Tech23 2013 | presenters

Philip Andrews | CEO, Liquid State

Philip Andrews is an entrepreneur, publisher and co-founder of Liquid State. In the past 15 years, he has founded and run multiple publishing and mobile technology companies. All have successfully created a variety of print and digital products, from books and magazines to tablet and smartphone apps. Philip has a very sophisticated understanding of new digital publishing strategies, being one of the first publishers in Australia to produce an iPad magazine with Adobe's Digital Publishing System and the first worldwide to incorporate wireless control of Photoshop into an iPad publication.

Lachlan Blackhall | Founder, SimplyShow.me

Lachlan Blackhall holds a BE, BSc and a PhD in engineering and applied mathematics and has broad professional interests in technology and IT, data mining and analysis, and learning and education. Lachlan has been heavily involved in the entrepreneurship, innovation, technology and investment domains for over a decade. This involvement has included starting a number of companies, being involved in the mentoring and development of entrepreneurs and their ideas, and working to advise or invest in a number of companies.

Adam Brimo | Co-founder & CEO, Open Learning Global

Adam Brimo is the 2011 Choice Magazine Consumer Activist of the Year, co-founder of openlearning.com and a recipient of the 2011 UNSW Alumni Graduand Award. In December 2010 Adam started Vodafail.com, which attracted over 19,000 complaints from Vodafone customers, nation-wide media coverage and resulted in a $1bn mobile network upgrade. In 2011 Adam founded mijura.com with Prashant Varanasi and Melissa Ran to develop a widely used and innovative team management application. Adam then joined world renowned UNSW A. Prof Richard Buckland to found openlearning.com, a student centred online learning platform. Over 25,000 students have joined courses, including the first massive open online courses from Australia and Malaysia.

Marita Cheng | Founder & CEO, 2Mar Robotics

While still a university student, 2012 Young Australian of the Year Marita Cheng founded Robogals Global in 2008, to encourage girls into careers in engineering and technology. Marita's career path includes studying for a Bachelor of Engineering and a Bachelor of Computer Science on a Paterson Scholarship. She has a Nancy Fairfax Churchill Fellowship and an International Youth Foundation YouthActionNet Fellowship. A former panellist on ABC TV's New Inventors, Marita serves as a Board Member for the Foundation for Young Australians. Marita stepped down as the CEO of Robogals at the end of 2012 in order to start 2Mar Robotics.

Nick Cloete | Founder & CEO, Kounta

Nick Cloete was asked to invest in a company that distributed an international legacy point of sale software product and quickly realised that even though this software had been developed over the past 20 years it couldn't cater to the requirements of today's online, mobile and connected world. He then assembled a mastermind group of people to research and develop the best way to better connect merchants and their customers in store at point of sale.

Shane Cox | Founder & CEO, Instrument Works

Shane Cox is the founder and CEO of Instrument Works Pty Ltd, who are bringing the Internet of Things to laboratories. Their platform combines data collection and management with a range of Bluetooth smart analytical instruments. Shane has PhD in Chemical Engineering and previously worked as researcher and data scientist at the University of New South Wales.

David Green | CEO, My Myk

David Green CEO of My Myk Pty Ltd has over 40 years experience in the audio and broadcast industry encompassing a career as a studio musician appearing on many hit records; an accomplished studio-recording engineer and International Sales Manager and General Manager for leading international broadcast companies. David is responsible for My Myk product development including concepts, production,design,sales and marketing. He has an extensive background and comprehensive understanding of audio for music, film and broadcast.

Brad Lindenberg | Founder & CEO, BuyReply

Brad Lindenberg is the founder and CEO of BuyReply. He is responsible for setting the overall commercial direction and product strategy for BuyReply. Prior to BuyReply, Brad developed an eCommerce brand called Lind Golf (www.lindgolf.com) which he grew from garage to acquisition in 4 years when it was acquired by OO.com.au. Brad Lindenberg attended University of Technology Sydney and studied BIT. He was the youngest Australian to receive certification from Microsoft as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer + Internet at the age of 16, in 1999.

Ken Macken | CTO, ollo mobile

Inventor and innovator with fourteen years experience in technology development and manufacturing in a wide variety of industries. With an amazing ability to rapidly turn ideas into reality by utilising his broad range of acquired skills and knowledge from his software, hardware and business background.

A highly creative and adaptable professional who has an embedded drive to succeed that keeps him continuously motivated. A true lover and believer in technology making the world a better place by building effective solutions to real world problems, one line of code at a time.

Sandra Mau | CEO, See-Out

An entrepreneur with a background in computer vision, and technology commercialisation, Sandra Mau has a Bachelors in Aerospace Engineering, Masters in Robotics, and an MBA. She's worked as a technology transfer analyst for two years and NICTA senior research engineer in computer vision for the past four years, and since 2013 has been committed full-time to the start-up.

Kiera McNeice | Head of Data Science, 121cast

Kiera McNeice is the head of data science for 121cast and their personal radio app Omny, where she applies her passion for problem solving to revolutionising the way people consume audio.

Kiera joined 121cast after spending time in the Bay Area studying at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, and has previously worked for international entertainment website IGN.com. With a formal background in research science - she has a PhD in organic chemistry, and studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge - Kiera has always had a keen interest in technology and the way it shapes modern lives.

Stephanie Moroz | CEO, Nano-Nouvelle

Stephanie Moroz has recently joined Nano-Nouvelle, continuing a career dedicated to developing and commercialising clean energy technologies. Following her studies in Engineering Physics, she worked on hydrogen fuel cells in Canada and Germany, automotive engine systems to reduce pollution and fuel consumption in France, and solid state hydrogen storage in Brisbane. With her range of business experience from large multinationals to VC backed startups, combined with a strong technical background, she is excited at the opportunity to lead the team developing Nano-Nouvelle’s high performance battery electrode technology.

James Nathan | CEO & Founder, Food Orbit

James founder of Food Orbit, has always been a mad foodie but was stuck in his corporate nine to five job in management consulting. After the long hard day in front of a computer, when most people would be heading out or heading home, James would put on his chef whites and go and work for free in some of London's top restaurants, just to learn and explore his passion of food.

When he came to Australia, he was blown away by the quality of the produce available but shocked at how little it was being used, which inspired the start of Food Orbit.

Daniel Oertli | Co-founder & CEO, Roomz

Daneil Oertli is Co-founder and CEO of Roomz (founded late 2012, venture-funded early 2013). Also an angel investor in some innovative startups across the world (including PrismSkyLabs.com in San Francisco and BetterBills.com in Sydney). He was previously CIO of ASX-listed REA Group (2009-2012).

Greg Peters | Engineering Design Manager, Sabre Autonomous Solutions

Greg Peters is a mechanical and mechatronics engineer who has worked extensively on the grit blasting robot technology. Greg has been the lead mechanical/electrical designer and fabricator for many robots for research into the areas of bridge maintenance, hazardous rescue, health care and in-home robotics. His previous roles have had him lead product innovation teams from early stage modelling, prototype production and testing and eventual mass production, as well as several quality assurance and manufacturing PLC control systems. Greg is currently completing his Masters in Engineering Management and occasionally dares to dabble in marketing, graphics arts and lecturing at university.

Hany Pham | Co-founder, Breezedocs

Having run a national award winning mortgage broking business, Hany Pham is the co-founder of angel-backed start-up Breezedocs. Hany is also a co-founder of Investors' Organisation, an elite networking organisation for high net worth investors to stimulate investment in Australian startups, and he sits on the committee of the AICC Young Business Forum, where he assists in organising networking events for young entrepreneurs and tomorrow's business leaders. Hany holds a Bachelor of Laws/Property and Construction from the University of Melbourne.

John Schultz | CEO, Xped Corporation

John Schultz is an experienced technology company CEO and founded his first company in a recession in 1989, which has successfully designed and manufactured complex electronics equipment, supplying high profile customers including SAAB Systems, Passenger Transport Board of SA, Thermo Fisher Scientific and others. John has a track record of securing significant international business such as exporting vehicle immobilisers to Malaysia for aftermarket distribution and direct fit to Honda production lines. John has extensive first-hand business experience and managed the design and manufacture of thousands of products for hundreds of customers over this two-decade period, taking concepts through to full launch.

Adrian Smith | Co-founder & Head of Technology, Ennova

Adrian is a software and engineering technologist who specialises in the application of technology to engineering problems. His experience spans industries that include Mining, Aerospace, Public Infrastructure, Digital Media, Banking and Insurance. Adrian holds a BE and PhD in Engineering and has led engineering and software teams for organisations that include Airbus, GKN Aerospace, BBC Worldwide and Suncorp.

Elliot Smith | Founder and Chief Software Engineer, HSK Instruments

Elliot is a graduate electrical engineer and PhD candidate from the University of Queensland. Throughout his time at the university he has maintained a keen interest in medical devices and medical imaging with particular interest in MRI research and respiratory physiotherapy. In 2011 and 2012 he was involved with research into MRI coil design and conducted research into the development of technologies to assist with the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis. The latter culminated in the formation of HSK Instruments in late 2012.

Wes Sonnereich | CEO/CTO, intersective

Wes Sonnenreich, intersective CEO / CTO, has over 16 years of experience leading entrepreneurial companies and intrapreneurial projects and has been an active, hands on software developer throughout his career. Wes was previously GM of Science & Technology for Sirius Minerals and National Director of Innovation for Deloitte Australia. Prior to moving to Australia, Wes was the co-founder of 3 US based technology startups in education and information security, including a pioneering internet distance education initiative. Wes is a Computer Science graduate of M.I.T., as well as Harvard Business School's EMBA program, a published author, university lecturer and speaker.

Nick Tong | CEO, Edisse

Nick Tong is a graduate of the University of Sydney, having completed his Bachelor of Computer Science, majoring in Information Systems. He has previously worked at companies such as NSW Police force, University of Sydney and is currently working for Westpac. He has also sat on the management board of a St John Ambulance Australia division. Nick has a keen interest in technology and innovation, and is trying to combine his love of both to build an innovation that will help and enrich the lives of others. In his spare time, he listens to music, plays games and reads.

David Whitfield | Founder and CEO, Geepers

David Whitfield is a serial inventor and entrepreneur with a successful track record in innovation. His other venture, enLighten Australia is one of Australia’s fastest growing energy-efficiency companies. It has received many national and international awards for its product innovation in lighting and intelligent building systems. An ex-submariner in the RAN, David has pioneered concepts as diverse as live seafood distribution and marketing, fire suppression systems for vehicles and property in bush fire environments and designed a GPS based vehicle tracking system in 1980.

Chris Wilkins | Founder, SkyTree

Chris Wilkins is an undergraduate student at The University of Sydney. Chris is in the process of completing a double major in Environmental Studies and Human Geography. Chris has been the recipient of The Professor James MacDonald Holmes Prize for Geography, The Slade Prize for Geography, and was listed on the Sydney Morning Herald's 2013 Honour Roll. In a former life, Chris completed a trade qualification as a plumber and has run his own small, but successful plumbing and horticulture business. Chris is a resident of Australia, Germany and Sweden and has worked internationally as a mechanical model builder and prototyper.