May Samali

I’m always inspired seeing Australian consumer tech founders doing great things. Lucy Mort is no exception – as the co-founder and CEO of Sunroom, a consumer app that provides a space for women to earn money by creating content and connecting with their communities, Lucy has used product and design to create a space that feels unique, and caters to their specific community. Building a product that can sometimes confuse people (wait - I can only talk on Wednesday?!), I loved these product design insights from Lucy’s interview with Natasha Gillezeau: 📈 Most Advanced, Yet Acceptable: Pioneered by Raymond Loewy, product design should be innovative, whilst accessible and familiar. In essence, as advanced as your target customer is willing to accept. The iPhone is a great example of this, providing incremental changes over time, whilst maintaining enough of the previous design so that it is familiar. ⬇ Less is More: Build on the assumption that your users have no idea what your product is. The more features, the more complexity, the greater the barrier to adoption. Strip things back, listen to your users and your metrics, find your 1-2 key features driving value and stickiness and double down. 👌 Selective perfectionism: Work smarter. Some features will require significant A/B testing and iterating and others won’t. Have a framework to understand the demand, value and ROI you are creating to guide what will move the dial and where to invest your time. Via Missing Perspectives

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Truth, right here. I am elated to have just hired See Me Please's first full-time employee. He just retired from a career as a professional athlete. I hired him because he has grit and works hard. He tells me, if given an opportunity, he will eat bricks for lunch. By choice, I'm bootstrapping See Me Please. At least for the first year. I'm of the view that proven demand and growth, based on the exceptional value we deliver to our early partners, is in the best interest of the business's long-term success. It provides choice, flexibility and negotiation leverage when (if) the time comes to explore potential investment partners. Time will tell if See Me Please will move at the velocity I'd like it to. But if it does, I care too much to give my business away. I have my eyes wide open, this approach means working VERY hard to get it out of the gates. There is absolutely nothing wrong with flexible work and work-life balance depending on your priorities. At the same time, there's immense value in hard work. Hard work can give a sense of purpose and direction, helping a team feel like they are contributing meaningfully to something larger than themselves. Richard Joffe you're singing to me. Thanks for sharing Claudia Levi Pat Jensen

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Startup founders and supporters Startup Muster the only comprehensive survey of Australian startups and their supporters. The survey reaches throughout the ecosystem to count every person that contributes to supporting founders and startups 🎉 Calling all diverse founders - we need you and your voices and experiences to be seen and heard 📣 We can’t measure what we can’t see and we can’t change what we don’t know - this survey is so important ✊🏼 Fill in the survey today 📝https://startupmuster.com #startup #diversity #entrepreneur #founder #culturaldiversity String Nguyen Mikaela Jade FTSE Dor Akech Achiek Nirary Dacho 🌏 Usman Iftikhar UNSW Founders UTS Startups

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"Australia needs to scaleup up in tech or risk to be left behind." That's the title of a very interesting article by Daniel Petre on The Australian. "To truly compete with top-tier innovation hubs, Australia must overcome its geographic isolation by building strong international connections." That's one of the outcomes of latest Mind the Bridge Tech Scaleup Australia Report that has been presented this week at SXSW Sydney (with the support of ACCIONA and Crunchbase). Link for downloading the report in the notes. #startups #openinnovation #australia Serena Orizi Telmo Pérez Luaces Marco Marinucci Guillem Clemente Fernando Fajardo Gerez Serena Valente Giorgio Di Fiore Max Brigonzi Mattia Poletti

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What's the secret formula to working out how much, and what kind of open space a community needs? Truth is there isn't one. But there are some key ingredients to consider. It was such a pleasure to get to discuss this as a panelist at this week's NSW DPHI Open space Community of Practice event, which focussed on open space provision. A few take aways: - Planning for open space is nuanced, and benchmarking demand depends on a range of factors from number of people; to proximity, quality and capacity of what's nearby; to the diversity of the people who will use it; to the size and shape of the site; the type of housing people will live in; and the $$$ available (to plan, deliver and manage). - Benchmarks are nuanced. From population based; to site based; to aiming to retain existing provisions and standards. - The way we recreate is changing, and the diversity of our communities is changing influencing what we need to provide. - We need to be strategic. From government identifying early where regional open spaces will go that align with the housing targets being set; to enabling local councils to prepare LGA wide strategic open space and recreation strategies (that can get them grant ready; support negotiations around proposals; make the life of DA officers easier; and provide direction for developers). - We must start with need - needs of diverse user groups, needs of places, needs of delivery agencies, needs of future managers There are few things we know: - We must re-evaluate how we value open space, or green infrastructure. It is our truly equitable space. It delivers more health, social, economic and environmental value to the individual, to communities, and to government agencies (particularly in reduced the burden on health service delivery) than any other asset. - While we can improve the capacity of what we have through improved facilities, multipurpose design, shade and seating etc; we are still going to need more open space to respond to growth. Open space cannot just be left over parcels of land; or a nice to have. It simply can't be left of the plan as our housing becomes more dense and tall. - It's the role of many agencies - from the private sector, to local governments to state governments - to deliver the improved and new open space we will need. Bring on more collaboration. Thanks to Fiona Morrison and Bec Watson for driving these conversations and bringing people together so we can share and build our knowledge. It was a pleasure to present with you Paul Melrose Crosbie Lorimer Rohan Buckley Dana Spence. Always up for a chat and to share insights for open space planning from the site, to place, to city and state scale.

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There's nothing quite like an election year to prompt all the big conversations, and it was good to sit down with Keane Bourke at Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) last week to share Orana House‘s take on recent FDV announcements (*link to video below) Of course, there’s only so much I can fit into a quick soundbite, but essentially, Orana welcomes the discussion around law reform, as well as WA Labour's commitment to refuge expansion, especially for the regions, such as Albany and Geraldton. 📢We still need to keep talking about the impacts of the housing crisis, though, and the fact that, even once we’ve supported women and their children to safety, we often have nowhere for them to move on to after refuge. We need to keep them safe and together and to continue supporting them through recovery and healing. (My own personal view: wouldn’t it be great if politics wasn’t always presented as a two-player duel? It’s not an either/or spend; investment and policy will need to simultaneously respond to *all* pillars in the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and their Children - as well as respond *specifically* to the recommendations in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan.) https://lnkd.in/g_C3TaBk

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For nearly two decades, New Aim has been quietly revolutionizing the e-commerce landscape in Australia. Today, I'm excited to pull back the curtain and reveal our true identity: we're not just an e-commerce company, but a cutting-edge technology innovator at our core. This collaboration with Google Cloud is a testament to our tech-first approach. It's allowing us to streamline our operations, strengthen our cybersecurity, and most importantly, accelerate our AI and big data initiatives. As Australia's largest private e-commerce technology company, we're not just adapting to the future of retail - we're actively shaping it. Our recent launch of AirOxy.AI is just one example of how we're leveraging our enhanced capabilities to drive innovation in the industry. I'm incredibly proud of our team's relentless pursuit of technological excellence Jason Hu, Carrie Hu, Terry Lau, Guang Xu, Nader Chmait, Ryan Wu. Also special thanks to Nerissa Penfold, Courtney McWatt, Matthew Zwolenski and the entire Google Cloud team for their support and partnership in this transformative journey. This is just the beginning of a new chapter for New Aim as we continue to push the boundaries of what's possible in e-commerce technology. #NewAimTech #GoogleCloudPartner #AustralianTech #EcommerceTechnology #AIinRetail

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While the agency reportedly spent $80 million on private law firms to contest participant appeals AAT IN A SINGLE YEAR, funding for #advocacy services remains comparatively paltry. $21.2 million OVER THREE YEARS for individual advocacy #support during NDIS appeals . This stark contrast underscores a systemic imbalance, where participants face a well-resourced agency armed with top-tier #legal representation, while their own access to advocacy support is significantly underfunded. It's a David versus Goliath scenario, but with David's slingshot grossly underfunded An almost poetic embodiment of modern bureaucracy’s obsession with looking righteous while acting dubious. Let’s dissect this tapestry of contradictions. Systemic Neglect of Advocacy: “Empowerment,” But Make It Cosmetic Let me get this straight— #NDIS spends $80 million annually on legal defense while throwing advocacy services crumbs? That's like hiring a celebrity lawyer to argue why your fridge is empty because your kids ate the food you never bought. How do you claim to empower participants while outspending them into submission? Is this an empowerment scheme or a legal fund masquerading as disability support? Does geographic exclusion of advocacy serve as an unspoken filter to conveniently ignore inconvenient cases? Out of sight, out of funding? NDIA’s Power Dynamics: Bureaucracy on Steroids Opaque decisions and 80% unrepresented at the AAT? That’s like staging a fight where one side has boxing gloves, and the other is asked to bring "the power of intention." Participants are rendered voiceless while the NDIA feasts on red tape spaghetti. #Transparency is the first casualty of unchecked power. If NDIA can’t explain their decisions, do they even understand them themselves? Power imbalance here isn’t an accident; it’s a feature. After all, isn’t it easier to win when the other side can’t even step into the ring? A Rhetorical Riddle NDIS has built its PR on “choice & control,” but the moment participants flex those muscles, they’re stonewalled. It’s like being handed a steering wheel that isn’t connected to anything—go ahead, turn it, but the road stays the same. Is “choice” just a buzzword, a PR band-aid to distract from the NDIA’s iron grip? In a market-based system, where’s the market #competition for better advocacy services? Or do they only compete on who can save NDIA the most money? Who Wins? (Hint: Not You) Advocacy isn’t just underfunded—it’s structurally suffocated. Vulnerable groups like Indigenous & CALD participants are effectively locked out of the system, left to navigate a labyrinth with no map, no torch, and a disinterested overseer. Without robust advocacy, NDIS participants aren’t just underserved—they’re systematically disenfranchised. Advocacy gaps aren’t mere oversight; they’re a mechanism to maintain NDIA dominance & stifle dissent. Byron Stol Graham Taylor Mark Sweeney Marie J. Annette A. Tara Hannon Peter Gregory Jarrod Sandell-Hay

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The Australian VC landscape is thriving, but gender disparity still casts a long shadow. As revealed by Cut Through Venture's Cut Through Quarterly Q3 report, women-led startups are gaining traction but face an uphill battle as they mature through funding rounds, with participation dropping dramatically from 50% at pre-seed to just 14% at Series A. In our latest Antler article, we explore how persistent barriers are widening the funding gap and why it’s critical to support women founders from day zero - supporting them from the start and providing continued backing throughout their journey. https://lnkd.in/gZds-cyk We're dedicated to pushing forward for a more inclusive and resilient ecosystem and invite all ambitious founders to join our February 2025 residency in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

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When it comes to board tenure, the intersection of accountability and identity can create a complex dynamic for directors. A recent paper by Natalie Elms from QUT's Faculty of Business & Law delves into this intriguing topic. The study, based on interviews with Australian directors, reveals that Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) highly cherish their director identity and the associated recognition that comes with it. The research uncovers a fascinating paradox where some directors are hesitant to leave a board, as it would mean relinquishing their vital director identity. This dilemma can lead directors to overlook term limit guidelines if preserving their director status outweighs conforming to the expectations of the role. Moreover, the paper highlights instances of unspoken agreements among certain directors to back each other's prolonged board presence. This practice may involve manipulating skills matrix tables in Annual Reports or maintaining an 'independent' status even after 25 years on the board. Such actions pose significant challenges for board rejuvenation and hinder the acquisition of diverse skills necessary for a technology-driven future. Explore more on how director identity influences board tenure in the thought-provoking study here: https://lnkd.in/gT8RYQ8f

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Our strategy mini-series continues with a deep dive into board strategy with the incredible Denise North FAICD IDP-C! 🌟 Denise, an expert with decades of experience across multiple sectors, joins me to explore the essential principles from the Australian Institute of Company Directors — not just for not-for-profits, but for all boards. In this episode, Denise breaks down why building a 50-slide deck isn’t the answer if you don’t have a clear direction. She also shares insights on the common pitfalls that can derail a strategy: poor communication and inadequate finances. And, Denise has practical tips to help your board stay on track! Question of the Week: How does your board ensure you have the resources to deliver on your strategy? 🤔 Catch up on my intro to the series and my interview with Felicity Green on developing and reviewing strategy, and tune in now to learn from Denise’s wealth of knowledge 🎧 https://lnkd.in/gNF8kEVw #BoardStrategy #Governance #TakeOnBoard #TakeOnBoardPodcast #NonProfit #Leadership #Podcast

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That there is a face of hopeful gratitude! 😊 The trust from these leaders at Canterbury Tech (Louisa Taylor and Henry Lawson), Argus ManuTech (James McKenna), CORDE (Mitchell Rogers) and The Social Investment Consultancy (TSIC) (Safe Wongsunopparat) have helped iterate a programme to make sustainability much more affordable, collaborative and efficient. A quick update on lessons learned across the three cohorts: 1) Visioning work is always step 1 The fastest moving cohort was the one which had the extra time to 'load-in' on where they wanted to be, even if they had limiting beliefs on whether it was possible 2) Foreigners are enthralled by Maori concepts to business like Kaitiakitanga and Manaakitanga - bringing holistic perspectives and guidance to sustainability 3) Sustainability collaboration outside of your organisation sparks ideas and pathways much faster AND it's so much more fun! 4) The original model I proposed doesn't work. Version 2 will be out next week from these learnings!

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Did you know that Australia is the home of 2.3% of the world's tech unicorns ($1b plus valuation companies). Deep tech is clear strength of Australia and it is why Japanese corporates are looking at Australia. The Australian Japan Business Cooperation Committee (AJBCC) is lifting the lid on what is driving Japanese businesses and Australian startups. If you are interested, then this webinar could be for you. Richard Andrews, Cristina Merino Ishizuka, Jonathan Raju, Annie Jiang, Emily Doran, Takero Izuhara, Tim Mclennan, Ken Jefferd, Invest Victoria

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🎙️ The Growth Cartel's Weekly Wrap is Here! 🎙️ We dive head-first into the latest in the Australian startup scene with Brandon Burns. This week, we’re unpacking the highs and lows, lessons learned, and the incredible innovations shaping our industry. 🌟 Here’s a taste of what we’re talking about: 📉 The challenges behind Swoop Aero’s liquidation. 💪 How Pronto Pilates is redefining fitness with crowdfunding. 🛠️ Australian Droid + Robot’s (ADR) game-changing tech for mining safety. 🌱 Why the #NorthernTerritory’s startup scene is buzzing, thanks to companies like Raindrop. 🧠 The AI tools from Edexia (YC W25) that are revolutionising how teachers engage students. 🔎 And… are we seeing the startup market’s energy starting to rise again? 🎧 Tune in now for your dose of insights and inspiration: 📺 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gt7nkeYa 🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gVBv-jM8 🍏 Apple: https://lnkd.in/gywWuGt6 #TheGrowthCartel #Startups #Innovation #Crowdfunding #WeeklyWrap

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NEWS ** International Fathers’ Mental Health Day** 17 June 2024 I am so thrilled that Gidget Foundation Australia has been enlisted to lead International Fathers’ Mental Health Day (17 June) on behalf of Global Founders Mark Williams BCAh FRSA, Dr Daniel B. Singley, Ph.D., and former campaign lead, Dr Bronwyn Leigh.    We were honoured to be approached by Mark, Daniel and Bron to lead this campaign into the future as it aligns seamlessly with our mission of driving advocacy, education and awareness of the importance of perinatal mental health for all expectant and new families.   With our partners, our collaborative strategy is to reach as many fathers as possible through a united voice, focusing on the causes of PNDA in fathers and fatherhood support in early parenting for 2024. We believe that by working together, we can make a significant impact on fathers' mental health! Gidget Foundation Australia is proud to be a Global Partner of International Fathers’ Mental Health Day, joining other key local and international organisations in raising awareness, influencing policy and changing attitudes including: Postpartum Support International  THE INTERNATIONAL MARCE SOCIETY  Fathers Reaching Out – UK  The Center for Men's Excellence – USA  Bournemouth University – UK  University College Cork – Ireland  Society for Pre and Post Natal Services (SPANS) – Zimbabwe  Gidget Foundation Australia PANDA - Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia Perinatal Wellbeing Centre – Australia   COPE: Centre of Perinatal Excellence – Australia  Centre for Perinatal Psychology – Australia   The Parent-Infant Research Institute (PIRI) Institute – Australia  Becoming Us – Australia  Australasian Birth Trauma Association (ABTA)   Peach Tree Perinatal Wellness – Australia  The Marcé Society - Australasian Chapter   Belmont Private Hospital   Karitane – Australia  Dads Group – Australia   Healthy Male – Australia  PADA - Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Aotearoa – New Zealand  Little Shadow NZ – New Zealand  Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative  Maternal Mental Health Progress in Canada  Narendra Singh Thagunna PhD ( Cross Cultural Psychology) (Nepal) Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Trainings CIC  DorPIP - Helping Families Flourish UK  ForWhen  Fathers Network Scotland  SMS4dads  Dads Matter UK Mellow Parenting Centre for Perinatal Psychology How’s Dad? Sut Mae Dad? The Radiance Network South West Inc West WA C-Section UK Neuronatal Action on Postpartum Psychosis   Helpu  PANDAS Foundation UK (Pre and Postnatal Depression Advice and Support) UK   Men Against Mountains   Fathers of Success If your organisation would also like to become a global partner of this great campaign then please do reach out! #DadsMHDAy

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My research with Professor Henry Cutler and A/Prof Kompal Sinha was recently featured in 'Health Economics Connect', the newsletter of the Australian Health Economics Society which features policy-relevant research. The linked piece describes our causal analysis of Australia's 2012-13 harmonisation reform that aimed to make workplace health and safety (WHS) laws more consistent across all regions. Overall, our study suggests that introducing consistent WHS laws across regions may not necessarily lead to fewer workplace injuries and claims if perceived complexity is not reduced, if available inspectorate resources are not increased, and if laws aren’t implemented as intended. The full published manuscript is available to read in the journal Industrial Relations: a journal of economy and society: https://lnkd.in/gtGs-dXY https://lnkd.in/g2NjKfAy Australian Institute of Health Innovation AIHI Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy Macquarie Business School #workplacelaws #workplacesafety #occupationalhealth #workerscompensation

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Personal Reflection #2 What values and ethics (excuse me – values and what?) have priority in the social enterprises sector in Australia? The late David LePage proposed in Marketplace Revolution ‘nothing less than a reframing that goes beyond the current market place paradigm’ is what is required to transition to a ‘social value marketplace’. This reframing would help shape ‘healthy communities’. The type of healthy communities envisaged by David were value-laden – they had a set of values by which they agreed to operate. Values that may even be called ‘ethics’. From a different view of the world Mark Carney in his book On Value(s) writes from his experience of being the Governor of both the Bank of England and Canada ‘whenever I could step back from the daily crisis management, the same deeper issues loomed. What is value? Which values underpin value? Does the narrowness of our vision, the poverty of our perspective, mean we undermine what matters most to our collective wellbeing?’ We don’t hear a lot of talk about values in the social enterprise sector in Australia, and even less about ethics. Is that because we assume that being ‘purpose’ focused is enough of a ‘value’ to excuse us from further scrutiny about our values and how they inform our behaviour both professionally and personally? Problem is every narcissist and dictator ever know has been very clear about their ‘purpose’. So, what values do underpin the behaviour of those who identify with a social enterprise sector or a for-purpose community with the aim of ‘caring for people and planet’. What does the sector do when those within it act to interfere negatively with the opportunities others might have in the sector – whether its lobbying to keep others from access to financial resources, whispering half-truths, making personal attacks against fellow social enterprise actors, duplicating what is already effectively working in the sector, or (believe it or not), actively lobbying with a conference organiser to exclude someone from the speakers list and replace them with themselves (not hearsay - the evidence is available). What values or ethics drives this type of behaviour? In a sector operating to do ‘good’ what values drives those who actively have and continue to white-ant others and compete rather than collectively achieve what no single actor in the sector can achieve alone? Envy, jealousy, malice, pride, narcissism, acquisition of power, and don’t forget the money. Money does all sorts of things to people’s values. David LePage’s vision for a new marketplace practiced by healthy communities, prompts us to ask: is the social enterprise sector in Australia a healthy community with a common purpose and a shared set of values? Or maybe as Mark Carney asks: ‘does the narrowness of our vision, the poverty of our perspective, mean we undermine what matters most to our collective wellbeing?’ #socialenterprise #businessforgood #donoharm #truthtelling        

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🎬 New Episode Alert! 🎬 This week on The Growth Cartel's Weekly Wrap, we dove into the latest insights on startup investments and the importance of diversity in leadership. 📊 The release of the Cut Through Venture's report and its impact on the Australian startup ecosystem 👩‍💼 Why diversity in leadership is not just important but essential for driving innovation and success in the startup world. 🚀 Watch the full conversation for even more on AI, Quantum tech, and major investments shaping the future! We cover the biggest developments of the week, what we have coming up and you won’t want to miss it. 👉 Catch the full episode here and stay up-to-date with all things startups, funding, and leadership: 📺 YouTube - https://lnkd.in/gV3vb3cb 🎧 Spotify - https://lnkd.in/gzUMQVH7 🍎 Apple - https://lnkd.in/gg_wuMQ3 #InvestmentTrends #Diversity #Leadership #GrowthCartel #StartupCommunity #Innovation #CutThroughVentures

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