Face of Tech

Today on the show we're joined by Michelle Aguilar.Michelle is the CTO and Co-Founder of VAPAR, deploying simple and fast water asset management solutions. They are ones to watch! Smart Company included them in their coveted '10 startups to watch in 2021' list and Michelle was a finalist in the Women in AI Awards.Michelle graduated from the University of Technology, Sydney with first class honours in Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering; working as an engineer before co-founding VAPAR.We talk about why sewers and AI are a match made in heaven, taking a highly technical product from 0 to 1, going global, spotting opportunities and everything in between.About Michelle and VAPARGet in touch with Michelle on LinkedIn.Check out VAPAR here.Follow and get in touch with us on Instagram @faceoftechpodcastBig thanks to our sponsors, Common Code who build products, communities and enterprises for a better world.

Today on the show we're joined by Dr Angela Lim, founder of Clearhead, the startup creating your very own digital therapist.Intrigued? Clearhead is an online mental well-being platform, making personalised mental health and wellbeing support accessible for everyone. Why start here? For anyone who’s sought support before, you know it can be hard to find where to start; face expensive bills or not gel with your psychologist. Clearhead is changing that.Trained as a Doctor, Angela started her career in paediatrics, before she co-founded Clearhead in 2018. As if running a startup isn’t enough, Angela also finds time to give back by sitting on a number of boards and panels for digital health and outcomes for young people.We're tackling how she went from doctor to tech co-founder, how her experience in medicine inspired her to launch Clearhead and so much more.About Angela and ClearheadWant to learn more? Check out Clearhead.Say hi to Angela on LinkedIn.Follow and get in touch with us on Instagram @faceoftechpodcastBig thanks to our sponsors, Common Code who build products, communities and enterprises for a better world.

Today on the show we're excited to have Julia Arnott-Neenee.Julia is a dynamo of the Aotearoa tech scene serving on a number of boards, as an Advisor to two startups, and as the Director of Strategy & Insights at The Spinoff and Daylight Creative, an online magazine and full-service content agency and studio, respectively. She is also the Co-Founder and Director of PeopleforPeople_NZ, a youth-led Pacific Social Enterprise on a mission to ensure that everyone confidently participates in the Digital World of today and tomorrow. Before returning to Aotearoa in 2020, she was the Global Social Strategy Lead at HP.We're tackling how she went from strategic planning in Aotearoa to strategy at HP in the US, frameworks for distilling insights, why it's important that everyone has a place in the digital world and everything in between.You are going to love this episode! Julia is magnetic, warm, open, funny, articulate and authentic. We could go on and on and on about how awesome she is, but enough from us - get stuck into this ep already!About Julia Check out PeopleForPeople and join their mission to leave no one behind. Check out The Spinoff (their podcasts are a vibe!) and Daylight Creative Follow and get in touch with us on Instagram @faceoftechpodcastBig thanks to our sponsors, Common Code who build products, communities and enterprises for a better world.

Today on the show we're lucky to have Kate Cornick.Kate is the CEO of LaunchVic, Victoria's Startup Agency responsible for developing Victoria's startup ecosystem. LaunchVic is doing great things for the ecosystem and particularly for women through the Alice Anderson Fund, the support of Scale Investors, the funding for SBE, Atto and other women-focused accelerators and being a voice for women in tech and startups at a government level.We cover her passion for tech and innovation, the secret to LaunchVic's success, the 475% growth in Melbourne's ecosystem in the four years since LaunchVic's establishment and getting funding to female founders.About Kate and LaunchVicLaunchVic is Victoria's startup agency. LaunchVic is on a mission to lead the development of a globally-connected startup ecosystem by supporting startups and investors to sustainably grow and deliver economic and cultural benefits for both Victoria and Australia.Find them here and while you're there check out the raft of programs and resources targeted at startups in Victoria. Follow and get in touch with us on Instagram @faceoftechpodcastBig thanks to our sponsors, Common Code who build products, communities and enterprises for a better world.

Today on the show we're joined by serial entrepreneur and writer, Rebekah Campbell.Rebekah launched the careers of Australia's biggest stars including Evermore, Matt Corby and Van She through Scorpio Music. She co-founded 'Hey You', a mobile app used by more than one million Australians to order and pay at cafes. Rebekah is also an accomplished writer having written for the NY Times and the AFR, and just published her first book '138 Dates' on her quest to find love and build her company.We're covering how she disrupted the music and hospitality industries, her relationship to the love vs career narrative, male mentor breakups, that MaiTai trip and everything in between.About Rebekah You can buy '138 Dates' from Booktopia and all good bookstores. 11/10 recommend! We devoured it over a weekend.Head on over to her website to sign up to her newsletter keep up to date. Follow and get in touch with us on Instagram @faceoftechpodcastBig thanks to our sponsors, Common Code who build products, communities and enterprises for a better world.

Veronica Munro joins us to share how she left Florida as a Microbiology major for Australia where 10 years on she is the General Manager of Common Code, who build products, communities and enterprises for a better world. We talk about her Diversity, Equity and Social Inclusion efforts at Common Code and how they went from 30% women to 45% in 9 months in an industry where women only make up 15% of developers; and how the Harvard Business Review’s iconic article ‘Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders’ inspired her to take the reins at Common Code.LINKSYou can find Harvard Business Review’s iconic article ‘Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders’ here at https://hbr.org/2013/08/why-do-so-many-incompetent-men Learn more about Common Code on their website https://commoncode.io/ You can find Veronica Munro on LinkedIn here https://www.linkedin.com/in/vmunro/ Follow and get in touch with us on Instagram @faceoftechpodcast Big thanks to our sponsors, Common Code who build products, communities and enterprises for a better world.

Today on the show we are lucky to have the impeccable Samar McHeileh, the Co-CEO of Scale Investors.Scale Investors is a female-focused Angel Investor network who invest in exceptional female founders. Samar is the current co-CEO at Scale Investors after joining the business in early 2019 and prior to joining Scale she had a rapid rise at JBWere as a member of the Executive Leadership team.We are so excited to have Samar on the show today to chat about her path to Scale, angel investing and how the tech and startup landscape is changing for female founders.About Samar and Scale InvestorsThe struggle women face in getting access to capital is real, reported at a mere 3% of Venture Capital. Scale Investors are here to change that. Scale Investors is Australia's first and only network of Angel Investors who invest in exceptional female founders. Connect with Samar on LinkedIn Head on over to Scale Investors website to check out their portfolio companies (including the likes of Agscent, PetCloud and TalkiPlay) and how you can get involved. Pro tip: you don't need to be a sophisticated investor to join Scale! They have an Affiliate membership, so hit them up here and attend the next Investor Forum. 10/10 recommend getting involved!Follow and get in touch with us on Instagram @faceoftechpodcastBig thanks to our sponsors, Common Code who build products, communities and enterprises for a better world.

Today on the show we're pumped to have Alex Sinickas, founder of Milkdrop, who is changing the way women feel about breast pumps.Now we've got your attention, Milkdrop is a medical product design company, focused on creating beautiful products and experiences for women. Why start with breast pumps? They can make women feel like cows and Alex is doing something about it. Starting with a stint in investment banking, then working as a civil engineer in Australia and Canada; Alex later specialised in commercialising research before founding Milkdrop in March 2019. Incredibly, they've released their first product already and are working on a game changing breast pump. We love everything about Milkdrop and this is such an excellent example of women solving problems unique to our experience and the impact of investing in women.We are so excited to have Alex on the show today - she is doing radical things for women. We're tackling how she went from an idea to a product in the market in under two years, why products for women are being under-invested in and everything in between.About Alex and MilkdropMilkdrop is a medical product design company, focused on creating beautiful products and experiences for women.Passionate about medical products that make women feel good? Want to play a part? Great! It turns out there isn't a lot of research about the size and shape of women's nipples, and as you can imagine it's pretty hard to revolutionise breast pumps without that handy info. Fill out Milkdrop's Measure for Mum survey - it takes 2 minutes and you'll play a part in making women feel good.  Say hi on instagram @milkdrop_pumps or check out the website.Follow and get in touch with us on Instagram @faceoftechpodcastBig thanks to our sponsors, Common Code who build products, communities and enterprises for a better world.

Today on the show we have the great pleasure of chatting to Gaby Rosenberg, the Co-Founder of Blossom. Blossom is the new savings app targeting a 3% p.a. return so you can reach your goals faster. Gaby has recently launched Blossom to much fanfare with the AFR calling it the “app making bonds sexy for millennials”.In a bid to democratise the fixed income market, Blossom is an emerging success story with over $3 million funds under management by its second day. Blossom plays an important role in making investing accessible for women.We are delighted to have Gaby on the show today to find out where the idea for Blossom came from, what it's like founding a company with your family and what does it really take to go from idea to launch.About BlossomBlossom is a new app targeting a 3% p.a. return so you can reach your goals faster. We don’t think you should have to choose between targeting higher returns and quick & easy access to your savings. So, we’ve brought it all to you! Blossom is an easy to use app, providing access to the Blossom Fund, a fixed income fund. We're democratising the fixed income market for millennials, a market typically reserved for institutions and high net worth individuals. There are no minimums, no sign-up fees, no transfer or withdrawal fees. Our mission is to leave your savings and the environment better than we found them. So, when you fund your account for the first time, we’ll plant a tree in an Australian bushfire affected region.  After a June 2021 launch, Blossom already has over 2,000 customers and more than $9.7M of funds under management. For more information, check out the PDS and FAQs here: www.blossomapp.com.  Website: www.blossomapp.comApp Store: https://apps.apple.com/au/app/blossom-app/id1546446105Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.blossomapp.app.androidReferral code: FaceofTechFollow and get in touch with us on Instagram @faceoftechpodcastBig thanks to our sponsors, Common Code who build products, communities and enterprises for a better world.Our conversation on the pod is general in nature and is not intended as legal, financial or investment advice. Before making any commitment of a legal or financial nature, please chat to a qualified and registered financial or investment adviser. 

Today on the show we are lucky to have the in-demand Zara Seidler, the Co-Founder of The Daily Aus, Australia's leading social-first news service.Launched by Zara and her Co-Founder, Sam Koslowski in March 2017, TDA are doing phenomenal numbers. In the last 12 months they’ve gone from 6,000 to over 200k followers* on insta, created a daily newsletter and launched a podcast.We are so excited to have Zara on the show today to chat all things The Daily Aus, what it's like starting a social-first news media business in a turbulent time for the industry, tapping into millenials appetite for political and social engagement, and the hard stuff about launching a rapidly growing startup in your 20s.About The Daily AusThe Daily Aus are Australia’s leading social-first news service. They offer young Australians a digestible and engaging way to access the news.You can find The Daily Aus at thedailyaus.com.au, and follows them as @thedailyaus on Instagram and @thedailyaus on TikTokFollow and get in touch with us on Instagram @faceoftechpodcastBig thanks to our sponsors, Common Code who build products, communities and enterprises for a better world.* As at 24 August 2021 (this number will be become obsolete quickly - they are growing fast!!)

Today on the show we have the absolute pleasure of chatting to the whip smart Lucy Wark, Founder of NORMAL, the brand making sexual wellness a reality for all. A Cambridge graduate that worked at McKinsey before pivoting into startups with the Startmate Fellowship, and founding NORMAL last year. Launching earlier this year, it’s hard to understate how important the ground Lucy is breaking with NORMAL in changing the conversation around sexual wellness. We are so excited to have Lucy on the show today to chat all things NORMAL, what it's like founding a brand in a growing but still stigmatised space, creative ways around advertising regulations and tackling imposter syndrome.Check out the book’s Lucy referred to: Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand Giridharadas Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life by William DeresiewiczAbout NORMALYou can find Normal at itsnormal.com, and follow them as @normalco on Instagram and @itsnormal.com on TikTok. p.s. NORMAL just released their first sex ed course and gee whizz everyone needs to check it out!!Follow and get in touch with us on Instagram @faceoftechpodcast Big thanks to our sponsors, Common Code who build products, communities and enterprises for a better world.

Who are your co-hosts, Baidy and Anna anyway? How did a Kiwi ex-lawyer turned tech COO and an Aussie ex-professional services partner turned tech leader come to launch a podcast to platform trailblazing women in the Australian and New Zealand tech scene? And is there something about growing up on a farm that makes you a little different?Join us to find out who the hell we are and a taste of what's to come on the podcast.

Welcome to the Face of Tech Podcast! Join us as we change the face of tech by showcasing trailblazing women in the Australian and New Zealand tech scene.As a woman in tech, or an under-represented person in the ecosystem, we too often feel like the only. We face plenty of challenges. We’re under-funded outperformers. Join your hosts, Baidy and Anna on their quest to answer the big questions: why are there more men named John running companies than there are women CEO’s and why do women founders only get 3% of all VC funding? We’ll chat with inspirational women, react to relevant news, and answer your burning questions about how to get ahead in a world not designed for you. We’ll speak with visionary founders, investors, and operators that are redefining the face of tech. This podcast is for you regardless of where you are in your journey.