From Founder to Leader: How to Scale Yourself as Your Company Grows | Founders Edge x Spark Festival

Have you ever looked at a founder and thought, “Wow, they’ve really got it together”? 🧠🌟💼

The truth is, every confident leader starts out as a scrappy hustler. This event dives into the personal growth journey every founder faces as their company evolves, because building a startup isn’t just about scaling the business, it’s about scaling yourself.

Join us for an intimate, high-energy evening designed to help founders reflect, reset, and refocus on what it really takes to lead for the long run. Expect honest stories, practical takeaways, and a room full of early-stage founders who get it.

This isn’t theory, it’s real talk from people who’ve been in the trenches. Come ready to share, learn, and walk away with the tools, mindset, and inspiration to grow as both a founder and a leader.

​​​Meet the Speakers

• Shelley Laslett, CEO & Co-Founder at Vitae Coach - Behavioual Neuroscientis, experienced tech advisor, mentor and facilitator helping founders lead with evidence-based practices.

• Timo Kluger, Co-Founder & CPO of Foodini - multi-exited founder, product leader and advisor who knows how to ship hard problems and scale teams and products.

• Lisa Cotton, Leadership Coach, Advisor & Mentor - Led the 140+ digital products team at Telstra, now coaching leaders to build humane, high-performing teams.

​​​Event details
5:30 pm – 6:00 pm | Arrival + Networking
6:00 pm – 6:05 pm | Welcome + Introduction
6:05 pm – 6:50 pm | Speaker Presentations
6:50 pm – 7:00 pm | Break – stretch, chat, refuel
7:00 pm – 7:25 pm | Panel Discussion + Q&A
7:25 pm – 7:30 pm | Wrap Up
7:30 pm – 8:00 pm | Networking Drinks

​​​What to expect?

• Navigating the Founder Rollercoaster - how to handle the emotional highs and lows of the journey

• The Role of Advisors & Mentors - finding guidance and learning from those who’ve been there

• Understanding Yourself - identifying your strengths, blind spots, and leadership style

• Finding Balance for Sustained Growth - avoiding burnout while staying ambitious

• Creating Support Systems - building a trusted network around you as you scale

About Founders Edge
At Founders Edge, we host regular startup events in Sydney to help founders • Learn • Connect • Grow • and give themselves the best chance of success.

We connect the dots for founders through hands-on workshops and inspiring, interactive sessions. By covering both hard and soft skills, we are building a community of well-rounded leaders, while providing the guidance, support, and insights they need to navigate challenges, avoid mistakes, and make the journey a little less lonely and a lot more fun.