Keynote
Dave Clare
Circle Leadership, Founder
Driven by a PURPOSE to evolve the world of work, Dave's sense of mission is clear: to redefine business success not just for the accolades but for the impact.
Mark Woodland
Founder & CEO / Kismet
Mark has built and scaled multiple purpose-driven companies, combining technology, empathy, and relentless execution.
Mark Woodland is the Founder and CEO of Kismet, an AI-powered healthcare platform on a mission to simplify access to care for people living with disability and aging Australians. With a background in education and a track record as a serial founder, Mark has built and scaled multiple purpose-driven companies, combining technology, empathy, and relentless execution.
Known for his bold thinking and deep operational discipline, Mark is passionate about challenging broken systems and designing solutions that create real-world impact. At Kismet, he is leading the charge to modernise the healthcare experience — replacing paperwork, inefficiency, and fragmentation with intelligence, automation, and humanity.
Mark was previously the Founder of Xplor, a platform that revolutionised the early education sector and grew into one of Australia’s fastest-growing SaaS companies. He brings a unique blend of military service, entrepreneurial grit, and a deep commitment to creating technology that serves people — not the other way around.
Sessions
Mark Woodland’s Sessions
Day 2 - Session #1 Entrepreneurs will Save the World
Includes morning tea
This immersive session will place today's biggest issues on the table to be unpacked with an entrepreneurial mindset.
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Altitude Nine
Storytelling
Scaling: do you even have what it takes?
FWD>SCALE
Are you scaling for the ego of it? Do you even know what success looks like for you? Are you measuring the right success metrics for you? Comparing and contrasting the scale stories of Mark Woodland, Founder Xplor and Kismet, you will be challenged to explore (see what we did there!) what really makes it all worth it for you!
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Venue 114
FWD›››25 Speakers and Panellists
Keynote
Elea Wurth
Lead Partner Trustworthy AI, Strategy Risk & Transactions, Deloitte
Keynote
Mark Visser
Big wave surfer, author, keynote speaker, mindset coach and founder of The Ocean Warrior
At FWD›››FEST 25, Mark will ignite your entrepreneurial spirit with his keynote on DAY TWO, Riding the Wave, sharing actionable insights to tackle challenges and seize opportunities.
Featured
Daniel Flynn
Thankyou, Social Entrepreneur | Co-Founder
Daniel Flynn is one of Australia’s most compelling social entrepreneurs, known for transforming bold ideas into powerful movements.
Featured
Ivan Carl Engelbrecht
Leonardo.ai, Head of Product and Design
Ivan thrives on solving challenging problems, is always looking to learn more and pushing boundaries through collaboration.
Featured
Kevin Wan Lum
LGT Crestone, Deputy Chief Investment Officer
Kevin has more than 25 years of financial markets and investment management experience in Australia and overseas.
Featured
Mark Woodland
Kismet, Founder & CEO
Mark has built and scaled multiple purpose-driven companies, combining technology, empathy, and relentless execution.
Alex Knight
Advanced, Managing Director
Helping innovative founders turn R&D into a growth engine.
Alexander Cohen
Scope&Go AI Agency, Founder
Alexander specialises in bridging technical and non-technical environments to create impactful solutions.
Bryton Wishart
Cured Compliance, Founder
Bryton is a proud entrepreneur and technology enthusiast with an obsession for learning. Bryton is on the Silicon Coast Board.
Craig ‘CJ’ Josic
Co- Founder, Silicon Coast
Craig Josic aka CJ is epitomises the essence of a visionary leader and community builder. With over a decade of unwavering commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
David Neal
CEO, Eighth Mile Consulting
Dr Karen Sutherland
Senior Lecturer in Public Relations, University of the Sunshine Coast
Jason Garland
Chair, Sunshine Coast Tech Industry Alliance (SCTechIA)
Kathryn Giudes
Managing Director, macroDATA Digital Solutions & Chair of Silicon Coast
Kelly Lavery
Inventor - CEO, Strucket
Laura Ashmole
Head of Growth, River City Labs
Mayor Rosanna Natoli
Sunshine Coast Council, Mayor
Mayor Natoli will lead the Sunshine Coast community to a bright future while protecting the lifestyle we love.
Nicole Nixon
Five Faces, CEO
Nicole brings a rare blend of empathy and operational discipline, shaped by diverse roles in manufacturing, consulting, and entertainment.
Oscar Lloyd
Founder, ProxiTech
Peter Deans
Creator & Founder 52 Risks and Gōru I Strategy & Risk Advisor
Richard Burrows
Director, Performance Breathing Australia
Rob Steffler
DeLorean Project
Sam Bala
Principal, Omnichannel Architecture, NewStore
Sean O'Neill
Nash Capital, Managing Director
Sean O’Neill is the Managing Director of Nash Capital, a mid-market private equity fund in Australia that manages $200m of high-net-worth client funds.
Thomas Pollock
Managing Director, Gov Ready
Tim Collier
National Head of Strategy, Cummins & Partners
Tracy Sheen
AI Speaker and Consultant, The Digital Guide
