CHANGEMAKERS AND INFLUENCERS

MEET THE

Inspire Impact Innovate.

Role models shape our behaviour. They influence our actions and inspire us to uncover our potential and push us to do our best. But who are the role models for startups and small business?

Having mentors and role models to look up to helps us all strive to be better. With this in mind, in partnership with our friends at Google Ads, we created our inaugural Kochie’s Business Builders Power List.

The KBB Power List shines the spotlight on the most influential players in Australia’s small business and startup sector. Our Power List showcases the movers, shakers and influencers who are making their mark. From entrepreneurs to activists, business owners and thought leaders, each one has changed the landscape, impacting our nation’s SMEs for the better.

The list was handpicked by our Publishing team and features the 50 people we believe are inspiring, influencing and innovating in the small business and startup ecosystem, whether that is locally, nationally or globally.

Congratulations to all those included. We believe you are paving the way and embrace all the key elements of what it means to be a powerful influencer within the small business and startup sectors.

For the rest of us, I reckon these are the people we should be following… through their LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, media coverage and events. I already follow many on this list and am constantly inspired by their achievements and informed by their experiences. I learn so much from their advice. Google is proud to be partnering with KBB to shine a spotlight on the most influential players in Australia’s small Australia is a nation of startups and small business owners and business and startup sector. the people on this list all had humble beginnings… I believe their

Small businesses are the backbone of achievements will ignite your fire too. I hope those on the list persist in our local economy, and they make our leading the charge - that they continue to inspire and influence more communities special. We’ve seen what Australian small businesses and startups to follow their dreams and small business owners can accomplish reach for greatness. when they combine their strengths with the power of digital tools. That’s why Google is more committed than ever to helping small businesses succeed through digital skilling, as well as free & paid online advertising tools. Because when small businesses succeed, it creates a positive ripple effect that David Koch helps all of us.

www.kochiesbusinessbuilders.com.au/powerlist 3 Carolyn Creswell.

Proving delicious can be good for you too.

Carman’s founder Carolyn Creswell is an muesli brand along with being a leader inspirational leader whose success proves of deliciously good for you bars and that you can run a multinational business, nutritional snacks. love what you do and have a genuine work-life balance. From humble beginnings where Carolyn used to park her tiny hatchback alongside As an 18-year-old university student, semi-trailers in supermarket loading Carolyn Creswell founded Carman’s in docks, Carolyn’s determination and focus 1992. She bought the tiny business for on producing quality products using whole $1,000. In December 2018 Carman’s foods, has seen Carman’s build a strong proudly celebrated its 26th birthday following in more than 35 countries around and is Australia’s number one selling the world.

Abigail Ben Brad Forsyth. Pfisterer. Krauskopf.

Leading the global campaign to Helping businesses run, build Innovating and transforming the inspire reduce and re-use. and grow their operations. way Australians work.

As the co-founder and managing director The Head of APAC for global payments Brad Krauskopf is an international authority of KeepCup, known worldwide for its provider Square, Ben is responsible for on coworking and flexible work. Brad is the bright, bold and instantly recognisable building, deploying and managing Square’s pioneering founder and CEO of Australia’s reusable cups, Abigail is passionate about business and operational capabilities largest locally owned coworking operator, improving the take-up of sustainable across the Asia Pacific region. Hub Australia. As part of Brad’s vision to alternatives to disposable single use items. In his role at Square, Ben is focussed on connect people and organisations with KeepCup is the world’s first barista- providing more businesses with access talent, ideas and resources to achieve their standard reusable cup, used in cafes and to affordable payment tools and services. goals, Hub Australia has become home to coffee shops the world over. Since June Throughout his career, Ben has played over 2500 members. 2009 over ten million KeepCup users have an important role in Australia’s innovation With a reach across seven locations Brad diverted billions of disposable cups from and technology sectors, particularly in the and the team at Hub Australia continue landfill. In this same time, approximately fintech space. He founded and ran his own to build a nationally engaged coworking 5 trillion disposable cups have been made business, Kinetik Innovation, before joining community for growing businesses while and discarded to landfill. Square in 2015.. providing premium coworking spaces.

4 www.kochiesbusinessbuilders.com.au/powerlist Christie Dean Dianna Whitehill. Foley. Somerville.

Inspiring and educating women Leading the way in indigenous Building stronger and more across the tech and startup sector. entrepreneurship and social good. vibrant regional communities.

Christie Whitehill is an award-winning From humble beginnings growing up within Dianna is a frequent commentator on entrepreneur and mentor in the Australian the Aboriginal community in Gunnedah, to regional issues, ranging from the future of tech space, dedicated to empowering and serving 5-years in the Royal Australian Air work and state of the regional ecosystem, educating women in startups, tech and Force, Dean Foley eventually discovered his through to agri-tech and the need for innovation. She is the founder and CEO of calling as the CEO and founder of the first greater connectivity. She was the founder Tech Ready Women which is an education Indigenous Accelerator program, Barayamal. of Regional Grants, Tenders and Corporate platform and community for women Today Barayamal leads the way in Indigenous Services (RGTC); is the co-founder of wanting to create, build and grow tech entrepreneurship. Under Dean’s guidance several co-working spaces; and a series startups. Tech Ready Women’s mission is indigenous entrepreneurs are thriving. Dean of regional events accelerating innovation to provide women with tech and business believes Indigenous entrepreneurship and (Regional Pitchfest, Agrihack and 8point8). education, access to world class mentors economic development will help close the She is Community Manager of Bridge Hub, and connections to startup communities, disparity gap between Indigenous and non- a regionally based, globally connected enabling them to create the businesses of Indigenous people and create a better world . innovation hub for the Agrifood Tech tomorrow. Industry.

Carrie Kwan.

Inspiring women, especially mums, to succeed in business and life.

As the co-founder and Managing Director Carrie advocates for more investment of Mums & Co, Carrie Kwan is a speaker, in women-led ventures and in 2018 communicator and mentor who advocates initiated a national pitch competition for women in business, particularly mums. to champion more women leaders in She launched the Mums & Co. business business, close the gap in pitching community hub in 2016, which is backed knowledge as well as reduce the by IAG, Australia’s largest general insurer. challenges with funding a business. In 2017 she commissioned the first Carrie founded DailyAddict.com.au in Australian Mums in Business Report and 2008. Prior to this she spent more than in 2018 launched MPowered, an innovative a decade in corporate marketing roles annual business conference attended by at State Street, Ernst & Young and Cap women and children. Gemini Ernst & Young.

www.kochiesbusinessbuilders.com.au/powerlist 5 Flavia Tata Fred Jane Nardini. Schebesta. Cay.

Taking businesses to the Helping everyday Australians Taking regional business to great beyond. find the best options. global heights.

Flavia Tata Nardini began her career at the Fred Schebesta is a serial entrepreneur, As the founder of birdsnest, Jane European Space Agency as a Propulsion award-winning digital marketer, author, Cay should give hope to many small, Test Engineer. She then joined TNO, the media commentator, mentor and active independent businesses trying to adapt Netherlands Organisation for Applied member of the startup, crypto and to this new global and technology-led Scientific Research to work on advanced small business communities. He is the world. Hatched in Cooma, in regional NSW space propulsion projects. In 2015, co-founder of Finder, a global personal in 2004, birdsnest, Jane’s little retail store, Flavia co-founded Fleet, a connectivity finance comparison website, which has grown beyond all expectations. Since company set to maximise the resource operates in 10 countries with a further launching online in 2008, birdsnest has efficiency of human civilisation through 10 planned in the next year. As one of become one of Australia’s most respected low cost, low power remote massive IoT. Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs, online women’s fashion retailers. Fast Fleet launched four of over 100 planned Fred has countless accolades to his name forward eleven years, the business is nanosatellites in 2018, enabling the next including Entrepreneur of the Year and now 30 times bigger, employs 150 locals industrial revolution with a free, ubiquitous ADMA Australian Young Direct Marketer in a town of 6,500, with 95 per cent of its connectivity platform. of the Year. revenue coming from online sales.

Dr Stephanie Fahey.

Leading the way for Australia’s global trade relations.

Dr Stephanie Fahey is the Chief Executive region, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Global Officer of Austrade, the Australian Engagement) at Monash University and Government agency responsible for Director of the University of Sydney’s promoting trade, investment and Research Institute for Asia and the international education, and tourism policy, Pacific. Dr Fahey brings an international programs and research. perspective to her work and a wealth of experience across business and academia. Dr Fahey has over 30 years’ experience As Austrade’s first female chief executive, both as an academic and executive Dr Fahey has also served on the Australia working in Australia and overseas. Prior China Council, the NSW International to joining Austrade she was EY’s lead Education Advisory Board and the partner for education in the Oceania European Australian Business Council.

6 www.kochiesbusinessbuilders.com.au/powerlist Kate Carnell AO.

Advocating for the needs of the nation’s small and family businesses.

Since being appointed Australian and made over 200 submissions to Small Business and Family Enterprise government to ensure the voice of the Ombudsman in March 2016, Kate small business owner is heard. Carnell AO has been a powerful independent advocate for small Kate is no stranger to the small business. The Ombudsman has business sector, In fact, small business provided direct support to thousands has been a constant throughout her of businesses involved in disputes. career. Carnell ran her own businesses She has delivered 18 inquiries, reviews for 15 years and previously served as and research reports into key issues the CEO of the Australian Chamber of impacting the small business sector Commerce and Industry.

Jane Jo Julia Lu . Palmer. Bickerstaff.

Using the power of social media Connecting Australians with the Assisting small business owners to engage and thrive. remote workforce. to grow their business and achieve their dreams. Jane Lu founded Showpo in 2010 from her Jo Palmer founded Pointer to help parents’ garage having previously worked her talented friends who had married Julia Bickerstaff is a business author, in accounting and corporate finance. After farmers find meaningful work, remotely. speaker, mentor, adviser and coach. She’s returning from a year abroad, she was Businesses all over Australia are now able the founder of The 100 Day Goal and The inspired to ditch the “cubicle life”, to start to benefit from access to a talent pool that Business Bakery. her own venture. Despite her enthusiasm, is relatively untapped - professionals in A former economist and mother of four, Lu’s first business failed spectacularly. the regions who can work from home. Jo Julia spends her days helping people grow Undeterred, she got right back on the aims to level the playing field for remote their business via her goal setting program horse, starting the online fashion brand, work as location no longer needs to be a The 100 Day Goal; and turning their small Showpo the following month. What began barrier to stimulating and rewarding work. ventures into profitable businesses, via with a laptop and two shelves of clothing, With a lower cost per chair, employees The Business Bakery. She is an advisor to is now an online global fashion empire. who don’t sit in peak hour traffic and have a portfolio of medium sized businesses, Showpo now boasts a cult social following an actual work life balance, businesses and the author of the book ‘How to Bake a of over 3.3 million engaged followers can now find the best person for a job, Business’. collectively and ships to over 100 countries. regardless of where they live.

www.kochiesbusinessbuilders.com.au/powerlist 7 Matt Barrie.

Expanding and changing the employment landscape for freelancers.

Matt Barrie is an award-winning to creators and creatives from all over entrepreneur and the CEO and Chairman the globe. Recognised as a leader in of Freelancer.com, the world’s largest entrepreneurship, Matt is regularly invited freelancing and crowdsourcing to speak at the world‘s leading technology marketplace. This serial entrepreneur and business forums including the Summit has changed the way businesses engage Series, and has been a featured speaker at creatives and developers for work forever. South by Southwest. He is also one of 100 Freelancer.com now operates in 247 worldwide Linkedin Influencers, alongside countries and has more than 32 million Richard Branson, Barack Obama and users on the platform. With Freelancer. Deepak Chopra, where he writes on the com Barrie was able to provide small topics of entrepreneurship, economics and business owners unparalleled access technology.

Leanne Lisa Kate Faulkner. Messenger. Morris.

Championing workplace wellness Disrupting traditional media Empowering consumers and and mental health support. channels and pushing for change. disrupting the retail space.

Leanne Faulkner works at the intersection of Lisa Messenger is the vibrant, game-changing After realising that most women found small business ownership and mental health CEO of the Messenger Group, as well as department stores intimidating and support. As the former business owner and Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Collective Hub. unpleasant, Kate Morris was inspired founder of Australian skincare business She previously worked globally in events, to create a disruptive beauty shopping Billie Goat Soap, she understands the strains sponsorship, marketing, PR and publishing, experience that empowered consumers. and pressures faced by SMBs. It was this has authored and co-authored 25 books and As the CEO and founder of Adorebeauty. lived experience that led her to advocate is now an authority on disruption in both the com.au, Kate started Australia’s first beauty for more resources to be made available corporate sector and in the start-up scene. e-commerce site in 1999 from a garage in to support the wellbeing of small business With fans including Sir Richard Branson, New Melbourne at the age of 21 with a $12,000 owners in Australia. Today she is recognised York Times best-selling author Bradley Trevor investment and just two products. Adore as a thought-leader in this very unique small Greive and a highly engaged social media Beauty has since grown to more than business space. She is the Council of Small following of 190,000+, Lisa’s vision is to build a 160 brands, and 12,000 products, She Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) community of like-minded people who want was inducted into the Business women’s Mental Health Ambassador. to change the world. Network Hall of Fame in 2015.

8 www.kochiesbusinessbuilders.com.au/powerlist If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time. Steve Jobs

www.kochiesbusinessbuilders.com.au/powerlist 9 Professor Jo Richard Trent Barraket. Flanagan. Innes.

Leading the campaign for social Upskilling small businesses on Bringing people and numbers enterprise in Australia. the power of digital. together for more powerful business. Professor Jo Barraket is Australia’s leading Richard Flanagan is Head of SMB Ads researcher of social enterprises and is & Brand Marketing at Google Australia Trent Innes is the Managing Director of passionate about their contributions to an where he helps Aussie businesses grow Xero Australia, the global small business inclusive economy. Now the director of and find new customers through Google platform. Guided by a strong people-focus, the Centre for Social Impact Swinburne, My Business and Google Ads. He launched he has developed and grown Xero’s teams Jo co-founded her first social enterprise Grow with Google, a free digital skills to help small businesses thrive. when she was just 20, and has been training platform to help business owners, Passionate about the power of using data actively involved in developing the field for job seekers and students learn the skills to help policymakers make informed 25 years. Jo regularly advises governments, needed for today’s digital economy. He decisions, Trent launched Xero Small businesses, and international bodies on also leads a national live training roadshow Business Insights in 2017, the first true developing social enterprises, and has written that has been to dozens of locations snapshot of the sector’s health. Since more than 60 publications on the topic. She is in every state and territory showing launch, the insights have helped to shape Chair CERES Environment Park, and a board thousands of business owners how to make thinking on the Australian small business member of the Westpac Foundation. Google tools work for their business. economy.

Peter Strong.

Advocating for the needs of the small business community.

Peter Strong is the CEO of Council of member of the SBR Board; a member of Small Business Organisations of Australia. the Australian Tax Commissioner’s small He is a passionate advocate for the business stewardship group. small business community representing business owners on issues of importance He also participates in a series of Mental to government and industry agencies. Health Advisory groups as well as the Peter participates in various advisory Business Advisory Forum for ASIC. Peter groups to the Australian government is passionate about workplace relations including: Chair of the Digital Business and actively campaigns for the removal Council, former Chairman of Treasury’s of government red tape and centralised Business Advisory Forum on Standard decision making to greater empower the Business Reporting (SBR); a Board small business community.

10 www.kochiesbusinessbuilders.com.au/powerlist Naomi Melanie Nic Marchesi & Simson. Perkins. Lucas Patchett.

Disrupting the experience Making beautiful designs possible Making homelessness part of the marketplace and driving for everyone. national conversation. innovation. Melanie Perkins is CEO and cofounder of In October 2014, two best mates had a An entrepreneur and business leader, Canva, an online design and publishing crazy idea to put two washing machines Naomi Simson co-founded the Big Red tool which makes graphic design simple. and two dryers in the back of a van, and Group (BRG) with business partner David Since launching in 2013, Canva has wash and dry clothes for free. Anderson in 2017. The BRG’s purpose is grown to over 15 million users across 190 Nicholas Marchesi and Lucas Patchett, the to shift the way people experience life countries, with more than 1 billion designs 2016 Young Australians of the Year, founded and is at the forefront of digital disruption created, at 36 designs per second - it is Orange Sky – a world-first, free mobile for experiences in Australia. As the third used by more than 80% of the Fortune laundry service for people experiencing largest experience gifting business in the 500, plus small/medium businesses, homelessness. On a mission to improve world, BRG has grown to become a nonprofits, teachers and students. With hygiene standards, Nic and Lucas stumbled a customer-centric, $100m enterprise. over 600 team members - across offices on something more significant –the power In her role as a judge on Shark Tank in Sydney, Manila and Beijing - Canva is of a conversation. Now facilitated by more Australia Naomi’s passion for innovation working to empower everyone to design than 1,600 volunteers, Orange Sky aims to has assisted dozens of entrepreneurs. anything and publish anywhere. positively connect the community.

Peta Ellis.

Driving change & innovation within the startup and entrepreneur ecosytem.

Peta is a change maker and community (YEN), which is a community focused on leader in the entrepreneurial landscape. connecting young entrepreneurs with With more than 20 years of experience industry, schools, course providers and under her belt she has launched and program facilitators. exited four ventures before turning 30. In the last six years she has mentored over In 2019 she has managed the national 1000 entrepreneurs and hosted more than expansion of the RCL brand to Sydney 1500 startup events at River City Labs. with HarbourCityLabs and to Melbourne As CEO of RCL, Brisbane’s leading with BayCityLabs in partnership with the Innovation and Startup Hub she founded Australian Computer Society (ACS). the Conduit Corporate Innovation Program Peta is passionate about innovation in and the Young Entrepreneurs Network the entrepreneurial space.

www.kochiesbusinessbuilders.com.au/powerlist 11 Steven Marshall.

Driving tech and startup innovation on a national scale.

Steven Marshall is the Premier of South Australian Space Agency and mission Australia. Responsible for the portfolios of control headquarters in Adelaide. Defence and Space Industries, Aboriginal While other Premier’s talk about innovation, Affairs and Reconciliation, the Arts, Veterans’ Steven Marshall walks the talk. He is Affairs and Multicultural Affairs, Marshall personally connected with the startup has been setting an agenda of innovation community, built the Lot 14 innovation for South Australia that is the envy of other hub and established Australia’s first space states. As premier, Marshall rolled out centre in Adelaide the launch of the Skilling South Australia program to create 20,800 new traineeships Marshall’s message to investors and and apprenticeships; he initiated a record emerging industries is – South Australia is infrastructure program, and secured the open for business

Zoe Maggie Tim Lamont. Zhou. Reed.

Setting the agenda for women’s Helping small business conquer Delivering solutions and driving financial security. the Chinese market. change across small business management. Driven by a passion for women’s financial Maggie Zhou is Managing Director for wellbeing and equality, Zoe is a pioneer of Australia and New Zealand Alibaba Group. Tim Reed has been CEO of MYOB since 2008. women’s financial education in Australia. A As one of the key veterans of the company. He’s passionate about the potential of digital fellow of the School for Social Entrepreneurs, she is responsible for establishing a local technology to transform society and help in 2009 she founded the 10thousandgirl presence for Alibaba in Australia and to businesses succeed. Tim has overseen MYOB’s campaign and over the next eight years ran further develop infrastructure to help local transformation to become an innovative financial wellbeing programs for over 10,000 merchants enter the vast China consumer accounting and business management solution women, many across regional and remote market. She works closely with the Australian to more than 1.2m businesses across Australia Australia. Zoe recently launched Verve Trade Commission (Austrade), showcasing and New Zealand. Tim has been instrumental Super, Australia’s first superannuation fund the value of the China e-commerce market in driving changes to simplify tax compliance, designed for women, by women. Verve Super to Australian brands and businesses. Maggie leading the work with Business Council aims to close the retirement savings gap and has been a key contributor to Alibaba Group’s Australia to introduce the Australian Supplier grow the collective financial power of women international strategy - to make it easy to Payment code and advocating for e-invoicing to change the world. do business anywhere. and digitisation to make life easier for SMBs.

12 www.kochiesbusinessbuilders.com.au/powerlist Mike Cannon Dawn Brookes and Annie Hough. Scott Farquhar. Parker.

Setting the agenda for diversity Driving digital innovation for all Accelerating Australian startups and inclusion in the workplace. businesses. and assisting founders to connect.

Dawn Hough is the Director of ACON’s Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar As the global head of startups at Microsoft, Pride Inclusion Programs. All the programs are the co-founders and co-CEOs of Annie Parker brings a wealth of experience provide employer support for all aspects Atlassian. Arguably Australia’s first tech in the digital startup and technology of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and billionaires, Mike and Scott are leading space. Recognised by the Australian Intersex (LGBTI) inclusion either within the the agenda for digital innovation across Financial Review as one of the 100 Women workplace, Australian Sport or through the business space. Their platform of Influence in Australia for 2018, Annie health and wellbeing service provision. Atlassian allows developers to collaborate is passionate about helping founders to In 2009 Dawn established the Australian like never before. Both Mike and Scott achieve their full potential. Prior to joining Workplace Equality Index, a national have been recognised as Australian Microsoft Annie was the co-founder of benchmark on LGBTI workplace inclusion. Entrepreneurs of the Year and are muru-D; a startup accelerator program. Since that time, the program has grown members of The Forum of Young Global She is the director of Code Club Australia substantially and gained an international Leaders. They remain active contributors and cofounder of Techfugees, a global reputation for its leading practice and to Sydney’s startup scene via seed fund movement connecting newly arrived gold standard index. StartMate and VC Blackbird Ventures. refugees with the technology ecosystem.

Daniel Flynn.

Striving for social good and making a difference to people in need.

Daniel established Thankyou alongside a the organisation is going, you probably group of co-founders at the ripe old age won’t get much more out of him than “it’s of 19 and every day he continues to drive just the beginning”. Thankyou’s vision to see global poverty eradicated with the goal to help millions What you won’t hear him talk about are of people in need. epic achievements that include writing a bestselling book called Chapter One, A self desrcibed ‘ideas man’ through and winning some cool awards like 2014 and through, Daniel is a big advocate for Victorian Young Australian of the Year. living out your dreams. You’ll often hear Go Daniel! him say, “Impossibility is only someone’s opinion, not a fact” and if you ask him how

www.kochiesbusinessbuilders.com.au/powerlist 13 Justin Nick Sean Dry. Molnar. Ashby.

Championing consumers in the Delivering new finance options to Leading product innovation in retail space. consumers and small businesses. the global retail space.

Justin Dry is an entrepreneur, investor and Nick Molnar is a serial entrepreneur with Sean Ashby is founder and managing co-founder plus CEO of Vinomofo, one of extensive experience in online retail. director of the highly successful Australian Australia’s fastest-growing companies. Nick is co-founder and CEO of Afterpay, underwear and swimwear brand, aussieBum. Launched in April 2011 from a little garage a leading Australian retail payments Combining his passion and drive with a in Adelaide, Vinomofo now operates in innovator and one of Australia’s fastest unique idea, saw aussieBum succeed and Australia, NZ and Singapore where it has growing fintech companies. Afterpay become one of Australia’s most iconic brands grown quickly to turnover $50million in facilitates commerce between retail internationally. Since launching 15 years ago, annual revenue, has a membership base of merchants and their end-customers aussieBum is now sold in more than 120 500,000 and employs a team of 100 staff. - offering a ‘buy now, take now, pay countries around the world and turns over Justin has been named one of the Top 50 later’ service that does not require end- more than $20 million each year. aussieBum People in E-Commerce 2016, 2017, 2018 and customers to enter into a traditional loan was the first Australian fashion brand to 2019 by Internet Retailing. He is a proven or pay any upfront fees or interest to sell online to an overseas audience. In game-changer in the wine industry, taking Afterpay. Afterpay currently has over 3.1 recognition of his work, Sean has twice been on retail giants and challenging the ‘Bowties million customers and over 20,000 retail awarded Australian Exporter of the Year for and BS’ attitudes of elitist wine snobs. merchants. Manufacturing. Kia Dowell.

Delivering innovation & social purpose in the indigenous business space.

Kia Dowell is a Gija woman from Warmun As head of Strategy and Innovation, Kia Community (Turkey Creek) in the East oversees the development, implementation Kimberley of Western Australia. Her and performance of IBA’s strategic plan, traditional Aboriginal name is Wadjbarreyal market research and insights, impact and her skin name is Nangala. measurement and evaluation, thought She joined Indigenous Business Australia leadership and advocacy and strategic (IBA) in 2017 from Codeswitch, an Indigenous partnerships. strategic advisory and consulting firm she Before co-founding Codeswitch, Kia spent 5 co-founded. Kia is passionate about working years working with a global mining company to support the growth of profitable and implementing Native Title Agreements in sustainable organisations that serve a greater the East Kimberley and Pilbara regions of social purpose for Aboriginal communities. Western Australia.

14 www.kochiesbusinessbuilders.com.au/powerlist Ideas are easy. Implementation is hard. Guy Kawasaki,

www.kochiesbusinessbuilders.com.au/powerlist 15 Tyson Koh.

Putting the importance of a city’s nightlife & culture back on the agenda.

Tyson Koh is the director of anti-lockout Government on the future of Sydney’s campaign Keep Sydney Open and night-time economy. Keep Sydney producer of the ABC’s long-running Open has since organised inner-city music program Rage. Since starting Keep precinct activations in an effort to restore Sydney Open in 2015, Tyson has been a confidence and participation in the city’s leading voice on Sydney’s nightlife and night-time activities. the city’s cultural vibrancy. He has helped to make the issues facing Sydney’s In his capacity as a music programmer nightlife a major talking point through a Tyson has worked on major events such series of successful rallies and several as the Sydney Festival, Darling Harbour’s mainstream media appearances. Tyson NYE fireworks and the Commonwealth is now a key contributor to the State Games in Delhi.

Deborah Katy Kayla Itsines Jenkins. Barfield. & Tobi Pearce.

Driving the tax agenda for the Leading the war on food waste. Transforming women’s health nation’s small business owners. and fitness journeys. Katy Barfield is Australia’s leading food Deborah Jenkins is the Deputy waste warrior. As the founding CEO of Kayla Itsines and her partner Tobi Pearce Commissioner Small Business at the SecondBite, she assisted in collecting and are the founders and CEO (respectively) Australian Taxation Office. As an energetic redistributing over two million kilograms of meal-planning and work out app, leader with multi-national experience of fresh food waste. Katy then turned Sweat. The couple are passionate about Deborah brings practical governance and her focus on the commercial food sector helping women reach their health and risk management experience to her role at and in 2014 founded Yume, Australia’s fitness goals and are considered to be the ATO. She is passionate about diversity first surplus food online marketplace. amongst the most influential people and inclusion in the workplace and takes Yume enables food suppliers to sell in the global fitness industry. In March a collaborative approach in working with their quality surplus products to buyers 2016, Time magazine named Kayla one stakeholders and in leading diverse teams. in the foodservice industry. Already, of the 30 most influential people on the She is committed to working with the Yume - which works with hundreds of Internet. Today Kayla has 11.5 million government to assist small businesses in leading food manufacturers - has sold Instagram followers, more than 25 million dealing with tax issues. over 850,897kg of quality surplus food, Facebook followers and her app has been returning $2.7 million to Australian downloaded more than 30 million times. farmers and manufacturers.

16 www.kochiesbusinessbuilders.com.au/powerlist Usman Iftikhar.

Change maker and social entrepreneur inspiring migrantpreneurs.

Usman Iftikhar is a social entrepreneur, Ready Growth Grants funded by passionate about utilising the power of Department of Social Services, providing entrepreneurship to solve issues such impact businesses with grants. He is also as global warming and the global a WEF Global Shaper, Westpac Social refugee crisis. Change Fellow 2019, AMP Tomorrow Maker 2018, FYA Young Social Pioneer Alumnus, He’s the CEO of an award-winning and the Australian lead for G20 YEA. startup pre-accelerator called Catalysr, which supports migrant and refugee For his work Usman was named the 2018 entrepreneurs to launch their own Commonwealth Young Person of the Year startups in Australia. Usman also sits on amongst 1.4 billion young people living in the expert panel for Impact Investment the 53 Commonwealth nations.

Robbie Tim Emma Cooke. Fung. Isaacs .

Bringing the power of fintech Empowering Aussies to use their Inspiring women be bold and to small businesses across skills to increase their earning passionate in business. Australia. potential. Emma Isaacs is the founder and Global Passionate about customer centric and After recognising the unconscious bias CEO of Business Chicks, Australia’s largest technology driven businesses, Robbie driving employment discrimination in community for women, and is passionate Cooke joined Tyro as CEO in 2018 after Australia, Tim Fung co-founded Airtasker, about encouraging women to be bold, to clocking up five years as MD and CEO of a community marketplace that connects be courageous and to take risks. Tatts Group. In his role at Tyro, Robbie people looking for local services. With a Business Chicks produces over 100 events drives the fintech’s strategy of providing driving mission of empowering people annually; publishes a magazine called frictionless banking and access to to realise the full value of their skills, Latte and facilitates thousands of new lending for Australia’s under-served Airtasker creates $6million each week in connections every week for its members Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Tyro earning opportunities for its Taskers. Fung and 250K+ social media following through uses disruptive technology and agile is passionate about entrepreneurship. He is its engaging content. In 2016, Emma methodologies to design innovative a mentor at the Founders Institute, Sydney packed up her young family to move to products together with a better payments and is also the cofounder of Sydney CBD California where she launched the USA and banking experience for its customers. tech co-working space Tank Stream Labs. arm of Business Chicks.

www.kochiesbusinessbuilders.com.au/powerlist 17 Matt Hall and Andy Sum.

Putting Aussie game developers on the map.

Hipster Whale is an Australian gaming mainstream studios including PAC-MAN studio founded in 2014 by Matt Hall and 256 in 2015 with Bandai Namco and Andy Sum. Disney Crossy Road in 2016 with Disney, on mobile platforms. The duo hit the big time when their first game, Crossy Road, proved an instant In 2015 Hipster Whale won an Apple crowd pleaser. Downloaded more than Design Award for Crossy Road, Studio of 200 million times, Crossy Road, made $10 the Year at the Australian Game Developer million in its first three months of release Awards and won the Creative Industries and put the developers on the map. category of The Governor of Victoria Export Hipster Whale have since gone on to Awards. The pair continue to innovate in release further sucesses working with the gaming space.

Shainiel Deo.

Expanding the footprint of game development in Australia.

Shainiel Deo is the founder of Brisbane- and is one of the biggest success stories of based Halfbrick Studios, the creators of the local gaming industry. Since founding some of the world’s most popular mobile Halfbrick with a group of QUT friends phone games. in 2001, Shainiel has grown Halfbrick to become one of the most successful After several years developing games for independent gaming studios in the world. other companies, on DS and PSP, Halfbrick struck gold after taking the plunge into Shainiel is the only founder to remain at mobile gaming. the company had massive the company and after almost twenty success with two games, Jetpack Joyride years in the business, he continues to and Fruit Ninja. Fruit Ninja has since been be passionate about the future of downloaded more than 400 million times Australian gaming.

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18 www.kochiesbusinessbuilders.com.au/powerlist There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. Colin Powell

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