Founder Stories: Lessons from Building and Scaling Startups

As part of Spark Festival 2026, join us on Thursday 24 September from 1:30pm for Founder Stories, a Lunch & Learn event exploring the realities of building and scaling a startup. A light lunch will be provided on arrival.

Through a moderated panel discussion, founders will share practical insights from their entrepreneurial journeys, including challenges and setbacks, key decisions, lessons learned, customer acquisition, growth and the experiences that have shaped their businesses.

Whether you're building your first venture, growing a startup, or looking to learn from the experiences of others, this is an opportunity to hear honest reflections and gain practical advice from founders who have navigated the journey firsthand.

Panel Facilitator

• Renate Crollini, Co-Founder of Adaluma and General Manager of Tech Ready Women

Featured Speakers

• Dr Mariam Mnatsakanyan, Founder & Chief Scientist, AirLabOne

• Nick Hazell, Founder & CEO, Algenie

• Emily Pyke, Co-Founder & CEO, Undatech

• David Klineberg, Co-Founder, VueMotion

What to expect

• Light lunch and networking on arrival

• Moderated founder panel discussion

• Audience Q&A

• Networking with founders and ecosystem participants

Who Should Attend?

• Startup founders and co-founders

• Scaleups and growing ventures

• Entrepreneurs and aspiring founders

• Researchers and innovators

• Startup ecosystem partners and supporters

Event Details

Date: Thursday 24 September 2026

Venue: Tech Central Innovation Hub (TCIH)

Address: Level 1, 477 Pitt Street, Haymarket

Time: 1:30pm - 3:30pm

Light lunch provided on arrival

By attending this event, you consent that you may be photographed and recorded on video. These photos and videos may be used for marketing and promotional purposes. If you have any concerns, please let the team know upon arrival.