Each month, Insight by The Office Space invites three successful and inspiring entrepreneurs across various fields including commerce, design and technology to discuss the evolution of their business strategies and brand, under a common theme. Our 2017 program has bought you the best and brightest talent, live and up close, and you can watch some of our filmed episodes below. We are proud to have supported the Sydney Community Foundation Business Incubator program, putting one disadvantaged woman each month through an Advanced Module with tailored support and guidance for their own business venture.
February: The Business of Benefit Three purpose-driven individuals share their philosophies on harnessing positivity to create far-reaching outcomes across their communities of influence.
- Sally Hill, founder of experience company Wildwon Projects, and the driving force behind Purpose, an annual conference that champions positive business activation.
- Blake Beattie is a consultant of the award-winning agency Quest Worldwideand founder of international Pay it Forward Day, which has inspired over 10 million acts of kindness in 81 countries.
- Sophie Weldon is the 2016 Nexus Innovator of the Yearand founder of Humankind Enterprises, a social enterprise with a mission to connect people, one story at a time.
March: Women in Business Three outstanding women reveal how they navigate business, motherhood, and sisterhood:
- Jane Jose is CEO of the Sydney Community Foundation, Urbanist, Mentor, and Author of the award-winning book Places Women Make;
- Nicole Brown is of Commbank’s Women in Focus, a vibrant community of women doing extraordinary things, and is also on the board of the not-for-profit, Dress for Success Sydney, which supports women’s employability.
- Mandi Gunsberger is the founder and CEO of the popular parenting community Babyology, Australia’s largest digital media company for parents.
April: The Business of Brands Three brand mavericks explore the power of brand as a business entity and powerful, useful and valuable commodity.
- Nicole Hatherly, Head of Marketing at luk beautifood and former Senior Manager Digital Channel, CommBank;
- Nick Dunford, Head of Marketplace for Slingshot, a brand accelerator connecting startups with big corporates; and
- Monica Rosenfeld, director of Wordstorm PR and former A Current Affair producer.
May: The Film Business Three film industry heavyweights explore their career highlights and challenges, the inherent pull of Hollywood, the mechanics of the Australian film industry.
- Susie Porter, actor, Seven Degrees of Ambiguity, Love My Way, Two Hands);
- Brendan Fletcher, director, Mad Bastards, Oscar Wilde’s The Nightingale & The Rose, 900 Neighbours; and
- Jan Chapman, producer. Lantana, The Piano, The Last Days of Chez Nous.
https://youtu.be/ecpOg7kuSVY June: The Business of Words A stellar team of wordsmiths explore the power of words as a business tool, medium for communication, and catalyst for connection:
- Katrina Strickland: author (Affairs of the Art), celebrated editor of the Australian Financial Review magazine, and newly-appointed editor of Good Weekend;
- Simon Palan: former TV news journalist and anchor (ABC TV News), keynote speaker, media training expert, and video marketing entrepreneur (Refine Media);
- Georgina Safe: one of Australia’s most respected and sought-after writers with a strong background in fashion, lifestyle, design and culture.
July: The Business of Investment Our panel of experts kick off the new financial year with the intrigue and evolution of investment in today’s rapidly changing market
- Brendan Malone: COO, burgeoning investment app startup, Acorns Grow Australia;
- Mark Welch: Partner and Senior Advisor, Knowledgebank IQ, and 2UE radio regular;
- Sophie Andrews: CEO, The Accounts Studio; financial consultant, entrepreneur, business strategist and Author, The Creative Collection.
August: The Business of Design Our aesthetic panel are highly influential and instrumental in shaping Australia’s contemporary art and design identify:
- Dr Brandon Gien: CEO, Good Design Australia and Senator, World Design Organization;
- David Caon: Industrial designer and founder of Caon Studio; and
- Anne Maree Sargeant: Director, the Authentic Design Alliance and Co-founder new Sydney design festival DESIGN-MADE.
September: The Business of Community We called on three experts to explore how to create communities of influence in the real world, the rules of engagement in the digital world, and how to cultivate an effective culture in the workplace.
- Councillor Jess Scully – City of Sydney Deputy Chair of the Cultural and Creative Sub-Committee, Founding Curator of Vivid Ideas;
- Wiet Prium – Regional Director Quest Worldwide, Specialist in transforming business culture and performance through people;
- Stuart Chater – Digital Community Consultant, working across brands such as Coca Cola, ANZ Bank and Optus.
https://youtu.be/o2LsEiYRm4g Watch the full Facebook live stream here
October: The Business of Innovation Three chief innovators explore the science, the art, and the discipline of innovation.
- Paul Scott, CEO of 3wks and co-author of Beyond Agile, couples cutting-edge code and technology with ‘Beyond Agile’ methodology;
- Paige Talbot, Innovation Director at Commonwealth Bank, using Design Thinking and Experimentation methodologies solve key business challenges;
- Mitchell Filby, founder of First Rock Consulting, and 2017 juror for the NSW Business Chamber innovation awards.
Watch the Facebook Live Stream here
- Dr. Nick Chapman, Executive Director of Policy Cures Research, holds a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Medical Science and a Masters Degree in Human Rights. His extensive academic and practical experience position him as the countries “new voices” in international health policy.
- Dr. Fraser Drummond, Country Medical Director of ViiV Healthcare Australasia and Fellow of the Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine;
- Sam Makhoul, solicitor and founder of MSA National, author and keynote speaker on the importance of mental, emotional, spiritual and relational health.
As we use the next few months to plan out our 2018 program, we’d love to invite your input. Please drop us a line at info@theofficespace.com.au or complete this quick tick box of some suggested themes for 2018.
