Speaking Under Pressure: How Founders and Leaders Communicate with Confidence When It Matters Most

COME FOR LUNCH AND LEARN HOW TO SPEAK WITH CONFIDENCE WHEN THE STAKES ARE HIGH

Whether you are pitching investors, presenting to customers, leading a team meeting, speaking at an industry event or delivering a board update, your ability to communicate confidently can influence how your ideas are received and remembered.

Even experienced founders and leaders can struggle with nerves when the stakes are high. In this practical and engaging session, Richie Widjaja explores why public speaking feels uncomfortable for so many capable professionals and shares proven techniques to communicate with greater confidence, clarity and presence.

Drawing on executive leadership experience, extensive presentation work and professional acting training, Richie provides practical tools that attendees can apply immediately before their next presentation, pitch, meeting or high pressure conversation.

Attendees will learn:

• Why nervousness is a normal human response and how to work with it rather than fight it

• How to eliminate common habits that unintentionally undermine confidence and credibility

• Practical techniques to project confidence, strengthen executive presence and keep audiences engaged

• A simple framework for speaking naturally without memorising scripts

• Performance techniques used by professional actors to stay composed under pressure

• How to communicate clearly and persuasively during pitches, presentations, interviews and important conversations

This session is designed for founders, startup teams, executives, board members and emerging leaders who want to communicate with greater confidence and increase their credibility, influence and impact.

ABOUT RICHIE WIDJAJA
Richie Widjaja BCom CA FCSI GAICD is the Managing Director of Inveniax Group, where he helps organisations leverage data, digital and technology to improve business performance. With more than 20 years of leadership experience across financial services, technology and analytics, Richie has presented to audiences ranging from team members and customers to senior executives and boards. A former Toastmasters Area Director and NIDA trained actor, he combines business leadership, public speaking and performance techniques to help professionals communicate with confidence when it matters most.

ABOUT THE EXECUTIVE CENTRE

The Executive Centre is a premium workspace provider founded in Hong Kong in 1994. It operates over 260 centres across 38 cities and 15 markets, including Greater China, Southeast Asia, North Asia, India, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, and Australia.

ABOUT SPARK FOUNDATION

This event is part of the Spark Festival 2026 delivered by the Spark Foundation, a charity that brings together Australia’s largest community of entrepreneurs: over 40,000 Australian founders, investors, policymakers, unis and supporters of our startup ecosystem. Home of the Spark Festival since 2016, the Spark Foundation is a grassroots collective dedicated to strengthening and connecting Australia's startup ecosystem.