Founder & Chief Executive Officer | Project S Technologies andFiberSense
Founder and CEO | Project S Technologies
Dr Mark Englund is an Australian deep-tech inventor and entrepreneur whose work has built a new category of advanced sensing capability now deployed across the US–Australia Alliance. He is Founder and CEO of FiberSense Ltd and Founder and CEO of Project S Technologies Pty Ltd, and the named inventor on the foundational distributed acoustic sensing patents underpinning both companies.
A Charles Darwin University engineering honors graduate (1995) and University of Sydney PhD in optical physics, Mark began his career at the Defense Science and Technology Group (DSTG) from 1995–1999 working on optical fibre sensor technologies for sonar applications – the technical lineage that ultimately produced FiberSense.
Mark has founded three deep-tech ventures: an optical filtering business (founded 2001; acquired by US submarine cable supplier TE SubCom in 2010, still shipping from Eatontown, New Jersey); FiberSense (2015); and Project S Technologies, which has contracted with the ADF and the US Department of War. He is Pearcey National and NSW Entrepreneur of the Year (2022) and CDU Industry Excellence Alumnus (2023).
Chief Executive Officer | QuantX Labs
Managing Director | QuantX Labs
Professor Andre Luiten has dedicated his career to transforming world-leading quantum science into technologies that solve real-world challenges. As co-founder and CEO of QuantX Labs, he continues to lead the commercialisation of advanced quantum timing and sensing technologies, demonstrating how Australian innovation can become globally competitive advanced capability.
Over the past twelve months, Professor Luiten has overseen the transition of QuantX's quantum technologies from research prototypes to commercially deployed products. Under his leadership, QuantX secured two significant purchase orders from a leading US space PRIME for its CRYO ultra-stable frequency systems to support ground station infrastructure. These contracts extend beyond product supply to include installation, commissioning and technical training, enabling his team to transfer specialist expertise and upskill US personnel in the operation and sustainment of advanced quantum-enabled infrastructure. Building on this success, the organisations are now developing a Memorandum of Understanding to expand collaboration and technology integration.
Chief Executive Officer | Quantum Brilliance
Chief Technology Officer | Quantum Brilliance
Mark turns science fiction into industrial reality. By merging breakthrough physics with semiconductor manufacturing, he’s building a safer, smarter, and cleaner future.
Before co-founding Quantum Brilliance, Mark led several commercialization and venture investments at CSIRO ON, Global Private Capital at QIC, and Credit Suisse Asia’s technology banking sector. He transitioned from investment banking and venture capital to the founder world after a dedicated search for Australia’s most ambitious “moonshot” innovators. When he isn’t pushing the boundaries of tech, Mark is usually exploring new frontiers with his dogs.
Chief Executive Officer | Arkeus
Chief Executive Officer | Arkeus
Simon Olsen is the CEO and Co-Founder of Arkeus, where he leads the company’s mission to build autonomous optical technologies that deliver instant, actionable intelligence. With over 15 years’ experience in the defence industry and deep expertise in autonomous optical systems, Simon has established Arkeus as a trusted partner to Defence organisations and industry primes worldwide.
Prior to founding Arkeus, Simon spent more than a decade as Director of Business Development, Strategy and Partnerships at Sentient Vision Systems, a leading provider of ISR software to the Australian Department of Defence and allied forces. He also served on the Board of the Australian Association for Uncrewed Systems, strengthening ties across Defence, industry, and international partners. Since co-founding Arkeus in 2020, Simon has guided the company from concept to global scale, securing contracts with the US Marine Corps, Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, and Royal Australian Air Force. Under his leadership, Arkeus has built a reputation for delivering disruptive ISR innovation and forging enduring partnerships with Defence customers across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
CEO & Co-Founder | Syenta
CEO anfd Co-Founder | Syenta
Dr Jekaterina Viktorova is the CEO and Co-Founder of Syenta, an Australian semiconductor company pioneering breakthrough manufacturing technologies for next-generation advanced packaging. A globally recognised expert in electrochemistry and printed electronics, she holds a PhD from the Australian National University and has built her career at the intersection of deep science, advanced manufacturing, and commercialisation.
Dr Viktorova is the inventor and driving force behind Syenta’s Localised Electrochemical Manufacturing technology, a world-first approach that integrates high-resolution patterning and metal deposition into a single electrochemical step. Under her leadership, Syenta has grown from a research concept into a globally validated deep-tech company with strong investor backing, major industry engagement, and a rapidly expanding international profile.
She has assembled a high-performance multidisciplinary team, and led the development of the Achyon platform, positioning Syenta at the forefront of advanced semiconductor packaging innovation. Her work has attracted recognition from globally significant organisations, including In-Q-Tel and Applied Materials, reflecting the strategic and commercial relevance of Syenta’s technology.
Dr Viktorova is widely regarded as one of Australia’s emerging deep-tech leaders, combining scientific excellence with commercial ambition to build sovereign capability in one of the world’s most important and competitive industries.
Principal | LK Law
Principal | LK Law
Brooke regularly advises companies on their cyber posture and AI strategies, and conducts cyber scenario training and AI workshops. She also works with clients from the ground up to build their organisation’s Circle of Active Tech Oversight.
Brooke is an experienced commercial litigator, data expert, and technologist who has worked on all of the commonly known “mega litigations” of Bell, One.Tel, and C7. She also advises clients on cyber incidents, EV networks, space, and data breaches, including providing advice to an institutional US bank regarding an inadvertent data spill and leading global cyber posture uplift projects.
Brooke speaks about technology in a way that lawyers understand, and about law and risk in a way that technologists and boards understand. She regularly presents both locally and internationally, including to members of the judiciary, on emerging technologies such as cyber security, artificial intelligence, data, privacy, cryptocurrency, and blockchain.
Brooke was the recipient of a Commonwealth Fellowship to teach and study a Master of Laws at the University of British Columbia. She also completed Cyber Security: Managing Risk in the Information Age at Harvard University and AI studies at MIT Sloan in the United States.
She has been recognised in numerous industry awards and rankings, including being shortlisted in the Euromoney Women in Business Law Awards for Privacy & Data Protection (2018), Doyle’s Guide (2017, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2026), Lawyers Weekly Tech Partner of the Year (2022), Cyber Partner of the Year (2023 and 2024), the Australian Cyber Security Awards Cyber Lawyer of the Year (2024 and 2025), and the Australian AI Awards Female Leader SME (2025). Brooke is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and serves as a director on several boards.
Prior to joining LK in 2009, Brooke worked for Mallesons in Sydney. Before commencing private practice, she served as Associate to the Honourable John von Doussa QC (then a Justice of the Federal Court of Australia) and later worked as a research assistant on specific Federal Court matters.
Head of IT & Cybersecurity | Hypersonix Launch Systems
Head of IT & Cybersecurity | Hypersonix Launch Systems
Christian Kissane is the Head of IT and Cybersecurity at Hypersonix Launch Systems, a Brisbane-based company developing hydrogen-powered hypersonic vehicles for Australian and U.S. defence and space programs. He leads the company’s technology and security function, which he built largely from the ground up, helping transform a fast-moving aerospace startup into an organisation capable of meeting the standards required to work with controlled defence technology alongside U.S. partners.
Christian holds both CISM and CISSP certifications and is currently completing a Master of Information Technology at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). His focus is on making defence-grade cybersecurity practical and affordable for small businesses, enabling Australian innovators to compete internationally without compromising agility or growth.
Earlier in his career, Christian led the security recovery of an organisation following a major ransomware attack—an experience he now shares publicly to help other Australian businesses strengthen their cyber resilience. He believes that effective security is not a barrier to ambitious innovation, but rather the foundation that makes it possible.
Regional Director ANZ | Island
Regional Director ANZ | Island
Nick Lennon is Island’s regional leader for Australia and New Zealand, responsible for expanding the company’s enterprise workspace platform across the region. His career has been defined by bringing exciting new technologies to market, understanding game-changing technology, and applying it to the Australian context.
Nick brings deep experience scaling technology and cybersecurity businesses across APAC and Europe, including more than 16 years at Mimecast, where he most recently served as Vice President for Asia Pacific.
His next chapter with Island is focused on helping define a new category of cyber security for Australian enterprises: the browser as a secure control plane for modern work. In a world of AI that is fast-moving, disruptive and full of possibility, Nick is helping organisations adopt AI, SaaS, web applications and distributed work models without compromising security, compliance or productivity.
Since Island’s ANZ launch earlier this year, Nick has led local engagement across key sectors including healthcare, financial services, retail and the public sector. His work is helping Australian organisations move beyond legacy approaches like VPNs, VDI and proxy-based controls, toward more integrated, user-centric security architectures that make secure work easier, faster and more resilient.
Co-Founder and Director | Lokusec
Co-Founder and Director | LokuSec
Sudesh Ranasinghe is the Co-Founder and Director of LokuSec, a Western Australia-based cybersecurity consultancy focused on strengthening resilience across the defence, critical infrastructure, and supply chain sectors. With almost two decades of experience spanning both IT and Operational Technology (OT) environments, Sudesh brings a unique combination of technical expertise, strategic leadership, and stakeholder engagement to advancing cyber maturity within complex organisations.
Throughout his career, Sudesh has worked closely with national security agencies and government stakeholders, including the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), the Department of Home Affairs, and other key government bodies. His work has focused on aligning cybersecurity initiatives with national frameworks such as the Information Security Manual (ISM), the Essential Eight, and broader risk management and governance standards.
Under Sudesh’s leadership, LokuSec has become one of the few consultancies in Australia - and the only known provider in Western Australia - to combine Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Registered Practitioner capability with Information Security Registered Assessors Program (IRAP) expertise. This positions the firm at the forefront of helping Australian organisations meet U.S. Department of Defense cybersecurity requirements while maintaining compliance with Australian regulatory and security standards.
Known for his collaborative leadership style, Sudesh is passionate about building cybersecurity capability across the broader ecosystem. He works closely with organisations to move beyond compliance-driven approaches and achieve practical, resilient security outcomes that support innovation, operational effectiveness, and the long-term objectives of the U.S. - Australia Alliance.
Associate Professor, Computer Science | University of Sydney
Associate Professor, Computer Science | University of Sydney
Dr. Qiang Tang is an Associate Professor in the School of Computer Science at the University of Sydney and serves as the Security Theme Lead at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers (MathQuEST). His research spans the broad field of cybersecurity, with particular expertise in blockchain technologies, applied cryptography, privacy, and distributed systems.
Before joining the University of Sydney, Dr. Tang was an Assistant Professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) from 2016 to 2021, where he also directed the JD–NJIT–ISCAS Joint Blockchain Research Laboratory. Prior to his appointment at NJIT, he was a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University.
A leading researcher in cryptography and blockchain technologies, Dr. Tang has published extensively in many of the world’s top cybersecurity and cryptography venues, including ACM CCS, USENIX Security, IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy (S&P), NDSS, CRYPTO, EUROCRYPT, ASIACRYPT, PODC, and TCC. He also served as Program Chair of PKC 2024 (International Conference on Practice and Theory of Public-Key Cryptography), one of the premier conferences in the field.
His research contributions have been recognised through numerous prestigious awards and honours, including the Sydney Research Accelerator (SOAR) Prize, MIT Technology Review Innovators recognition, and the Google Faculty Research Award. He has also secured research funding from leading blockchain organisations, including the Ethereum Foundation, Stellar Development Foundation, and Filecoin Foundation. In addition, Dr. Tang has maintained a collaborative research and development partnership with Google for more than a decade.
Through his academic leadership, research excellence, and industry collaborations, Dr. Tang continues to contribute significantly to advancing cybersecurity, cryptography, privacy-preserving technologies, and blockchain innovation in Australia and internationally.
Co-Founders | Quickli
Co-Founders | Quickli
Eric Dill and Angus Keatinge are the co-founders of Quickli, one of Australia’s leading mortgage broker platforms, which has significantly streamlined the preliminary assessment process for mortgage brokers nationwide.
Eric Dill is an experienced mortgage broker and co-founder of Quickli. Originally from the United States, he moved to Australia in 2010 and spent more than a decade working in the mortgage broking industry. In 2021, he co-founded Quickli after identifying an opportunity to simplify and accelerate the mortgage assessment process, helping brokers deliver faster and more efficient outcomes for their clients.
Angus Keatinge is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Quickli and a Sydney-based technology leader with a passion for building innovative software solutions. He works closely with Quickli’s world-class team, combining strategic leadership with hands-on technical expertise to drive the platform’s ongoing growth and development. Whether solving complex technical challenges or leading product innovation, Angus is focused on ensuring mortgage brokers have access to the tools and technology they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive market.
Together, Eric and Angus have built Quickli into a trusted platform that empowers mortgage brokers by improving efficiency, streamlining workflows, and simplifying the lending assessment process. Their complementary expertise in mortgage broking and technology has positioned Quickli as an innovative force in Australia’s mortgage industry.
General Manager | CoinJar
General Manager | CoinJar
James Elia is General Manager of CoinJar, one of the world's longest-running cryptocurrency exchanges. A Chartered Accountant by training, with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, James built his early career at Deloitte before moving into fintech operations. Background includes impactful tenures at prominent technology firms such as Afterpay and Xplor., which gave him a grounding in high-growth, regulated consumer financial products. He joined CoinJar as Finance Manager in 2014, rising to General Manager in 2020.
During his tenure at CoinJar, James has helped steer the exchange from an Australian challenger into a platform serving over 800,000 registered customers across Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and, most recently, the United States. He has overseen the operational and regulatory discipline behind that expansion, including the launch of CoinJar Europe under Central Bank of Ireland registration and MiCA authorisation, and the rollout of CoinJar AI, the first AI assistant built directly into a regulated crypto exchange.
James' focus has consistently been on making sophisticated financial infrastructure accessible and trustworthy for everyday customers, a philosophy now underpinning CoinJar's entry into the US market and its growing ties between the Australian and American fintech and digital asset industries.
Founder and CEO | LoanOptions.ai
Founder and CEO | LoanOptions.ai
Julian Fayad is the Founder and CEO of LoanOptions.ai, Australia’s pioneering AI-powered finance technology provider and finance brokerage. With more than 14 years of experience across the finance and technology sectors, Julian combines deep industry knowledge with a strong passion for innovation and digital transformation.
His unique background includes holding senior positions within finance organisations while also studying web development. Demonstrating his entrepreneurial mindset from an early age, Julian built and launched an application on the Apple App Store (Australia) at just 19 years old. This blend of financial expertise and technical capability has given him a deep understanding of both the challenges and opportunities within the lending market.
In 2020, Julian founded LoanOptions.ai with a vision to make applying for a loan as fast, easy, and transparent as checking out in an online store. Since launching the business, he has successfully bootstrapped its growth, creating employment opportunities for more than 40 people and expanding operations across Australia and New Zealand, including offices in Perth and Auckland.
Over the past six years, LoanOptions.ai has invested heavily in developing advanced artificial intelligence solutions that deliver a seamless, end-to-end lending experience for borrowers, brokers, and lenders. These innovations are designed to improve efficiency, transparency, and compliance without compromising accuracy, while also strengthening the mortgage broking channel.
Under Julian’s leadership, LoanOptions.ai has developed some of the industry’s most advanced financial technology solutions, including its Autocomplete Contextual Engine (ACE), which can pre-fill up to 90% of a loan application and reduce onboarding times to as little as five minutes without ever impacting a customer’s credit score. The company has also created Synapses, a scalable plug-and-play API ecosystem that connects dozens of essential services through a single integration point. Synapses incorporates built-in NCCP compliance and supports AI agent development through the Model Context Protocol (MCP).
Julian’s commitment to innovation and industry leadership has been recognised through numerous business, technology, and finance industry awards. Through LoanOptions.ai, he continues to drive the advancement of AI-powered lending solutions that improve accessibility, efficiency, and customer outcomes across the finance sector.
CEO & Founder | MyVenue
CEO & Founder | MyVenue
Tim Stollznow is the Founder and CEO of MyVenue, an Adelaide-based global sports and entertainment FinTech company that develops cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) solutions for some of the world’s most high-profile venues.
With a career spanning software development, venue operations, entrepreneurship, and multinational corporate leadership, Tim has successfully built, scaled, and led multiple technology companies across international markets. His diverse experience has enabled him to drive innovation and operational excellence in the sports and entertainment technology sector.
Today, Tim leads a global team of more than 100 employees across Australia, North America, and the United Kingdom. MyVenue’s technology is used by hundreds of stadiums, arenas, racetracks, cultural institutions, and hospitality venues worldwide. Its client portfolio includes venues associated with major sporting and entertainment organisations such as the FIFA World Cup, NASCAR, the Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Sphere, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Boston Celtics, and the LA Memorial Coliseum.
Under Tim’s leadership, MyVenue has grown from a South Australian startup into one of Australia’s most successful sports technology exporters. In recognition of his entrepreneurial achievements and contribution to the technology sector, he was named the South Australian Pearcey Entrepreneur of the Year in 2025.
Tim has also led and scaled two multi-million-dollar mergers and acquisitions involving global Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies, demonstrating his expertise in business growth, strategic expansion, and corporate leadership.
In addition to his executive responsibilities, Tim serves as a Governor of AmCham Australia. He holds an Honours Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Adelaide and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).
Through his leadership, innovation, and global perspective, Tim continues to play a significant role in advancing Australian technology on the world stage while shaping the future of digital solutions in the sports and entertainment industries.
Group CEO | WhiteHawk Limited
Group CEO | WhiteHawk Limited
Adrian Vallino is Co-Founder and Managing Director ofDoxAI, an AI Workflow Automation business heestablished in 2022 to help financial services, government, and enterprise clients across Australia, North America, ASEAN, and the UAE turn complex processes into intelligent, automated workflows. Under his leadership, DoxAI has built a modular platform serving reference clients including ANZ Bank, Macquarie Bank, andPerpetual Group who representsroughly 80 percent of the Australian securitisation market in Australia. Adrian brings more than two decades of financial services experience to the role, includinghis prior position as COO & Head of Digital Transformation forBank of New York and awarded the Asia Pacific Chairman's Award. Including other firms likeGenworth Financial,AOCand Challenger Limited. Based in Sydney and originally from Cairns, he combines deep industry credibility with a hands-on, partnership-driven approach to scalingDoxAI globally.
David is the Founder of RZ Resources Limited, incorporating the company in 2012.
David was the Global Head of Distribution for one of Australia’s largest Alternative Investment companies, where hewas responsible for developing and raising capital for both domestic and offshore opportunities.
David worked for Credit Suisse where hewas responsible for growing funds under management, managing high net worth client portfolios and facilitating investment opportunities for other Banking divisions. During his tenure at Credit Suisse, David was recognised with an Australian Private Banking award for his outstanding relationship management.
Director, Centre for Solar Biotechnology | University of Queensland's
Director, Centre for Solar Biotechnology | University of Queensland
Professor Ben Hankamer is Director of the Centre for Solar Biotechnology at The University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience and an internationally recognised leader in biotechnology innovation. His work harnesses microalgae and photosynthetic systems to convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into medicines, sustainable fuels, food ingredients, advancedmaterials and environmental services.
Leading a multidisciplinary team spanning biology, chemistry and engineering, Professor Hankamer has developed scalable solar-powered biotechnology platforms that address some of the world's most pressing challenges, including climate change, food security, waterscarcity and sustainable healthcare. His research has progressed from laboratory discovery to pilot-scale deployment and is supported by extensive industry partnerships across biotechnology, agriculture, mining and manufacturing sectors.
His innovations include light-driven pharmaceutical manufacturing, sustainable protein production, carbon capture technologies, water remediationsystems and bio-based materials. These technologies create new economic opportunities while supporting environmental sustainability and human health.
By translatingcutting-edge research into commercial applications, Professor Hankamer is helping position Australia as a global leader in biotechnology and bioeconomy development. His vision is to transform industries through solar-driven technologies that deliver economic prosperity, environmental resilience and improved quality of life for future generations.
Founder | HD Hybrids
Founder | HD Hybrids
Mike O’Hanlon is Founder and co-inventor of HD Hybrids and Managing Director of Switch Technologies – a Western Australian engineering consultancy working in electrification and system integration.He has a passion for brining real-world engineering solutions to the market, working in partnership with industry.His experience rangesacrossa number of industries, with a focus on start-up enterprises and electrification. This includes the founding an electric motorcycle racing team which won the 700V Australian superbike series in 2014 and 2015. Mike holds Bachelor of Engineering degree from the University of Western Australia, withaHonors in Mechanical Engineering.
Chief Executive Officer | Aquila Space Technologies
Chief Executive Officer | Aquila Space Technologies
Ruby Jones is the CEO and co-founder of Aquila Space Technologies, an Australian deep-tech startup building the world's first wireless energy network using laser power beaming. Headquartered in Sydney, Aquila has delivered the most power in history to a moving platform over 24hrs (enough to power a large pallet robot for 25km - with nominal battery!).
Before Aquila, Ruby developed Australia's first GW-scale renewable energy hubs under Twiggy Forrest at Fortescue Future Industries, where she saw firsthand how 1880s-era transmission infrastructure holds back gigawatts of generation capacity. Earlier, she built and led a 50-person team designing, building, and racing solar-powered cars across the Australian desert, and founded the Aussie Solar Challenge.
Named a Top 100 Innovator of Australia in both 2024 and 2025 and selected for Tech23's deep-tech leaders program, Ruby is a regular speaker at defence and space industry events including the 17th Australian Space Forum, Defence Industry Development Strategy Summit, and MISSION 2044 New York.
Co-Founder & COO | Exergenics
Co-Founder & COO | Exergenics
Tim Stewart is the Co-Founder and COO of Exergenics, an Australian-born, patented clean energy software company that uses AI and machine learning to optimise the energy efficiency of commercial building chilled water plants, without the need for new hardware. Based full-time in Los Angeles, Tim heads up all North American operations, driving the commercial expansion of Exergenics' technology across the United States.
Tim holds a Bachelor of Property from the University of Melbourne and brings prior experience in technology business development from MachShip, a logistics software company. He joined his twin brother and co-founder Iain Stewart to lead the commercial, operational, and business development side of Exergenics from its founding in 2019, building the client relationships, partnerships, and go-to-market strategies that have underpinned the company's growth across Australia, Asia, and the United States.
Named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2021, Tim has led Exergenics into some of the most complex building environments in the US, including hospitals, universities, and major entertainment venues, establishing the company as a commercially competitive force in the American energy efficiency market. He has presented Exergenics' workat Carnegie Mellon University and represented the company at NVIDIA GTC 2026 in Southern California.
CEO & Co-Founder | VeinTech
CEO & Co-Founder | VeinTech
Dr Nikhilesh (“Nik”) Bappoo is an Australian medtech entrepreneur, biomedical engineer and CEO & Co-Founder of VeinTech. Driven by a vision to build a world where no life is lost because healthcare was too complex, too late, or out of reach, he is leading the development of VeinTech's novel ultrasound-based vascular visualisation technology to improve peripheral intravenous cannulation and patient outcomes worldwide.
Nik leads VeinTech's end-to-end strategy, spanning scientific innovation, product development, clinical evidence generation, regulatory pathways, manufacturing readiness and global commercialisation. Under his leadership, VeinTech has evolved from an Australian startup into an internationally recognised medtech company, progressing to first-in-human clinical trials, establishing a United States presence, securing multimillion-dollar grants and investment, and forming strategic partnerships with leading hospitals, researchers and global medtech organisations.
In 2025, Nik was awarded the Prime Minister's Prize for New Innovators in recognition of his contribution to developing accessible medical technologies with the potential to transform healthcare. Beyond VeinTech, he is committed to advancing Australia's medtech sector by fostering translational research, industry collaboration and entrepreneurship, helping accelerate the pathway from breakthrough innovation to global patient impact.
President | Aspen Medical
President | Aspen Medical
Ethan was appointed President of Aspen Medical(USA) in June 2024, following his role as Vice President of Business Development. Under his leadership, Aspen Medical has expanded its operations with the United States Government, delivering behavioural health support for US service personnel and advancing medical service delivery and training programs in Poland, Ukraine and the Caribbean. He has led the company’s expansion into the extractives industry across South America and West Africa and directed the transition of the UN hospital in Somalia under Aspen Medical’s management.
Earlier in his career with Aspen Medical, as Chief Operating Officer ofAspen Medical’sinternational operations, Ethan led global teams across multiple projects, including medical staffing, aviation services, disasterresponse and overseas training programs. He was instrumental in establishing primary and emergency healthcare operations in several African countries and played a key role in supporting USAID’s Ebola response in Liberia.
Before his civilian career, Ethan served as a commissioned officer in theLife Guards, the senior regiment of the British Army.
Ethan is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s executive program and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He holds a degree from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
Founder & CEO | Create Medicines
Founder & CEO | Create Medicines
Dr DanielGetts is an Australian scientist-entrepreneur and global leader in RNA therapeutics, immune engineering and drug translation. Born in southern Sydney, he earned a PhD in Medicine from the University of Sydney and an MBA from Western Michigan University. He is CEO, Co-founder and Board Director of CREATE Medicines, a Cambridge-based clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering RNA-lipid nanoparticle in vivo immune programming to create scalable, repeat-dose, off-the-shelf therapies for cancer and autoimmune disease. In 2026, CREATE raised US$122 million to advance its in vivo CAR pipeline and has treated more than 50 patients across clinical programs.
DrGetts is also Founder and Chair of Aurora Biosynthetics, which, with the NSW Government,operates Australia’s RNA Research and Manufacturing Facility in Sydney, integrating plasmid DNA, RNA drug substance, lipid nanoparticle formulation and fill-finish to accelerate translation from discovery to clinical product.
Across his career, DrGetts has founded biotech ventures that have generated more than US$2 billion in value and advanced 11 novel therapies into clinical trials. He has authored more than 50 publications, is credited on more than 250 patents and patent applications, advisedgovernments and spoken at the World Economic Forum and World Government Summit.
Chief Executive Officer and Founder | Cytophenix
Chief Executive Officer and Founder | Cytophenix
Dr Kieran Mulroney is the co-founder and CEO of Cytophenix and one of the inventors of its rapid diagnostic platform, FloCAST™. He holds a PhD from the University of Western Australia, and his scientific work and thought leadership in rapid diagnostics has been published in Lancet and Nature family journals. He is a passionate advocate for accelerating the translation of research into real-world impact through commercialisation, with this work recognised as a 2025 Western Australian finalist for Australian of the Year.
Dr Mulroney leads the team that spun the technology out of UWA and the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, taking it from prototype to pre-clinical validation. Across his early career, the research and its translation have attracted more than $10M in non-dilutive funding from academic and commercial sources, including a research-commercialisation grant from CUREator, Australia’s national biotech incubator, and a defence innovation tender from the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator. Under his leadership Cytophenix has raised pre-seed investment capital, forged an alliance with a US-based multinational, and established a collaboration bringing its first US clinical validation site online, positioning FloCAST for global impact guided by a US-and-Australia-first strategy.
Co-Founder, CEO and Managing Director | Arthrolase
Co-Founder, CEO, and Managing Director | Arthrolase
Brett Robertson is Co-Founder, CEO and Managing Director of ArthroLase, which he has built from a startup in 2015 into a multimillion-dollar medical device business pioneering robotic laser arthroplasty.
Under his leadership, ArthroLase’s lead technology, HAiLO™, has earned FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, and the company operates to ISO 13485 quality accreditation - both material milestones on its path to market in the US and Australia.
Brett has raised A$16.5 million in investor capital and secured a further A$6 million in competitive, non-dilutive innovation grants, funding that reflects both market confidence and independent scientific validation.
He has set the company’s strategic direction, built its governance discipline, and led its engagement with US partners, including Precision Life Science Partners and an advancing strategic relationship with a US top-three global orthopaedic company, which is now running preclinical testing with ArthroLase’s technology.
Before ArthroLase, Brett spent seven years as CEO of Ear Science Institute Australia, leading a $12M+ revenue organisation and delivering major clinical and research infrastructure.
His foundation is as a clinician-scientist: a decade as a clinical exercise physiologist in joint and knee rehabilitation, a PhD from the University of Western Australia, and multiple patents and publications in joint and laser arthroplasty.
Chief Executive Officer | Celosia Therapeutics
Chief Executive Officer | Celosia Therapeutics
Dr Kathryn Sunn is the CEO of Celosia Therapeutics, an Australian biotech developing first-in-class genetic therapies and diagnostic biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases, including motor neuron disease, frontotemporal dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Under her leadership, Celosia raised $16.75 million in one of Australia’s largest Series A rounds for a preclinical biotech and, within 16 months, completed the regulatory, non-clinical, and manufacturing milestones required to advance its lead gene therapy, CTx1000, to the Phase 1b clinical trial. Central to this achievement was Kathryn’s strategic expansion of the Celosia team to include world-leading US-based gene therapy experts, forging the Australia–US collaboration that exemplifies the alliance between two nations committed to advancing global health innovation.
Kathryn is a seasoned executive with a distinguished career spanning over two decades in research, intellectual property, and commercialisation.Kathryn also serves as Director of Commercialisation at Macquarie University, where she drives strategic initiatives to accelerate innovation and startup formation. She is widely recognised for her ability to translate research into impact through high-value partnerships, investment, and commercially focused execution.
Holding a PhD in Medicine from the University of New South Wales, Kathryn—alongside the exceptional Celosia team—is helping to reshape the future of treatment for neurodegenerative disease.
Chief Executive Officer | Consunet
Chief Executive Officer | Consunet Pty Ltd
Kuba Kabacinski, Chief Executive Officer of Consunet Pty Ltd, is a recognised thought leader applyingcutting-edge technology to deliver advanced Information andElectronicWarfare(EW)solutions. With over 25 years of Defence industry experience, he has led corporate strategy, technology innovation, and capability delivery across distributed EW systems, networked software, and open architectures.
Sinceacquiring Consunet in 2000 and incorporating it in 2002, Kuba has transformed the company from a boutique consultancy into a sovereign Australian Defence enterprise with over 100 staff. Under his leadership, Consunet is driven by a clear vision to build Australia’s cyber and spectrum security future, with ambitions to become a globally relevant Defence prime.
In 2021, Kuba led Consunet to secure and deliver the Australian Electromagnetic Battle Management (EMBM) capability on time and on budget. He was also commended by the United States Naval Air WarfareCenter for contributions to Australia–US EW collaboration, including delivering advanced geolocation algorithms into operational capability for the EA-18G platform, supporting Electromagnetic Manoeuvre Warfare.
Kuba is alsoChairman of RFTEQ Pty Ltd, advancing next-generation RadioFrequency and EW technologies, and is committed to strengthening Australia’s future through globally impactful innovation.
Founding Director |EPIWATCH Global
Founding Director | EPIWATCH Global
Professor Raina MacIntyre (MBBS Hons 1, M App Epid, PhD, FRACP, FAFPHM) is Founding Director of EPIWATCH® Global Pty Ltd, and Head of the Biosecurity Program at the Kirby Institute, UNSW. She leads research on prevention of serious epidemic infections. She has over 510 peer reviewed publications. She developed EPIWATCH, an AI-driven epidemic observatory for early warning of serious outbreaks, which has won an AusInnovation award and was a finalist in the 2025 AmCham Alliance Awards.
Developed as university research, in 2025, EPIWATCH® was commercialized. She has worked with US INDOPACOM to support biothreat wargames using EPIWATCH® as a central tool. She has received many awards including the Eureka Prize for Leadership and Innovation in Science and the Sir Henry Wellcome Medal and Prize from the Association of Military Surgeons of the US. She is on the editorial boards of BMJ Open and Epidemiology & Infection. She has been on expert committees for the US National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, the World Organisation for Animal Health and the WHO, including the COVID-19 Vaccine Composition Technical Advisory group and the WHO SAGE Smallpox and monkeypox working group. She has published two books, Dark Winter (2022) and Vaccine Nation (2025).
Vice President Law Enforcement, Trust & Safety, Global Public Policy | Auror
Vice President Law Enforcement, Trust & Safety, Global Public Policy| Auror
Nick works at Auror, a crime intelligence platform working with retailers and police globally to connect communities to stop crime. Heis responsible for Auror’s work across global law enforcement, trust and safety, public policy, and corporate affairs. He’s passionate about how technology can empower communities in public safety and support law enforcement to keep us all safe.
Prior to joining Auror, he worked with Meta, including across counter-extremism, child protection and election integrity. He is a board member of Safeguarding Children - a child abuse prevention NGO. Nick is admitted as a barrister and solicitor in New Zealand and holds degrees in laws, political science and a masters in public policy from the NYU Wagner School and University College London. He is an Australian citizen and Sydney-based.
Director, Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies | Flinders University
Director, Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies | Flinders University
Professor Rodrigo Praino is Professor of Politics and Public Policy and Director of the Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies at Flinders University.
He holds a PhD in Political Science and has received numerous honours, including a Fulbright Scholarship. In 2018, he became the first political scientist to win a Tall Poppy Science Award for excellence in research and communication, and in 2026 he was named Executive of the Year – Academia at the Australian Space Awards.
Professor Praino is one of the only scholars in Australia working on space politics and policy, analysing the importance of space assets for defence, economic development and international relations.
He is co-author of Power, State and Space (Springer, 2023) and lead author of the Department of Defence report Protecting Australia: Counterspace Technologies and National Security Threats (2026). His research has attracted funding from the ARC, SmartSat CRC, Defence and UNICEF, and has been featured in the Washington Post, Politico, The Guardian, the Pew Research Center and FiveThirtyEight.
Through the Jeff Bleich Centre, he co-convenes the Australian Space Cyber Forum, hosts the Fulbright Don DeBats Distinguished Chair, and oversees the Washington Internship Program, which since 2000 has placed more than 150 Australian students inside the US Congress.
Director, ICRCR, Astrophotonics Program | University of Western Australia
Director, ICRAR, Astrophotonics Program | University of Western Australia
Professor SaschaSchediwy is Astrophotonics Program Director at ICRAR, the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, University of Western Australia. He founded UWA's Astrophotonics research group in 2014 with a single PhD student and has since grown it to over 30 researchers, translating laser timing and communications research into commercial and Defence outcomes. His group holds the world record for free-space optical communications data throughput, having demonstrated 35 Tb/s over a static link with ground-to-orbit relevant atmospheric turbulence in late 2025 (manuscript in preparation).
This builds on earlier work in which his group achieved a then-world-record 100 Gbps optical data link to a moving airborne target, later surpassed by NASA's TBIRD mission. He is a 2024 Australian Research Council Mid-Career Industry Fellow and the 2025 recipient of the Australian and New Zealand Optical Society's John Love Award for translating optical research into industrial application. His research has attracted $51 million across 39 competitive grants and contracts, producing 80 peer-reviewed publications cited over 4,600 times. Over the past year, Sascha has led a sustained, multi-contract optical communications R&D programme with Northrop Grumman Space Systems, using Australia's TeraNet-2 ground station to support the US Space Development Agency's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.
Instrument Scientist | Australian National University
Instrument Scientist | Australian National University
Professor Francis Bennet leads a research group in optical instrumentation at the Australian National University, focusing on next generation optical communication technology and its applications. He hasexpertise in adaptive optics for astronomical instrumentation, space situational awareness, and laser communication, with a focus on taking world leading ANU quantum communications experiments from the lab to space.
Prof. Bennet is leading a research program advancing satellite optical and quantum communications including for LEO, lunar, and deep-space applications.
Co-Founder and CEO | HEO
Co-Founder and CEO | HEO
Dr William (Will) Crowe is Co-Founder and CEO of HEO, a Sydney-based company that provides commercial, resolved non-Earth imaging services through proprietary software byacquiring satellite imagery from space-based sensors.
Will founded HEO in 2016, while completing his PhD in astrodynamics from the University of New South Wales, Australia. His research focused on the dynamics of spacecraft swarms around asteroids and included a prize-winning paper on satellite missions to asteroids passing through Earth orbit. After earning his PhD in 2018, Will began applying the principles developed during his research to his business.
Will quickly discovered that his research could be applied to urgent applications in space debris management and inspecting damaged satellites. Today, he leads a rapidly growing team dedicated to helping satellite operators and governments monitor their assets in space, ensuring Earth and space safety.
HEO is engaged globally and has a US-based employees today as well.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research | Edith Cowan University
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research | Edith Cowan University
Professor Paulo de Souza is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Edith Cowan University, where he leads the university’s research strategy, operations and performance. An internationally recognised research leader, Professor de Souza has spent more than two decades connecting science, industry and society to deliver practical impact across space science, environmental sustainability, digital innovation and industrial transformation. Since joining ECU in early 2024, he has strengthened strategic partnerships with world-leading organisations including Fraunhofer and NASA, helping position ECU as a hub for research translation, industry collaboration and curriculum innovation.
Before joining ECU, Professor de Souza served as Dean of Research and Head of the School of ICT at Griffith University. He previously held senior roles at CSIRO, including Chief Research Scientist and Science Director of the Digital Productivity Flagship, following earlier work in the mining and steel-making sectors in Brazil and Europe.
Professor de Souza is known for his work in spectroscopy and instrumentation applied to space and environmental science. As a participating scientist in NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, he contributed to discoveries recognised by Science magazine’s 2004 Breakthrough of the Year and has received three NASA Group Achievement Awards.
His broader research impact spans urban air quality, pollinator decline, bushfire detection and technologies that combine scientific excellence with societal relevance. A strong advocate for inclusive science, he engages with schools, Indigenous communities and industry to inspire future STEM leaders.Paulo is a physicist with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from UFES, Brazil, and a doctoral degree, Dr rer. nat. cum laude, from Johannes Gutenberg Universität in Mainz, Germany.
Co-Founder and CEO | Space Machines Company
Co-Founder and CEO | Space Machines Company
Rajat Kulshrestha is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Space Machines Company (SMC), an Australian space technology company delivering autonomous spacecraft systems for the protection and servicing of critical space infrastructure. He co-founded SMC in 2018 with the conviction that affordable, rapidly deployable orbital vehicles, combined with AI-native command and control software, would define the next era of space security.
Trained as an aerospace engineer, Rajat brings deep technical grounding to a leadership career that has spanned senior roles in technology, product, and research at Microsoft, the founding of multiple technology start-ups, and advisory positions in digital health and cybersecurity. He is also the founding partner of 11point2, an innovation firm focused on national security, climate, anddecarbonisation.
Under his leadership, SMC has grown from a seed-stage concept to Australia's only company developing a fully integrated autonomous space security system: the Optimus Viper spacecraft and Solstice OS command and control platform. The company has secured contracts with the Australian Department ofDefence, received Australian Government grant funding exceeding $14 million ($AUD), and built partnerships withdefence and space agencies across the US, UK, India, South Korea, and Canada.
CEO and Co-Founder | Indo-Pacific Space
CEO and Co-Founder | Indo-Pacific Space
Lisa Vitaris is CEO and Founder of Indo-Pacific Space, an advisory and consulting practice focused on accelerating the growth of the Indo-Pacific space sector through international collaboration, strategic partnerships, and market development.
She serves as Strategic Advisor, Indo-Pacific, and Bid Director for IAC 2029 Houston for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), where she is helping strengthen connections between the Australian, U.S., and broader Indo-Pacific space ecosystems. Through this work, she is supporting greater collaboration across industry, academia, government, and professional societies, while creating pathways for Australian organisations to engage with international markets, supply chains, and opportunities.
Lisa previously served as Interim CEO of the Space Industry Association of Australia and Director of IAC 2025 Sydney, which attracted more than 7,400 delegates from 99 countries and 19,500 public attendees.
She is a Board Director of Engineers Australia, where she chairs the Member and Stakeholder Committee, and is a recognised international speaker, having presented at the United Nations and major global forums across space, technology, and innovation.
Lisa holds an MBA, is an Engineering Executive (EngExec), and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Director - Space and Cyber |Systems Planning and Analysis, Australia
Director - Space and Cyber | Systems Planning and Analysis, Australia
Portia Wolf is the Director of Space and Cyber at Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA) Australia, where she leads a multidisciplinary team delivering strategic analysis, modelling, simulation, and capability development support to Australia’s defence and civil space sectors. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Physics and Astrophysics and a Master of Engineering in Space Operations and brings nearly two decades of experience spanning military space operations, satellite communications, systems engineering, and capability acquisition.
Portia built her career supporting critical U.S. space programs, including the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF), Milstar, and Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) programs. She worked across engineering, operational, test, and acquisition roles to support national security objectives.
Joining the Australian space sector in 2021, Portia has provided continuous support to the ADF’s Space Capability Branch and has advised Defence Space Command, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Australian Space Agency, and Austrade.
Passionate about bridging the U.S. and Australian space ecosystems, Portia fosters collaboration between government, industry, and defence to accelerate innovation, enhance interoperability, and deliver resilient space capabilities. Her leadership and technical expertise support initiatives that strengthen national security, drive deeper economic and industrial cooperation, and advances strategic objectives of the Australia–U.S. Alliance.
