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Business is changing — fast. Leadership is too.
At SXSW Sydney, our Business & Leadership tracks, sponsored by Visa, explore how industries are evolving, how leaders adapt, and how bold new ideas drive growth in an uncertain world.
From future-focused founders to global executives, this is where the conversations cut through the noise and dive into what really matters: innovation, resilience, and impact.
Whether you’re building a startup, steering a global team, or curious about the strategies shaping tomorrow’s economy, SXSW Sydney’s Business & Leadership tracks offer inspiration, insight and the chance to connect with the people redefining success.
Here’s what’s on the agenda in Business & Leadership:
Pivot Points: The Leadership Blueprint
Through the lens of BlackBerry, Blockbuster and Are Media (formerly Bauer Media), this conversation moderated by Dom Price explores key learnings as well as decoding the organisational mechanisms that enable survival when everything accelerates.
Trading Cards - Where Pop Culture Meets Commerce
Explore how pop culture icons like Pokémon are fueling Australia’s booming trading card market, with experts from Unlisted Leaf, Cherry Collectables, and eBay sharing insights on trends, opportunities, and the evolution of collecting into commerce.
In (un)loving memory: How to kill meeting culture
Avani Prabhakar (Atlassian) explores how a “meeting rejected” culture can unlock productivity and reshape the way knowledge workers collaborate.
The Psychology of Invisible Money
Adam Ferrier (Thinkerbell), Dr Brian Oakley (Up), and Patrycja Slawuta (Unlab) discuss how invisible money, digital currencies, and autonomous ecosystems are reshaping our fundamental relationship with money.
The Anti-Hustle Playbook: Rethinking What Success Looks Like
An honest conversation with four high-achieving women on moving beyond burnout, redefining ambition, and building fulfilling careers without glorifying the grind.
Venture Capital in the AI Age
Peter Walker shares exclusive data from 45,000 startups to reveal how global VC trends, from funding rounds to AI-driven shifts, are reshaping opportunities for Australian founders and investors.
The Kitesurfing Kings of Tech
Join Shivaune Field (Forbes) in conversation with visionary innovators Lars Rasmussen (Google Maps) and Bill Tai (Canva, Zoom and Twitter angel investor) as they discuss transformative tech, AI, green energy, community-building, and the bold opportunities shaping founders, investors, and innovation this decade.
The Boardroom of Tomorrow Is Purpose-Led, AI-Powered, and Already Here
A session featuring Adam Driussi (Canterbury Bulldogs), Peter Tonagh (Nine) and Makenna Ralston (CommBank IQ) on how AI is reshaping boardrooms, enabling purpose-driven governance, real-time strategic insight, and more agile, future-focused decision-making.
The End of One-Size-Fits-All Work
Deputy, HiBob and Expert360 leaders join moderator Brendan Wong from LinkedIn News to explore how AI is reshaping workforce models across industries, and why adaptable, human-first design is key to the future of work.
Leading with Impact: Why Blindspotting is Your Secret Weapon
Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM shares insights from Blindspotting on how leaders can turn blindspot awareness into bold action, stronger teams and more innovative cultures.
How to build with AI: Practical lessons from 100+ founders
Michael Batko (CEO, Startmate) shares practical lessons fresh from six months spent with AI builders across five cities, covering what works,and what doesn’t, from early-stage startups to scaling companies.
Navigating the new age of e-commerce
Leaders from eBay, AfterPay and Google explore how global shifts, new technologies, and pop culture are reshaping consumer behaviour and the future of e-commerce.
Five Generations Challenging Workplace Age Bias
This panel addresses ageism across the hiring landscape and highlights how multigenerational talent, from Gen Alpha to the Silent Generation offers overlooked skills, strategic advantage, and practical strategies for inclusive, future-ready workplaces.
"What You Really Meant Was" – Decoding Capital, Culture and the Pitch Room LIVE
A live panel where real startup pitches are translated in real time, revealing the unspoken dynamics between founders and investors and how to bridge missions with capital.
Future-Proof Leadership: Burnout is cancelled - an Interactive Workshop
In this interactive workshop, explore three key mindset shifts, identify your burnout style, and learn practical tools like energy mapping and mindset resets to sustain high performance without burning out.
The Human Advantage: Why AI's Best Gift is Making Us More Creative
Ben Hamley (JLL), Ben Johnston (System Operating), Andy Walshe (Liminal Collective), and Libby Sander (Bond University) discuss how agentic AI can replace emails, meetings, and slide decks with more creativity and collaboration.
Skynet in the Boardroom: Is AI Hijacking Your Business Strategy?
Prof. Marek Kowalkiewicz (QUT) moderates a panel with Dr Graham Kenny (Strategic Factors), Prof. Ganna Pogrebna (AI & Cyber Futures Institute) and Dr Roger Moser (SatSure/Macquarie University) on how AI is making high-stakes business decisions, featuring a live strategy digital twin showcase.
Build Your Own Agentic AI Mobile & Web App in 90 Minutes
A hands-on workshop where participants build and deploy a mobile and web app powered by Agentic AI, complete with real-time image recognition, no coding required.
The End of Aid: Can Impact Investing Fill the Gap?
Lisa Fedorenko (Save the Children Global Ventures), Kylie Charlton (Australian Impact Investments) and Angus Kathage (DFAT) discuss the sharp decline in global aid, the rise of impact investing, and what this shift means for the future of development finance.
Fireside Chat: Zero Risk Startup
Paulo Andrez (EBAN) and Ana Barjasic (Connectology; European Innovation Council) share strategies from Zero Risk Startup on evaluating ideas, securing funding, and using AI for smarter risk management.
How We Fund More Female Founders: Angel Investing 101
Simran Kaur (Girls That Invest) explores how angel investing can back women-led businesses, with strategies to evaluate opportunities, avoid pitfalls, and drive impact.
Main Character Energy
Bianca Hunt discusses themes from her book Main Character Energy, with a reading and conversation on navigating tall-poppy culture, career challenges, and building confidence in your own story.
Disruptors vs. Regulators: Who's Really Shaping the Future of Digital Markets?
Founders, entrepreneurs, and investors discuss how evolving digital regulations are transforming online marketplaces and their impact on small businesses.
Dudes in curly wigs broke work in 1760, it’s our job to fix it
Discover how reimagining workplace systems through connection, play and joy can unlock human potential and transform work into a space where people thrive.
The Modern Mutual: A Force for Change?
Join NRMA, Bank First and HCF for a look at how cooperatives and mutuals are driving solutions to major challenges, from energy transition to housing, and their growing role in social and economic change.
Lead, Include, Succeed: The Unfiltered Playbook for Thriving Workplaces
Experts share honest insights on building workplace cultures that go beyond performative DEI, exploring leadership’s role, effective allyship, and real cultural transformation.
Consent in the Evolving Workplace
Bayley Turner leads an interactive workshop on consent-based practices, sharing tools for collaboration, conflict resolution, and wellbeing, taking away lessons from the role of an intimacy coordinator.
Are you a digital champion? Disability inclusion made easy
A session on practical strategies to help people with intellectual disability use technology safely and confidently, and how to create a more inclusive digital world.
Designing Financial Products for the Insecure Generation
A look at how Gen Z and Millennials in Indonesia are driving innovation in digital finance, offering lessons for building financial resilience in emerging and volatile markets worldwide.
How to Become a Manager People Want to Work For
A practical session with best-selling author Lia Garvin on how managers can foster trust, set clear expectations, and inspire teams to achieve high performance without burnout.
From Lecture to Lab: Transforming Talks into Active Learning Experiences
An interactive workshop for educators and presenters on turning passive lectures into engaging, participatory learning experiences with practical, adaptable strategies.
The Art of the Sale: Unlocking the Story behind the Sale
Marc Goldenfein (ArtsPay) and Nina Earl (Powerhouse Museum) explore the evolution of money and trust, and how fintech and museums alike are shaping the future of commerce and community.
Unlocking Brand-led Growth for Startups - Founders Workshop
Simon Pound (Partner, Previously Unavailable) leads a workshop on building startup brands, with practical exercises on positioning, customer focus, and the key elements for growth.
The Algorithm of Money: AI’s Role in Reimagining our Financial Experience
Angela Shi (Empathetic AI), Ada Guan (Rich Data Co) and Dr Luiz Pizzato (CBA) discuss how AI is reshaping finance—from workflows and lending to customer experience and trust.
Winning the Room
Jonathan Pease shares hands-on storytelling techniques to help leaders pitch ideas with greater confidence, authenticity and influence.
Why the Future of Growth Starts After Dark
A panel on Australia’s $134B nighttime economy, exploring new research, key growth drivers, and how cities, businesses, and creators can unlock the potential of life after dark.
Neural Sorcery: Intuition Decoded
A live session demonstrating how the brain’s unconscious information—our “sixth sense”—can be hacked, hijacked, and harnessed.
Startups, Stress & Scaling Young: The Gen Z Founder Playbook
Gen Z founders from Polinate, Exam Insights, and Vogo AI share how they’re building real-world tech solutions in communication, education, and food supply—all before turning 25.
Youth, Civics and the Future of Democracy
Daniel Dummer (Youth Decide), Lizzy Heading (Build a Ballot) and Senator Charlotte Walker discuss strategies for building media literacy, civic confidence, and democratic engagement among young Australians.
Pitch, Please! A hands-on workshop to craft your pitch to government
A hands-on workshop with former government executives on how to pitch ideas, secure funding, and navigate policy and regulation across local, state, and federal levels.
Winning the Second Half
Former NRL Head Coach Matt Elliot and author Susan Pearse share practical strategies for thriving in midlife and beyond, exploring how to turn survival mode into growth across physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
How Aussie tech firms scaled into US Markets
Stevie Case (Vanta), Jacky Koh (Relevance AI), and James Cameron (Airtree) share lessons on securing enterprise clients and scaling globally, in a session hosted by Vidit Agarwal (High Flyers Podcast).
Why Culture is the Future of Competitive Advantage
Leaders from Adobe and Carsales, moderated by Rebecca Moulynox (Great Place To Work ANZ), discuss how high-trust cultures fuel innovation, creativity, and business success.
Uncertainty: A Path to Flourishing (and Survival) in an Age of Flux
A session on the new science of uncertainty, showing how embracing “productive unsureness” can fuel agility, resilience, creativity, and wellbeing in volatile times.
There is no Algorithm for Creativity
Dr Michelle Dickinson (nanotechnologist), Tara McKenty (AKQA), Andy Blood (creator) and visual artist Claus Stangl debate the future of human vs machine creativity in the age of AI and quantum computing.
1 in 8 and Rising: Why Every Workplace Needs a Carer-Inclusive Strategy
A session on supporting unpaid workplace carers, with strategies to recognise hidden carers, implement supportive policies, and build compassionate workplace cultures.
Built to Last: How a Backpacker Founded a SaaS Success Story
Marc Washbourne (ReadyTech) shares his journey from self-taught developer to ASX-listed founder, with lessons on global scaling and the future role of AI.
My First LLM: build your own language model with Dick and Jane
Experts from the ANU School of Cybernetics lead a hands-on workshop on the fundamentals of language models, including building a paper-and-pen LM and guided discussion.
How Can Australia Harness Innovation for Economic Growth?
A panel of experts examine why Australia struggles to commercialise university research, exploring barriers in IP, culture, and industry collaboration and what it will take to close the gap.
What If We’ve Been Getting Diversity All Wrong?
Maud Lindley shares strategies for moving beyond identity targets to cognitive diversity, reframing DEI as a driver of innovation, decision-making, and performance.
Live IC: What VC's really say in the investment committee
Top Airtree investors James Cameron, Elicia McDonald and Sid Kasbekar, moderated by Aussie Angels CEO, Cheryl Mack, simulate a live VC Investment Committee meeting to show how investors assess and decide on startup pitches.
You can't always ban what you want
PROJECT ROCKIT’s National Youth Collective share their lived experiences and vision for young people’s rights in shaping the future of the internet.
Drawn To Change
Visual artist and creativity speaker Sarah Rowan uses live painting and storytelling to show how visual expression can unlock creativity, communication, and new ways of learning.
Building with Transparency: An Open Chat with Block’s CTO Dhanji Prasana
Dhanji explores transparency-first technology development, and how openness drives adoption, resilience, and innovation through examples like Block’s open-source AI assistant Goose.
The Tall Poppy Toolkit: Build a Fearless Personal Brand with LinkedIn, AI & Social Media
An interactive Women Love Tech workshop on building a standout personal brand with LinkedIn, AI, and social media to unlock new opportunities.
Success Redefined: Building a Business Around What Actually Matters
The founder of Bio DoUgh shares how a simple experiment grew into a purpose-driven business, redefining success through balance, family, and meaningful work.
Founders & Investors Bridging Australia to the World
Founders and investors discuss Southeast Asia as an alternative growth path for Australian startups, sharing lessons from building and investing across the APAC region.
Curious Connections: How Introverts Can Shine in Social Settings
An interactive workshop with practical tools for introverts and ambiverts to build authentic connections, communicate with ease, and thrive in social settings without burnout.
Taylor Swift was right: "It's me, I'm the problem, it's me."
Dr Lili Sussman leads a session on identifying blindspots in leadership and personal growth, with practical insights to help you unlock your full potential at work and in life.
Code, Culture and Country: Building Australia’s Identity in a Fractured World
Dan Bennett (Co-Founder, Sales Ventures) moderates an expert panel exploring how Australia can carve out its own technological and economic identity in an increasingly fragmented world.
Of Rams & Reason: What Sheep Sperm Taught Us About Outsmarting AI
A session on how applying AI methods to ram fertility revealed surprising insights into human learning, AI accuracy, and the limits of machine intelligence.
The Art of "Reframing": How to Get the Upper Hand on Investor Conversations
A workshop from NiceTo on how questioning bias affects female founders in pitch rooms, with practical strategies to reframe risk-focused questions and highlight growth potential.
Unlocking the Genius Gridlock of AI
A practical session with Dominique Rose-Van Winther (Final Upgrade AI) on overcoming “Genius Gridlock,” with frameworks, live demos, and actionable steps to demystify AI, upskill, and rewire everyday work.
Courage to Disappoint and the Power of Smart Dissent
Michelle Lim and Uma Thana Balasingam discuss the power of “smart dissent” and how daring to disappoint can unlock courage, innovation, and meaningful change.
Breaking Barriers in Student Entrepreneurship Meet-Up
Hosted by UQIES, this interactive meetup explores how student-led initiatives are breaking barriers in entrepreneurship and building inclusive ecosystems for the next generation of innovators.
A third space for learning in the digital age
Explore how new “third spaces” for informal, social and interdisciplinary learning can break silos, embrace creativity, and make education more inclusive and human in the digital age.
WIRED : Not Your (Neuro) MixNMingle
A networking session celebrating neurodiversity, designed to spark fresh conversations and connections beyond typical shop-talk.
Academic-Industry Connections Meet-Up
A meetup for academics and industry professionals to connect, share challenges, and explore collaborations that bridge research and real-world application.
Applying Outlier Thinking to Business Problems
Outlier Social is a high-energy networking event for rebels and change-makers, featuring bold conversations, interactive activities, and connections that challenge the norm.
Turn SXSW Connections into Real Opportunities
A practical session on how to follow up after SXSW Sydney, with strategies for turning new contacts into lasting relationships, partnerships, and collaborations.
Your Body Needs To Move, Why Not Groove?
Groove To Move is an interactive session using guided dance to re-energise conference spaces, combat sedentary fatigue, and spark new ideas through movement.
Discover the leaders, ideas and strategies shaping the future at SXSW Sydney. Secure your
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