In the Founder Institute's challenging, four-month startup launch program, aspiring entrepreneurs are provided with weekly training, feedback, and evaluation by Founder Institute Mentors.
Our Mentors provide the passion, experience, and support that helps our Founders launch meaningful and enduring companies.
The mandate for our Mentors is to share their vast experience with the next generation of entrepreneurs, outlining the latest tactics, and providing critical feedback. In a confidential setting, they share horror stories, best practices, and candid feedback to help our Founders avoid "rookie mistakes" and be successful. In addition, through our unique Shared Liquidity Pool, Mentors are strongly incentivized to help our companies after Graduation, and many have become formal advisors to our Graduate companies.
In the upcoming Australia Spring 2025 Semester, we have secured a truly exceptional roster of Founder Institute Mentors, including many from out of town.
See the full list below:
- Adam Long: CEO, TheEthicalCEO.com
- Adeline Chu: Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Western Sydney University
- Adrian Bunter: Corporate Advisor | Angel Investor | Non-exec Director, Modus Partners
- Aivee Robinson: Co-Founder, Catalyser
- Albert Bielinko: Venture / growth investor, Titanium Ventures (Former Telstra Ventures)
- Alejandro Patterson: Principal Product Manager , Honey Insurance
- Alex Samson: Founder & CEO, dvhb
- Alex Guyer: Partner Firemark Ventures, Associate Partner Black Nova Venture Capital
- Alex Sy: Managing Director, ATLAS Business Consulting and Mentoring Services
- Allan Lalic: Co-founder, Kebloom
- Amit Verma: Senior Manager, Listings, ASX
- Anna Cheng: Head of Growth & Engagement Marketing, Turo Australia. Ex HealthMatch Ex Brighte Ex Spaceship
- Anne Marie Elias: chief disrupter, Founder, PrimeLife Partners, innovating longevity & care
- Annie Le Cavalier: Venture Partner, FI and Former GM & Community, Stone & Chalk
- Ant Moorehouse: CEO and Co-Founder, EarthTech
- Ash Ma: Product Manager, Zip Co.
- Asher Vukelic: Chair, Southwest Angels
- Ben Pecotich: Design & Innovation Director/Founder, Dynamic4
- Benjamin Ranck: Principal, MacroReactor
- Benjamin Chong: Partner, Right Click Capital
- Bill Trestrail: CEO, Market Momentum Pty Ltd
- Bill Trestrail: Venture Partner, Black Nova Venture Capital
- Bjorn Halfmann: Founder & Experience Design Director, muteo.co
- Brendan Yell: Former Director, Twilio Startups
- Brodie Mc Culloch: Founder, Spacecubed, Perth, WA
- Brodie Mc Culloch: Founder and Managing Director, Spacecubed
- Cam Walshe: Director, Pitchblak
- Carl Maiorana: Founder, Business Growth & Change Consultant, 5Y
- Caroline Lepron: CEO & Founder, Skoutli
- Cheryl Mack: CEO & Founder, Aussieangels.com + Activator at SheEO™
- Chris Clark: Serial Entrepreneur , Teem Inc. www.teem.inc
- Chris Clark: Chris Clark, Teem / GeoSnapShot
- Chris Braine: Founder, Cellr
- Chris Gillings: Venture Capital @ Five V Capital, & Founder @ Cut Through Venture
- Christopher Krainer: Director of Hardware Engineering at Zoomo, & co-founder at rk-collective.com
- Damien Messina: Manager, Impact Angel Network
- Dane Eldridge: Founder & CEO, StackUp www.stackup.tech
- Daniel Lohrmann: Managing Director, ikaros
- Darsel Keane: Director, University of Auckland
- David Kenney: Director, Start Growth Pty Limited
- Dean Mc Evoy: Non Executive Director, Investor and Adviser, TechSydney
- Debra Taylor: Non Executive Director, Stone and Chalk
- Dennis Kibirev: Chief Growth Officer, Mesh Ai
- Dmitri Voronenko: Technology Leader | Advisor | Mentor, virtualintegrity.com.au
- Dylan Mc Donnell: CEO, Foodini
- Edward Liu: Mr, EasyIOT
- Eitan Bienstock: Managing Director, Techbench Capital
- Elizabeth Kaelin: MSc, RDN & Finance Lecturer, UTS Business School
- Erwin Van Der Koogh: Founder/CEO, Linc
- Franziska Iseli: Founder, Basic Bananas
- Gautam Mishra: Founder / CEO, inkl
- Gawin Fernando: Co-Founder, CreativeCubes.Co
- George Hedon: Founder & CEO, Pause Fest
- Greg Campbell: entrepreneur, former Ops Director, information security specialist, Current Head of InfoSec and Compliance
- Harshu Deshpande: Start-up & Scale-up Advisor, Google
- Hendrik Remigereau: Venture Partner, NZVC
- Hugh Treseder: Founder, Floatspace
- Jack Qi: Director, William Buck
- Jakomi Mathews: CEO, goto.health
- James Moody: CEO, Sendle
- Jane Cockburn: CEO and Founder, Kairos Now
- Jeeva Suresh: Founder & CEO, Helix
- Jeremy Chetty: Co-founder, Student Edge
- Jo Ucukalo: CEO, Handle My Complaint
- Jo Ann Suchard: Angel investor, Sydney Angels
- Joanne Jacobs: Co-CEO, Disruptor's Handbook
- Jonathon Wilkinson: Co-founder, Equitise
- Julian Luca: Startups | Investments | Community Building, Previously Fishburners & Innovation Bay
- Kate Ringvall: Co-Founder, Galactic Cooperative
- Katherine Gokavi Whaley: Founder, SheLeads Coaching
- Kim McGuinness: Strategic Relationships Director, SBE Australia
- Leila Alem: Chief Innovation Officer, ArcSense
- Libby Roberts: Founder, LeapForward.ai
- Lisa Cotton: Fractional, Advisory and Coaching, Lisa Cotton
- Magdalena Reith: Startup- and Business Consultant, Magdalena Reith Pitch Decks
- Marshall Hughes: Freight Manager, Freight Companies Australia
- Marshall Hughes: Consultant, Freight Companies Australia
- Matt Allen: CEO, Tractor Ventures
- Matthew Browne: Co-Founder @Upflowy upflowy.com, @Donesafe donesafe.com, @Whispli, Investor @Black Nova Group etc
- Maxine Lee: COO & Investment Director, Skalata Ventures
- Michelle Gilmore: CEO, heyjuno.co
- Mitchell Pham: Chairperson, NZTech
- Neil Smith: CTO, Simple KYC
- Neil Smith
- Oliver Ranck: Co-Founder | CMO | Exec Director, Future Neutral | MYSALE | Octomedia
- Paul Wenck: Chair, Co-Founder Checkbox
- Paul Krajewski: Product Management professional, Co-Director Founder Institute Australia+NZ
- Paul Grimes: CTO & Founder, OK200
- Paula Taylor: Executive Director and Co-Founder, West Tech Fest
- Pavel Reddy: Former Managing Director, Clearpoint Ventures Pty Ltd (Formerly)
- Pete Cooper: Founder, The Start Society
- Pete Cooper: Former CIO, KBZ Bank
- Peter Van Bruchem: Co-Founder, Techboard
- Peter Browne: Owner, Intangible Communications
- Peter Mc William: Fractional CFO, Former CFO, jayride.com
- Prashant Gami: CEO & Founder, x•enabler
- Rachel White: CFO, Part time CFO / fractional CFO
- Rajeev Gupta: Managing Partner, Alium Capital
- Rayn Ong: Director, Ong Heng Investments
- Rebecca Dooley: Partner, Addisons
- Reheen Guin: CEO and Co-Founder, Finoya.ai
- Richard Dale: Committee Member, Sydney Angels Inc.
- Roger Do: CEO, Co-Founder, Watchdog Cyber Defense
- Romain Bonjean: Founder, CEO, RoseRx
- Roman Kovalenko: Chief Data Officer, Reserve Bank of Australia
- Ron Hill: Managing Director, sunramp.co
- Ruben Martin: Co-Founder, GraniteStack
- Ryan Cross: Manager for Prototyping, AWS, ANZ & APAC
- Sam Richards: Managing Director, Brightlight Impact Advisory
- Sameer Babbar: Director, SVB Group
- Sandrina Postorino: Committee Member, Sydney Angels Inc.
- Scott Crowe: Lead Recruiter, Canva
- Scott Glew: Organizer, Morning Startup Perth
- Scott Dommett: Former Investor, Rampersand
- Sean Geoghegan: Cofounder and former-CTO, Sendle, Tech and People Leader, Iconoclast.
- Simon Litchfield: CTO, and serial Founder
- Simone Joyce: CEO/Founder, Paypa Plane
- Sorrel Kesby: Head of Global Commercial Operations, GumGum
- Srikanth Muthyala: Investor, Melbourne Angels
- Stefan Korn: General Manager, Callaghan Innovation
- Stuart Reynolds: CEO & Founder, Fullstack Advisory
- Tal Rotbart: Former Chief Technology Officer, Marketplacer (until Oct-‘23)
- Tim Silverwood: Co-Founder, Ocean Impact Organisation
- Timo Kugler: Co-Founder, NASH + BANKS
- Tom Dawkins: Founder/CEO, StartSomeGood
- Tomaj Bayat: previous founder & previously Growth, beforepay.com.au
- Tony Sinclair: Director of Venture Debt, Cataliize
- Vanessa Ronan Pearce: Head of Growth, Wych Money
- Vern Chan: Certified Startup Coach, Your Pivot
- Will Davies: CEO, Car Next Door
- Will Ericksson: Director, Trainer/Mentor, Momentum Academy / Momentumgroup.tech
- William Wang: Exited Founder/CEO, Scale Tribe
- William Mc Cahey: Partner, Think & Grow, and Growth Advisor
- Yash Varma: Founder & General Partner, Empress Capital
- And many more to be announced.
If you could use expert training feedback from Mentors like the ones listed above, then be sure to apply the Sydney Founder Institute soon. There is limited space in the program, and time in running out.
Leaders of the world’s fastest-growing startups have used the Founder Institute to transition from employee to entrepreneur, test their startup ideas, build a team, get their first customers, raise funding, and more - like Udemy, Realty Mogul, iCarsClub, Itembase, goplaceit, and Appota.
We hope you will join us in Sydney and launch a company in 2016.
