure Thing (AFR), Liar Liar (The Age)👨‍💼 Favourite CEO – The founders of Canva for their business success and people-first approach🗞️ News source – Radio National every morning🛠️ Productivity tool – Time to Breathe + morning exercise📱 Favourite app – The New York Times Games App📺 TV or movie recommendation – The West Wing🎤 TED Talk topic – The highs and lows of the founder journey 🎙️ Tune in now for an insightful conversation on funding, legal strategy, and the startup journey!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a brief hiatus, Open the Pid Bay Door is back with an exciting new episode! Host Ian Gardiner sits down with Bryan Williams, Founder of Hockey Stick Advisory, to dive into the world of strategic partnerships and growth acceleration. Hockey Stick Advisory provides market leading strategic partnerships advisory, operational and executional guidance with accountability for growth alongside prioritised partners. We empower ambitious companies to accelerate top line growth, whilst protecting scarce bottom line resources.   Highlights from their conversation include: 📊 Understanding Partnerships 🚀 The importance of Partnerships for Startups 🔍 Identifying Potential Partners 📈 Measuring Partnership Success 💡 Common Pitfalls in Partnerships 🌐 Building a Partnership Ecosystem 🛠️ Best Practices for Partnerships 📅 Community and Networking  Quick Fire Round: Book recommendation - "Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink. He's a former Navy seal, hardcore guy, but I think it's similar to the lines of Kim Scott's book Radical Candor.  Podcast recommendation - "Rich Roll - when it's relevant and something I like, Stephen Bartlett's Diary of a CEO and there's a bunch of really good partnership ones in the US where I can sort of follow along and absorb best practices. Favourite CEO - Yamini Rangan, CEO, Hubspot News source - Capital Brief Productivity tool - "I'm a big believer in power naps!" Favourite app - Strava TV show or movie recommendation "Well, the new Gladiator is coming out this weekend, so looking forward to that one"   If you were asked to do a TED talk, what topic would you speak about? Going viral and what not to do Don’t miss this insightful conversation packed with actionable advice for growth-focused businesses!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Taryn Pieterse, Partner at Rampersand VC. Rampersand is a pioneering Australian venture capital firm, known for being one of the first funds in Australia and its early investment in founders with abnormal potential. With a focus on being a founder-first investor, they stay closely aligned with their portfolio companies. Currently, they are deploying their fourth fund of $50 million. Taryn and Ian discuss Rampersand's background, investment focus, fund economics, and the importance of alignment with founders. Highlights from their conversation include: Rampersand's origins and investment strategy Their fund economics Rampersand’s interest in AI-driven startups The future of AI in both business and daily life How Rampersand fosters community and provides concierge services to founders The current exit landscape and emerging opportunities The differences between venture capital firms and family offices   Quickfire round.  Book –  "The Psychology of Money" Podcast – "Defining Gravity" by Helen Sunitz News source – Overnight Success Newsletter App – Apple watch Productivity tool – Robo vacuum cleaner - I have a dog and this saves me spending hours vacuuming everyday  Tech CEO – Mark Benioff of Salesforce - a great example of start up to scale up and beyond TV show – "The Mole" on Netflix If you were asked to do a TED talk, what topic would you speak about? The art of power napping - I love power naps! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join our host Ian Gardiner as he chats to Nick Gainsley, Partner at One Ventures and Aurora Community Member, on episode 183 of Open the Pod Bay Doors. Nick is Partner at OneVentures and leads the debt fund strategy, which was launched 5 years ago to address gaps in the Australian market. The fund offers non-dilutive alternative funding options through 3-4 year loans with interest and small equity options for growth stage companies post-Series A. Nick explains the differences between debt and equity funding, market trends, and the fund's structure as GPLP. The conversation also delves into the use of debt funding to avoid down rounds or complement equity funding, as well as discussions on AI, productivity tools, and current events. Highlights from Ian and Nick's conversation include what a debt fund looks like and how it compares to a traditional GPLP Venture Fund What do the mechanics of a debt fund deal look like Why Nick prefers the term growth credit over venture debt Nick's view on liquidity and exits in the next couple of years The future of AI and how OneVenture apodt this in their day to day operations potential downsides to a debt fund Is poker simple gambling or is it a skill?   Quickfire round.  Book – Just finished Outlive by Peter Atia Podcast – All in with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg News source – Australian Financial Review App – Spotify (shout out to Spotify Audibooks) Productivity tool – A bit boring but I use OneNote Tech CEO – You've got to be impressed with Satya Nadella from Microsoft TV show – Colin from Accounts If you were asked to do a TED talk, what topic would you speak about? I know random small snippets from lots of different things..  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this year, Innovation Bay brought more than 250 of Australia’s leading tech founders and investors together at Inspire, held at Sydney’s Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) on May 22-23, 2024.  Set under the overarching theme ‘The Future is…’, Inspire was a platform for the exchange of revolutionary thoughts and ideas about what the future holds for the startup ecosystem across the next 5-10 years. Our co-founder and podcast host Ian Gardiner, set out with his roving mic to chat to get his geek on with some of the event’s incredible speakers as they made their way off the main stage. He continued the conversation with them on the podcast.  During Part 2, you’ll hear from: Craig Blair, Airtree – on the future of venture capital in Australia and what needs to happen over the next ten years to make VC a success.  Elaine Stead, Main Sequence Ventures – on how she taps into her background in biochemistry to help in her investing, and the critical role the media plays in advancing the leading-edge legislation and policies that are vital to the future success of the startup sector.  Chris Capon, Nominal Systems – on why he’s working to change the mindset around how people think about space, the incredible things that are going to be done in space in the not-too-distant future, and why Australia needs to be a part of it. Listen now to get a front row seat into what Australia’s tech leading minds are passionate about and be INSPIRED.  Missed Part 1? Listen now to hear from The Hon. Ed Husic MP, Minister for Science & Industry, Greg Miller Partner at Arena Mars (exited founder of Faethm), and Melanie Silva, Managing Director and VP, Google Australia & New Zealand. Inspire was proudly supported by Innovation Bay’s official media partner Forbes Australia and event partners IAG Firemark Ventures, Google Cloud, the Field Jobs, and the Dylan Alcott Foundation.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this year, Innovation Bay brought more than 250 of Australia’s leading tech founders and investors together at Inspire, held at Sydney’s Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) on May 22-23, 2024.  Set under the overarching theme ‘The Future is…’, Inspire was a platform for the exchange of revolutionary thoughts and ideas about what the future holds for the startup ecosystem across the next 5-10 years. As he does, our co-founder and podcast host Ian Gardiner, set out with his roving mic to chat to (some would say ambush!) some of the event’s incredible speakers and get a sense of what’s top of mind for them as they consider the evolution of the Aussie startup landscape.  During Part 1, you’ll hear from: The Hon. Ed Husic MP, Minister for Science & Industry – on quantum computing and its long-term importance to the Australian economy.  Greg Miller, Arena Mars (exited founder of Faethm) – opines on rapidly building, scaling and exiting his AI business that tackled the future of work, and how he’s now paying it forward. Melanie Silva, Google Australia and New Zealand – talks through how Google is showing Australians the power of great digital tech through the Digital Future Initiative, and bringing the greatest Googlers from around the world together to work with Australian partners to solve local problems using Google AI. Listen now to get a front row seat into what Australia’s tech leading minds are passionate about and be INSPIRED.  Inspire was proudly supported by Innovation Bay’s official media partner Forbes Australia and event partners IAG Firemark Ventures, Google Cloud, the Field Jobs, and the Dylan Alcott Foundation.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Join us for part 2 of our “studio on the road” at Sunrise, Blackbird’s annual festival of the startup ecosystem.   Armed with his roving podcast mic, Innovation Bay’s Co-Founder and podcast host, Ian Gardiner, was lucky enough to tap the mind’s of some of Sunrise’s stellar speakers.    During this ep, you’ll hear from:   🌅 Karl Durrance, Stripe - discusses Stripe’s mission to increase the GDP of the internet, it’s broad customer base from startups to large enterprises, and the challenges and strategies in the financial infrustructure space.   🌅 Kate Mason, PhD - shares her career journey from Google to founding her own firm, insights on effective communication and power dynamics, and details of her Sunrise talk about how confidence is actually unhelpful and authenticity is powerful!   🌅 John McDuling, Capital Brief - chats through the challenges and successes of launching a new media outlet, Capital Brief’s focus on the new Australian economy and providing valuable intelligence, and the subscription model and importance of quality journalism.   🌅 Maxine Minter, Co Ventures - discusses her solo GP fund, their focus on pre-seed investments and accelerating companies internationally, and some quality insights on what makes a successful founder and investor.   🌅 Kevin Jochelson, Upsize & Tech Rooport - shares his approach to helping startups scale and the importance of distribution, the impact of AI on startups, and winning the debate at Sunrise on whether investment success us nice skill than luck.   Tune in for many many more nuggets from the mind’s of this all star line up.    This podcast episode is brought to you by Vanta.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few weeks back Blackbird held their annual conference Sunrise - a festival and celebration of the the startup ecosystem in Australia; or as Ian describes it “real life LinkedIn”.   Our fearless Co-Founder, host of Open The Pod Bay Doors, and arguably one of the most connected humans in the ecosystem, Ian Gardiner, took the studio on the road.   Ian chatted to 9 incredible speakers who featured on Sunrise’s epic line up, to pick their brains on their area of expertise and the industry at large.   During part 1, you’ll hear from:   Adam Gilmour, Gilmour Space Technologies - discussing the challenges in the space industry, Gilmore Space’s upcoming first orbit launch and future plans including reusable rockets and lunar missions (SO COOL!)   Kristen Durham, Zendesk - about her recent promotion, the integration and future AI in Zendesk's customer support strategy.   Tova Angsuwat, Series Build (ex-Google) - about her transition from Google to founding Series Build, insights on effective recruitment strategies for startups, and the importance of diversity in startup teams.   Bronwen Clune, Capital Brief - on her background and shift to Capital Brief (one of the newest and fastest growing tech and innovation focused media outlets), about Capital Brief’s mission to cover the new economy, and the challenges and highlights in startup journalism.   It’s a mixed bag of brilliant minds, set against the backdrop of the electrifying hum of Sunrise 2024.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest for episode 176 is Clive Burcham, a highly influential, philanthropic and impact driven individual. Clive is one of the founding partners of Global Citizen, $46bn New York based juggernaut whose mission is to end extreme poverty. He is also the founder of what he terms a “side hustle” called Compadres, where he works with founders and CEOs to help them achieve "a better life, a better business, a better you".    From growing up in a beef and dairy farming family in regional West Australia, to jumping into TV at 15 and becoming a media executive at the age of 25, to moving to New York to run the Search for a Supermodel television show and working with leading advertising, design and branding agencies. Clive's life has been varied and rich with experiences.    Armed with a whole lot of technical knowledge from his time in NY, Clive moved back to Australia to undercut the local advertising industry to create better quality creative and content for clients. Taking his company from zero to hero in just 3 years, Clive sold a large stake to leading advertising holding company WPP, later buying it back to rebuild it.    With a penchant for giving, a captivating and wise mind, a values-led existence, and a heart of gold, Clive has founded and aligned himself with organisations that aim to make better and illuminate the human experience. “We’re put on this earth to make a difference to other people and to live in a community and be connected,” he says.    Tune in to learn of Clive’s fascinating journey, one we could all take a leaf from!    Quickfire Round:  Book: ‘Who Not How’, Dan Sullivan  Podcast: Your Move with Andy Stanley  News Source: Reuters  Productivity Tool: Calendar  CEO: Dan White, Luke Harris, Steven Marks   App: Instagram  TV Show: WeCrashed  TEDTalk Topic: How do we use our power to influence good       Get in touch with Clive at https://wearecompadres.com | and follow along on Instagram @wearecompadres   This episode is brought to you by Vanta. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest this week is Leah Kaplan, APAC Sustainability Business Lead at Google Cloud. Leah’s passion for sustainability stems from her deep love of nature. Leah held a number of consulting technology roles before her dream job came up at Google Cloud - where she now sits at the nexus of technology and sustainability.    Sustainability has been a core value at Google for 25 years who are looking to minimise their impact on the planet while helping others to do the same. In 2007, Google became the first major company to become carbon neutral. In 2017 Google was the first company to achieve a 100% renewable energy match - this means purchasing renewable energy that covers all energy usage for all of Google which they’ve done every year since. Google has data centres running 24/7 solely on carbon free energy. One of their key goals by 2030 is to have every data centre around the world run on carbon free energy. Google is forecast to spend $10B on renewable energy this year alone!    As  the whole world struggles with climate change, how do businesses begin to understand the impact climate change is going to have on them in the future? Leah’s role as Sustainability Business Lead for APAC at Google is fascinating and impactful, with an emphasis on encouraging and helping corporate customers to achieve their sustainability goals via the Google Cloud platform. There are myriad sustainability areas to focus on - not just gas emissions. These include water stewardship, waste reduction, circulatory in products, optimisation - all areas that technology can help with - particularly AI.    One of the pressures Leah observes with the customers she engages with is that many of those in younger generations are willing to pay more for products that are sustainably sourced and will show loyalty to brands that have a sustainability mission. Leah helps companies tackle these challenges by working with them to assess a measurement framework and benchmark, help them to become compliant against regulation, assist companies to make data-driven critical business decisions, guide them in optimising with what they do have, and help to seek out aligned sustainability growth opportunities. She also emphasises that companies with strong sustainability initiatives attract top talent.   This hugely educational and fascinating discussion cover so much more... take a listen.   Interested in learning more about how Google Cloud can assist you to reach sustainability goals? Head to Google Cloud’s website, sign up for free and receive $300 in credit, or reach out to your Google rep or Innovation Bay who will put you in touch.     Book: Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen and Ancillary Justice, Ann Leckie Podcast: The Energy Gang and Stuff You Should Know  News Source: The Guardian  Productivity Tool: Calendar and Kanban Board  CEO: Melanie Perkins, Canva  App: Signal  TV Show: The Wire  TEDTalk Topic: Geospatial analytics and its impact on sustainability   This episode is brought to you by Vanta. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest this week is Bernadette Olivier, CEO & Co-Founder of The Volte - a groundbreaking peer-to-peer fashion rental marketplace that's redefining the way we experience fashion globally. From its humble beginnings to its dazzling rise, The Volte seamlessly connects borrowers and lenders, while promoting a sustainable, circular economy.   Bernadette takes us through the evolution of The Volte, from its early days catering to fashionistas to its transformation into a platform embraced by mainstream consumers. She reflects on the complexities of remote work, the importance and challenges of strategic partnerships, and the challenges faced during the tumultuous times of COVID-19. The Volte not only weathered the COVID storm, but has since experienced remarkable growth in orders and active users.    She candidly reflects on the importance of trust, dedication, and alignment within a startup team, where she shares co-founder duties with four other women - Genevieve Hohnen, Kym Atkins and Jade Hirniak. From bootstrap beginnings to securing funding from Angels and VCs including eBay Ventures,The Volte defied the odds to become a trailblazer in the fashion rental industry.   Bernadette shares the uniqueness of The Volte's model - which is focused on occasion-based rentals rather than traditional subscriptions - as well as insights into the company's distinctive unit economics. From leveraging strategic investments, harnessing the power of AI for personalised customer experiences, and visions of international expansion into Europe, Bernadette paints a compelling picture for The Volte's future.   Quickfire Round  Book: 'Atonement' by Ian McEwan, 'Burn Book' by Kara Swisher Podcast: Hard Fork, The Business of Fashion  News Source: New York Times  Productivity App: ClickUp  CEO: Anthony Eisen (Afterpay)  Favourite App: Calm  TV Show:  'Vanderpump Rules' and 'The Morning Show' Movie: ‘Barbie’, ‘Oppenheimer’  TED Talk Topic: Changing consumption habits - moving from disposable, one-off usage to reusing, safekeeping and passing onto the next owner.    This episode is brought to you by Vanta. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Proud Canberran and past North Carolina coleslaw wrestling competitor, Olympia Yarger is an incredibly resilient, dedicated, inspiring and super hands-on Founder & CEO of Goterra, a waste management technology company that uses autonomous robotic systems to process food waste using insects. The company enables a circular economy by creating agricultural commodities from the waste stream.    Goterra is paving the way for a circular economy by transforming waste into agricultural commodities, all while significantly reducing truck movement and processing costs. Learn about the remarkable environmental impact of Goterra's technology, which eliminates noxious gasses and slashes emissions by an impressive 97%.   Having spoken to her on the podcast 3 years ago, it was our pleasure to touch base with Olympia again on her fascinating journey from sheep farmer to maggot farmer, the incredible growth Goterra has had over the past 3 years while being incredibly efficient with the capital they have raised (just $20M since 2019) all with a laser focus on Goterra's mission to redefine waste management for a more sustainable future.    On the topic of mental health, Olympia has been working from home more frequently to limit distractions and, after a tough year personally in 2023, has made a commitment to ride her horse at least 5 times a week. As part of Innovation Bay’s Summit community, Olympia has had some of her most meaningful experiences at Summit events. Though it can be difficult to get to the events amongst the day to day commitments of running the business, each time she’s gone she mentions it refills the bucket and gains perspective from other founders doing the same thing.     Olympia and Ian also spend some time unravelling the State of Australian Startup Funding report, particularly around the pressing issues of gender inequality and diversity in the ecosystem that the report reveals. Olmypia says, “It’s disgusting and we should be ashamed.” She calls out that as an industry we shouldn’t be using any female founder as an example because the number of female founders receiving funding is still far too low and this needs to change. With deeptech, an even more polarising sector of the industry, Olympia adds: “The sheer limited number of women “making it” are an anomaly, not an attribute and we’ve got to change something.”   Quickfire Round:  Book: Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés Podcast: Agtech So What  News Source: Al-Jazeera Productivity Tool: Notion  CEO: Tom Loeffler or Keaton Okkonen  App: Instagram  TV Show: Yellowstone, Vikings  TEDTalk Topic: What building climate tech means    Connect with Olympia Yarger and visit https://goterra.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest for episode 172 is Tom Amos, CEO and Co-Founder of Sidekicker - a platform that matches thousands of businesses to pre-qualified temporary staff.    During this chat, Tom reflects on Sidekicker's journey from the genesis of the idea as sparked by 'The 4-Hour Workweek', through to the milestone of turning over a million dollars in a month. Tom's journey is not just about business but also about building a culture where caring for each other is at the core.    Sidekicker has been backed with $40million in funding, the initial amount of $100,000 primarily from Seek Investments. They have not only disrupted the market but have also become a vital player in the space. Sidekicker work with around 2,000 customers per year, ranging from small catering companies to large organisations like Australia Post.    From the nuts and bolts of Sidekicker to the broader landscape of business and innovation, Tom offers valuable insights into:  the future of work the role of AI - sharing how Sidekicker innovatively uses AI for data automation, matching engines, and award compliance the potential challenges the economy may face in the next 24 months   Quickfire Round:  Book: 'The Year of the Locust' Podcast: 'No Laying Up', 'Acquired'  News Source: Twitter Productivity Tool: ChatGPT Favorite CEO: Elon Musk App: Uber TV shows: ‘Slow Horses’, ‘Boys Swallows Universe’ TEDTalk Topic: Golf OR How to kick a standard career away and begin a startup without technical experienceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest this week is James Bowe, the Co-Founder of OwnHome alongside Tim Harley. With shelter as a fundamental human need, OwnHome aims to transform access to homeownership in Australia, allowing aspirational homeowners to enter the property market without a 20% deposit, helping them get there for just 2% upfront.    With enviable and impressive resumes and backgrounds across consulting and consumer tech with the likes of Bain & Company, Morgan Stanley, UBS, Macquarie, Wise Ltd, and Herbert Smith Freehills between them, James and Tim were driven to start OwnHome after reflecting on some of the biggest challenges they personally face (financial security being at the top of the pile) and how they want to spend the brief period of time they have left on this planet.    After participating in Commonwealth Bank’s accelerator program from overseas, working their day jobs during UK day time and the accelerator program from 10pm - 4am, they finished in the top spot for the accelerator and received $150,000 funding. Now armed with little to no excuses to jump into OwnHome full time, the pair returned to Australia, and raised their seed round while in hotel quarantine in Sydney. Own Home has since received backing from Entrez, Global Founders Capital, Square Peg, and Commonwealth Bank's X15 Ventures and recently raised $31 million in their series A round.    OwnHome combines technology and human services for a seamless experience. Through OwnHome, aspiring homeowners can wave goodbye to renting forever and forgo intergenerational support as the only avenue to owning a home. Their offer allows those with just 2% deposit on the home value access to a licensed buyer’s agent, split loan structures, choice of home loan and comprehensive support through the process. Over the past two and a half years, they have received well over 20,000 applications and supported 50 families in becoming homeowners. Across the next 12 months, OwnHome aspired to support $500 million of property purchases in the next 12 months.    Quickfire Round  Book: Amp It Up!, Frank Slootman & Black Belt, Joseph HealyPodcast: All-In Newsource: The Economist, Twitter App: Twitter Productivity Tool: Siri CEO: Jeff BezosTV Show: SuccessionTEDTalk Topic: Solving the challenges of housing affordability in Australia  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.