Business Women Australia Western Sydney Boardroom Lunch - Government Incentives & R&D Roundtable Conversation

Business Women Australia Western Sydney Boardroom Lunch - Government Incentives & R&D Roundtable Conversation

Businesses across Australia are navigating a period of significant change, driven by technology, innovation, sustainability initiatives, workforce challenges and evolving market demands. To support this transformation, governments continue to invest in programs designed to encourage business growth, innovation, and capability building. Yet many organisations are unaware of the range of incentives, grants, and concessions available to help fund these initiatives.

Join us for an engaging Roundtable Conversation hosted by Monica Lei, Director, Business Services, BDO, as we explore the practical opportunities available to businesses through government incentives and the Research & Development (R&D) Tax Incentive program.

Leading the discussion will be BDO’s Melissa Fardone, Partner, R&D & Government Incentives, and Brenda Chu, Director, R&D & Government Incentives, who will share insights into the current and emerging incentive landscape and discuss how organisations can strategically access available support to accelerate growth, innovation, and investment.

Together, we will explore:

• Government incentives and funding opportunities are expected to be available to Australian businesses over the coming years

• How to identify R&D activities occurring within your organisation that may be eligible for support

• Common misconceptions that result in businesses underclaiming available benefits

• Incentives and programs specifically designed to support women-led businesses and female entrepreneurs

• NSW-specific grants, initiatives, and funding opportunities available to growing organisations

• Practical approaches to managing governance, documentation, and compliance requirements while maximising available support

We will also hear a brief Businesswomen Australia update from Advisory Board Member Vicki Wu, who will share what's ahead for our national community and how we can continue to elevate, connect, and support women in leadership.

We invite you to share your experiences and perspectives on innovation, business growth, and accessing government support programs. This peer discussion is designed to encourage the exchange of ideas, lessons learned, and practical strategies that participants can implement within their own organisations.

This cross-industry conversation is ideal for senior women in finance, business, advisory, and operational leadership roles who are seeking greater clarity, confidence, and strategic insight into navigating the government incentives landscape.

This session will be held as a working lunch, providing an opportunity for relaxed yet purposeful engagement. Attendance is limited to ensure meaningful discussion and that every participant has the opportunity to contribute.

Limited in size to ensure every voice has the opportunity to be heard. 

Facilitated Boardroom Dialogue

This is a Chatham House–style conversation to ensure confidentiality at this peer group Roundtable discussion, and will be grounded in Business Women Australia’s conscious leadership framework.

Who Should Attend

Experienced women in business, finance, leadership, and advisory roles across Western Sydney, including those in:

• Manufacturing

• Logistics and transport

• Wholesale

• Private Enterprise and Family Business

• Construction and Development

• Professional services

With special thanks to BDO Western Sydney for hosting this Roundtable and providing a working lunch.

Meet Monica Lei

Monica Lei is a Director in Business Services with BDO in Greater Western Sydney, where she has played a key role in expanding the firm’s presence across the region since joining in 2019. With more than 16 years of experience in professional services, Monica partners with medium to large-sized private businesses and foreign-owned subsidiaries to deliver strategic accounting, tax, and advisory solutions. Her expertise spans financial reporting, tax compliance, outsourced accounting, audit support, and strategic business advice for complex entities operating in growth-focused and industrial sectors.

Monica’s approach goes well beyond compliance. She is known for her client-centred, relationship-driven style, working closely with executives and finance leaders to understand their commercial realities, strengthen financial foundations, and position their organisations for sustainable growth. She combines technical precision with practical commercial insight, helping businesses improve efficiency, strengthen governance, and enhance capital readiness. 

Monica's experience includes advising inbound international businesses establishing operations in Australia, delivering end-to-end outsourced accounting services, supporting mergers and acquisitions, conducting compliance health checks, and guiding organisations through expansion, restructuring, and transformation. Leveraging BDO’s multidisciplinary expertise and her strong professional network, Monica collaborates across specialist teams to deliver holistic and pragmatic solutions. 

Monica holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance) and is a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA).

Meet Melissa Fardone

Melissa Fardone leads the Research & Development (R&D) and Grants team at BDO Australia in Adelaide, helping organisations turn innovative ideas into commercial success. With more than a decade of experience spanning both government and consulting, she works with businesses across a wide range of industries to develop R&D strategies, improve business processes, and secure government funding to support growth and innovation.

A passionate advocate for innovation as a driver of long-term business success, Melissa has extensive expertise in the Research and Development Tax Incentive, state and federal grants, and commercialisation pathways. Before joining BDO, she spent six years as a senior manager in a major accounting firm's government incentives team and previously led the Adelaide grants team for AusIndustry.

Melissa has successfully guided organisations through complex R&D Tax Incentive reviews, secured government grants valued at more than $10 million, advised on intellectual property strategies for emerging technologies, and prepared large-scale overseas finding applications. She is a Registered Tax Agent (Research & Development) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours).

Meet Vicki Wu 

Vicki Wu serves on the Advisory Board of BWA, contributing a governance lens to the organisation’s leadership and programs. Her role supports the Board in ensuring leadership practice remains grounded, sustainable, and respectful of the real human load leaders carry behind the scenes.

As the founder of AI Kindred Families™, Vicki works at the intersection of leadership, artificial intelligence, and family systems. Her work centres on human‑first governance, ensuring that as technology accelerates, judgment, stability, and family integrity remain intact. Vicki Wu focuses on where decisions actually happen once systems are already moving — especially when everything appears to be working.

About Business Women Australia

Business Women Australia is a national community of women connected through a shared commitment to leadership, growth, and meaningful impact. Across industries, roles, and stages of career, women engage with BWA in different ways, whether leading organisations, building businesses, contributing on boards, or stepping into new levels of leadership.

Our focus is on developing conscious, capable women leaders through pathways that support leadership, business growth, and personal evolution, while fostering genuine connection and collaboration.

If you feel aligned with this, you’re already part of the broader BWA community.

For those ready to go deeper, you can explore our leadership pathways and programs at:

https://businesswomenaustralia.com.au