Best suited for Entrepreneurs & Innovators, Service & Support Providers, Youth & Educators, Investors and Policymakers.
DAY ONE is a full day dedicated to providing entrepreneurs and innovators with the tools, connections and support they need to accelerate to the next level through the delivery of 4 Streams delivering real life storytelling, learning, immersion and action!
Speakers
Alex Knight
Helping innovative founders turn R&D into a growth engine.
Bryton Wishart
Bryton is a proud entrepreneur and technology enthusiast with an obsession for learning. Bryton is on the Silicon Coast Board.
Craig ‘CJ’ Josic
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.
Daniel Flynn
Daniel Flynn is one of Australia’s most compelling social entrepreneurs, known for transforming bold ideas into powerful movements.
Dave Clare
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.
Dr Karen Sutherland
Dr Karen Sutherland, AI Stream Host | Senior Lecturer, Public Relations | Director, Dharana Digital.
Jason Garland
As Chair of Sunshine Coast Tech Industry Alliance and the Sunshine Coast Business Council, alongside his own technology firm Secure Access, Jason provides connection to the digital economy.
Tom Pollock
Thomas brings over two decades of expertise in winning government business for the SME sector.
Richard Burrows
As an elite performance coach, Rich centres his approach on the mastery of the breath.
Alexander Cohen
Alexander specialises in bridging technical and non-technical environments to create impactful solutions.
Tim Collier
Tim Collier is on a mission to bring back what makes advertising great: simple, entertaining, and memorable ideas that drive real business results.
Ivan Carl Engelbrecht
Ivan thrives on solving challenging problems, is always looking to learn more and pushing boundaries through collaboration.
Kelly Lavery
Strucket’s seemingly overnight success was based on three years of research, design, prototype, tooling, testing, grant applications, sourcing funding, sleepless nights.
Oscar Lloyd
Oscar develops AI and robotics applications for manufacturing and service industries while offering educational services in collaboration with various organisations.
Tracy Sheen
As founder of The Digital Guide and Unusual Comms, Tracy specialises in implementing AI responsibly while balancing innovation and risk.
Laura Ashmole
Laura believes the success of any business is determined by its ability to innovate, harness the potential of its people and be utterly obsessed with its customers.
Nicole Nixon
Nicole brings a rare blend of empathy and operational discipline, shaped by diverse roles in manufacturing, consulting, and entertainment.
Mark Woodland
Mark has built and scaled multiple purpose-driven companies, combining technology, empathy, and relentless execution.
Kevin Wan Lum
Kevin has more than 25 years of financial markets and investment management experience in Australia and overseas.
Mayor Rosanna Natoli
Mayor Natoli will lead the Sunshine Coast community to a bright future while protecting the lifestyle we love.
Sean O'Neill
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.
Sarah Morgan
CEO | Entrepreneur | Speaker | MC | Author | Panel Facilitator | Leadership Expert | Founder - Influential Leader Academy
Susan Toft
As CEO and founder of Laundry Lady and TimeBoss (an AI-driven platform powering The Laundry Lady), Susan has created scalable solutions for industries like aged care, cleaning services, and pet grooming.
Ryan Hollis
Sustainability and ESG are not just feel good concepts—they are a proven path to growth, and Ryan has spent over 25 years showing companies exactly how to achieve it.
Michelle Reeves
An international executive and entrepreneur, Michelle has led innovation strategies for brands across fashion, sports, entertainment, and emerging tech.
Kerry Neill
Kerry has worked within community services, health, training and education, creating and delivering Indigenous education experiences and lessons
Rob Neely
Entrepreneur, Fintech Innovator, and Community Leader who is recognised globally for his groundbreaking work in digital identity, banking, and cybersecurity.
Rob Rand
A seasoned expert in subscription business models, Rob specialises in turning customer transactions into long-term relationships.
Roz White
Roz White is an award-winning business leader with over 32 years’ experience, a charity volunteer and leading advocate for various industry groups.
Frank Dinneen
Frank’s career has been focussed on addressing social and economic issues, through roles within government, community, and business.
Marc Watson
Marc has been leading Procurement and Supply Chain teams in top ASX listed companies and Government organisations for over 20 years
Katie Healy
Senior Director Strategy and Planning, Sunshine Coast Health
Dave Burns
Chief Information Officer, Sunshine Coast Council
Matthew Rose
Manager, Industry Engagement, ICT Category Management and Sourcing, Department of Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business, Queensland Government
Sam Dharmapala
Sam is the Founder and CEO of Transform Engine, an outsourcing company based in the Philippines and Nepal that employs survivors of slavery in technology-centric jobs.
Cliff Benns
Cliff Benns is a 5x founder turned purpose driven business coach who built and exited several multimillion dollar ventures in mining, climate tech, manufacturing, and waste & recycling.
Chad Hardy
Experienced Founder with a demonstrated history of working in the renewables and technology industry.
Lachie Smart
Lachie Smart speaks with authority on the leadership required to bridge generational gaps, solve pain points and boost team engagement.
Tate Donohoe
Tate's approach to sustainability isn't just about environmental protection… it’s comprehensive, innovative, and community-driven.
Naomi Elliott
Naomi's company Suncoast Biochem delivers sustainable, traceable ingredients through a B2B model that includes bulk supply, private label services, and strategic partnerships.
Sessions
FWD›DAY ONE’s Sessions
Keynote
DAY 1 - KEYNOTE Breakfast with Dave Clare
Seen for the first time at FWD>>>FEST 24, Dave Clare returns to the big stage unpacking what it means to ride the wave of entrepreneurship. DAY ONE is a full day dedicated to providing entrepreneurs and innovators with the tools, connections and support they need to accelerate to the next level which includes a new generation of leadership. Dave will challenge your thinking, argue for purpose over profit and leave you energised for an action-packed festival of business. We also welcome Mayor Rosanna Natoli to officially open FWD>>>FEST 25.
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Venue 114
Storytelling
From Capital to Impact: the Institutional Investor’s approach to private markets
FWD>INVEST
Exploring how institutional investors strategically allocate capital into private equity, venture capital, and alternative assets to drive economic and business growth, featuring a fireside chat with a portfolio organisation.
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Venue 114
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
Storytelling
More Than Undies: Bold, Circular, Human
FWD>SUSTAIN
Explore the journey of Knobby with Rob Rand, Founder and CEO, as he shares how bold creativity and purposeful innovation turned Australia’s first subscription underwear brand into a global success story. Discover how Sunshine Coast-based Knobby blends circular design, recycled materials, and a send-back program with a fast-moving startup mindset and values-led culture shaped by belly, brain, body, and buddy. This session reveals how aligning innovation, environmental intent, and a distinctive internal culture has created deep customer loyalty and driven global momentum with a lighter footprint.
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Venue 114
Storytelling
From Niche AI Innovation to Global Powerhouse: the Leonardo.ai story
FWD>AI
From its humble beginnings as a game developer to being acquired by Canva, the Australian success story of Leonardo.ai. This presentation offers a unique and actionable case study, showing how a focus on problem-solving for a niche audience can be the foundation for building a globally successful tech business powered by innovative AI.
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Venue 114
Learning
Investment Unearthed: a deep dive
FWD>INVEST
Unlock deep industry knowledge to explore the world of capital investment.
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Venue 114
Learning
The Growing Pains: overcoming challenges as your business scales
FWD>SCALE
We explore the 'what keeps you up at night' topics of people, cashflow, marketing, sales and leadership through growth with an extraordinary panel.
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Venue 114
Learning
Collaborative Compliance: is your business fit for supply?
FWD>SUSTAIN
With the 2032 Games only 7 years away, NOW is the time to build a sustainable business model that positions you to do business in the new world of ESG's, Cybersecurity, ISO certifications, SDG's and the like. Presented by Sunshine Coast 2032, this innovative project brings together the best of the best on the Sunshine Coast to share their steps to success.
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Venue 114
Learning
The Human-AI Agent Partnership: designing ethical and effective collaboration
FWD>AI
This session positions businesses for the next stage of AI development by providing actionable strategies for practical and effective collaboration with AI agents.
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Venue 114
FWD›LUNCH & LEARN
Day 1 - FWD›LUNCH & LEARN with Daniel Flynn
Following his acclaimed FWD>>>FEST debut in 2023, we are incredibly excited to welcome back Daniel Flynn, Co-Founder of Thankyou, as the Keynote Speaker for the FWD>DAY ONE Lunch & Learn Session at FWD>>>FEST 25. Daniel will share his insights on building a sustainable social enterprise and challenging conventional business models that are relatable to all business types. Learn from Thankyou's journey of funding vital global programs through consumer products.
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Venue 114
Immersion
Defining Successful Scaling: real life actionable lessons
FWD>SCALE
What does successful scaling really mean? Define your own success by interacting with those that have dug deep in their scaling journey.
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Venue 114
Immersion
Reimagining Green: turning sustainability into a business advantage
FWD>SUSTAIN
What if sustainability was your best business strategy—not just for climate impact, but for building a resilient, valuable company? In this session, hear from founders who’ve reimagined sustainability across product design, supply chain relationships, governance models, and customer experience. This isn’t about buzzwords. It’s about aligning impact with innovation and building companies that last. Learn how these leaders have made sustainability a competitive advantage—from the factory floor to customer retention—and how you can, too.
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Venue 114
Immersion
Building the Future: creating an AI agent
FWD>AI
A hands-on AI agent workshop. This session will show participants how AI agents can be developed using a tool called Cursor AI. To those FWD>>>Festers seeking a truly immersive experience, please download Cursor AI (https://www.cursor.com/en) before the session.
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Venue 114
Action
Live FWD Pitch
FWD>INVEST
It is time to be judged (in the best possible way!). Selected scaling companies will live pitch in front of a panel of judges sharing their scaling strategies, projections and critical challenges - hoping to be named the business to back! Facilitated by Laura Ashmole, Head of Growth ACS Labs.
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Venue 114
Immersion
Investor Attraction Deconstructed: the recipe for investment success
FWD>INVEST
Explore the POV of differing players in investor attraction. Presented by: Steve Allan, Rob Neely, Sophie Robertson, Alex Knight
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Venue 114
Action
IRL Procurement Pitch
FWD>SCALE
Hugely successful in 2024, the live Procurement Pitch is back! Watch as procurement ready businesses vie for the attention of our procurement leads with the real-life opportunity to obtain new contracts. Hosted by Tom Pollock from Gov Ready. Our 2025 Procurement Panel includes: Marc Watson, Head of Procurement, Unitywater | Katie Healy, Senior Director Strategy and Planning, Sunshine Coast Health | Dave Burns, Chief Information Officer, Sunshine Coast Council | Matthew Rose, Manager, Industry Engagement, ICT Category Management and Sourcing, Department of Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business | Frank Dineen, Small Business Procurement Advisor – Q - 2032 Games, Small and Family Business Division, Department of Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business.
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Venue 114
Action
Sustain High Performance: the power of breath
FWD>SUSTAIN
Join Rich Burrows from Performance Breathing Australia for a guided exploration of the immense power of conscious breath control. “The mind is the king of the senses, but the breath is the king of the mind.” The path of the founder or entrepreneur is one that will repeatedly challenge body, mind and spirit. The ability to sustain focus, to sustain energy, to sustain motivation will determine whether the vision one wishes to share with the world is itself sustainable. No amount of grit, or hustle or grind will overcome the inevitable setbacks along the path. We need to develop the internal skillset to ride these waves, find agency over our internal state, and cultivate the ability to harness attention; to show up as the best version of ourselves on any given day. The breath offers a compass on this journey. Rich will lead you through a range of practical exercises deployed by world class athletes, elite military operators and business executives to find calm in the chaos. No gimmicks, no special equipment, all you need to pay is attention.
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Venue 114
Action
Revolutionising Industry with AI: is creativity enhanced or endangered?
FWD>AI
This session provides an interesting conclusion to the AI stream by addressing a key question facing humanity in relation to AI and creativity. Topics such as copyright, over-reliance, creativity enhancement and many more will be raised. The combined panel provides diverse perspectives on AI's impact on creativity, providing actionable insights for attendees.
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Venue 114
Networking
Day 1 - FWD›Connector
Networking drinks
The perfect way to wind down and catchup with old connections, make new ones and celebrate a big first day at FWD>>>FEST. All thanks to the Sunshine Coast Tech Industry Alliance (SCTechIA) who provides the first shout! SCTechIA is the gateway for the digital economy and a driving force for industry development, advancement, promotion and connection!
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Venue 114
Wed 7 May
Connect, Support & Grow
DAY ONE
DAY ONE is a full day dedicated to providing entrepreneurs and innovators with the tools, connections and support they need to accelerate to the next level through the delivery of 4 Streams delivering real life storytelling, learning, immersion and action!
Thurs 8 May
Challenge, Lead & Drive
DAY TWO
DAY TWO is a full day meticulously designed to challenge the mindset and business acumen of our entrepreneurs, innovators and their support system.
Professional and personal development are a cornerstone to leadership and this day is designed to produce our next gen leaders.
Fri 9 May
Conversate, Collaborate & Act!
DAY THREE
DAY THREE will be like no other day you have ever experienced, designed to encourage the conversations that should happen, but don’t!
This day is designed to be life-changing and fun. Our hope is that in 10 years you look back and realise that the people and opportunities that shaped your future, you met at FWD›››FEST 25.
