2025 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
〰️
2025 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS 〰️
Em. Prof. Roy Green AM is leading a major review of the Federal government’s Energy Industry Jobs Plan for the Net Zero Economy Authority. He chairs the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Hub, serves on the CSIRO board and recently completed his 7-year term as Chair of Port of Newcastle.
A purpose-driven founder, Vu Tran co-founded edtech unicorn Go1. Now with Black Sky Industries, he's building Australia's sovereign defence capability, driven by a mission to create things that matter.
MC James O'Loghlin—comedian & New Inventors host—is making innovation fun. He'll wrangle the geniuses and serve up big ideas with a healthy dose of laughter. It's innovation, but funnier.
How can nanotechnology find disease early? NanoBiotech leader Dr. Renee Goreham unveils her revolutionary nanosensors. See how this pioneering work is shaping the future of non-invasive diagnostics.
Allegro Energy's Prof. Thomas Nann pioneers the new microemulsion flow battery for long-duration storage. This breakthrough tech is key to advancing renewables and combating climate change.
2025 Festival Speakers ~
2025 Festival Speakers ~
Yasmin Catley is the Minister for Police and Counter-Terrorism, Minister for the Hunter and Member for Swansea.
Emily Suvaal is a Member of the Legislative Council and Parliamentary Secretary for Trade and Small Business.
Dr Ross Kerridge became the 15th Lord Mayor of Newcastle in October 2024.
We are delighted to have Sarah Kelly join us with Matt Syron from the Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council, who will conduct the Festivals Welcome to Country.
Matt Syron from the Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council, who will conduct the Festivals Welcome to Country, his message emphasises the importance of building trust and understanding to advance reconciliation. Matt is also a former rifleman with the Australian Army.
Alex is passionate leader whose experience includes recruitment, start-ups, for-purpose organisations, and stonemasonry.
Zara Crichton is a global innovation leader who transforms ideas into valuable assets. She architects ventures and builds ecosystems for commercial success.
Renuka Rambhatla, Co-Founder and Chief Compliance Officer at Metakosmos leads regulatory, medical, and quality frameworks for next-generation space technologies.
Bret is a 42-year Defence sector veteran, now shaping Australia’s industry through senior leadership and advisory roles across Hunter Defence, HunterNet, the University of Newcastle, and Hunter IF.
Dr Jessica Allen is currently leading the Electrochemical Engineering Laboratory at the University of Newcastle within the Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources. Dr Allen is a Senior Lecturer in chemical engineering, 2021 Australian Research Council DECRA and current TRaCE Academic Enterprise Fellow.
Susan Conway MacDonald is a Senior Project Officer at the Hunter Joint Organisation.
Greg is the CFO at NRN - National Renewable Network. NRN is building a platform for distributed energy through an innovative approach that removes the upfront costs associated with installing solar and storage solutions.
Pippa Smith is the Founder of Social Startup Labs, a specialist agency that helps launch new brands, products, and investment campaigns across Australia, and the UK.
James MacDonald is the founder of NewyTechPeople, a community-driven recruitment agency expanding across the East Coast of Australia.
Claire is the Founder of Launchpad9, a boutique consultancy that exists to inspire and empower innovation that matters in established organisations that want to find more effective and efficient ways of achieving results and staying relevant.
Brandon is the Founder and Chair of Good Design Australia, Chair of the Australian Good Design Awards, and Executive Director of the Australian Design Council. He has spent the past 25 years passionately advocating for the value of good design to improve our social, economic, cultural and environmental quality of life.
Justin Bain is the CEO of 3ME Technology. 3ME Technology’s vision is to be Australia’s leading off-highway electrification company and to make a substantive impact in Australia’s energy transition and national security.
Brett Thomas is a Director and COO at The Melt. The Melt provides a trusted and experienced hand for hardware startups to prove, prototype, pilot and produce. In addition to offering access to the prototyping facilities and technical specialists, they deploy capital through the early stage VC fund, Melt Ventures.
Clare Larkin-Sykes is Co-Lead of New.E – the Hunter New Energy Cluster and Managing Director of Forelight Advisory. She is a strong collaborator and advocate of future resource and energy industries including the symbiosis of clean technology solutions to traditional processes and value chains.
Benji Prawer is the COO of PlasmaLeap Technologies. PlasmaLeap Technologies designs, manufactures and distributes the world's most advanced zero-emissions chemical reactors for hard to abate industries.
Linc Horton is the CEO of Newcastle Airport, leading the organisation through a critical growth phase with the launch of the new international terminal and the development of the Astra Aerolab precinct.
Chris Shaw is the CEO and co-founder of Advanced Navigation, a navigation and autonomous systems technology company.
Em. Prof. Roy Green AM is leading a major review of the Federal government’s Energy Industry Jobs Plan for the Net Zero Economy Authority. He chairs the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Hub, serves on the CSIRO board and recently completed his 7-year term as Chair of Port of Newcastle.
A purpose-driven founder, Vu Tran co-founded edtech unicorn Go1. Now with Black Sky Industries, he's building Australia's sovereign defence capability, driven by a mission to create things that matter.
John Fry is the Managing Director of Kongsberg Defence Australia, based in Canberra. Since taking on the role in 2019, he has led the establishment and growth of Kongsberg’s operations in Australia, overseeing the local manufacture and integration of key defence capabilities including NASAMS Ground Based Air Defence, Protected Mobile Fires, and the Naval Strike Missile.
Alex is the Hardware Engineering & Manufacturing Manager at Pitcrew AI, where he leads the design and industrialisation of cutting-edge inspection systems for the mining sector. At Pitcrew AI, he is driving the company’s expansion into global markets and building a scalable, locally-led manufacturing strategy that brings advanced technology from prototype to production.
Resourceful Living’s Jess Hodge is a leader in the recycling and remanufacture of plastic. Through tireless innovation and a commitment to pushing the boundaries of material science, Jess and the Resourceful Living team developed a superior, sustainable material that empowers architects and designers to create projects without compromise.
Sam Mella is a Senior Project Manager for Beyond Zero Emissions and a well-known commentator on the subject of cleantech, innovation and zero emissions in the Hunter Valley.
MGA Thermal’s Erich Kisi co-invented the patented Miscibility Gap Alloy (MGA) thermal energy storage materials with 10 years of development experience in the field. This breakthrough tech is key to decarbonising hard to abate sectors such as industrial heating.
MC James O'Loghlin—comedian & New Inventors host—is making innovation fun. He'll wrangle the geniuses and serve up big ideas with a healthy dose of laughter. It's innovation, but funnier.
2025 Pew! Pew! Pew! Speakers
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2025 Pew! Pew! Pew! Speakers 〰️
Kylie is a regenerative farmer, storyteller, and creative force who went from 10 backyard hens in Ireland to building an award-winning regenerative farm supplying Michelin-star chefs and exporting eggs to Dubai.
Claire Chaikin-Bryan is the Fab Lab Lead at Lake Macquarie City Council. She is a qualified Town Planner, Civil and Environmental Engineer and Fab Academy Instructor with a background in smart cities, construction, visual arts, digital engineering, coding and electronics.
Yves Nzuzi-Khuabi is a project delivery leader with 18+ years’ experience driving large-scale transformation across energy, utilities, and technology. He is the Founder of EV Ecosystem Technologies, developing innovative platforms in the electric vehicle and hydrogen sectors.
Guido Toepfer is supporting the sustainability transformation as Entrepreneur, Investor, Advisor, and Mentor because sustainability is good for business, too.
Kara Sullivan is the Founder of Guts Creative, an award-winning branding agency based in Newcastle. We help David’s beat Goliath. No guts, no glory.
With over 20 years leading transformation across ICT, SaaS, and emerging technologies, Diana specialises in scaling organisations through strategic advisory, operational excellence, and purpose-led leadership. She connects people, products, and platforms to unlock sustainable growth and measurable ROI locally and globally.
Darryl Brock is a dual-trades professional (motor mechanic and boilermaker/pressure welder) and director of several ventures driving innovation in sustainability and safety. He leads Australian Hydrogen Conversions (achieving 53% fuel and emissions reduction on heavy vehicles), Toronto Vapour Blasting (carbon capture and recycling), and is the inventor of the BrockLoc Aquatic Safety Device.
Oliver is the Co-Founder and Technical Lead Engineer at Grolia. Grolia makes it easy and exciting to grow fresh food. Their first product is Flush, an automated mushroom grower giving access to rare gourmet varieties at home.
Rachel Sperinck, Auslan interpreter and founder of PAH! App, is on a mission to ensure the Deaf Community never has to choose between access and opportunity. Quick, easy, empowering… PAH! allows users to book interpreters in minutes instead of days.
Alex is the CEO and Co-Founder of JasperNode. JasperNode is an AI software developed here at Hunter Region. It enables manufacturing staff to communicate with machines using plain English, helping companies overcome skill shortages and boost innovation on the factory floor.
Melissa Rebbeck is the Business Development lead at Metamorf Engineering and the Chair of the Australia and NZ Biochar Industry Group (ANZBIG).
A specialist medical doctor, Liz has created an accessible, co-designed healthcare hub. Elevating equity whilst providing excellence in care.
Tanja Ghahraman is passionate about innovation, sustainability, and building connections that accelerate renewable energy and spark positive change.
Dr Nathaniel Bavinton is an Associate Director at Urbis, and an urban sociologist and city strategist with 20 years’ experience researching, planning and implementing urban and social innovation. Nathaniel serves as Deputy Chair of Hunter iF, where he guides strategy and the ecosystem data initiative.
2025 Startup Alley Founders
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2025 Startup Alley Founders 〰️
newave is a sustainable cosmetics start up, founded by Tiffany and Hugh Perrottet. newave's clean formulations mean no petroleum-based ingredients and packaging is made from certified compostable polymer (not petroleum-based plastics).
Duncan Burck is the CEO and Founder of projectJanus. projectJanus is a tech solution that is helping industry and government unlock unrealised value from their sponsored and supported education outreach programs.
Cheryl Pollock is the CEO and Founder of ChezLeon. ChezLeon is an Australian health tech company pioneering DP-Tx, a patented differential pressure activated technology integrated into wearable garments. Designed to support lymphatic drainage and reduce swelling, their garments service post-surgical recovery, injury, scaring and perfusion.
Marni Armani is the CEO and Founder of KanKosh. KanKosh is a global B2B matchmaking platform for the mining and energy industries, connecting projects with investors, partners, and suppliers.
Alex Sharikov is the CEO and Co-Founder of JasperX.
JasperX is an AI software developed here at Hunter Region. It enables manufacturing staff to communicate with machines using plain English, helping companies overcome skill shortages and boost innovation on the factory floor.
Fiona Sutherland is the Founder of Fibre Boats. Fibre Boats is an Australian company dedicated to designing and building innovative, sustainable waterborne transport solutions. By integrating hydrofoil technology to lift the hull above water, we significantly reduce drag and friction—cutting energy consumption by up to 80% compared to traditional vessels. This approach redefines what’s possible in marine mobility, offering faster, more efficient, and environmentally responsible alternatives.
Jess Hodge is the CEO and Co-Founder of Resourceful Living, an Australian based recycled plastic manufacturer.
Jess is a leader in the recycling and remanufacture of plastic. She embraced the task of turning discarded plastics into high-performance, aesthetically pleasing furniture and building materials. Through tireless innovation and a commitment to pushing the boundaries of material science, Jess and the Resourceful Living team developed a superior, sustainable material that empowers architects and designers to create projects without compromise.
Melissa Rebbeck is the Business Development lead at Metamorf Engineering and the Chair of the Australia and NZ Biochar Industry Group (ANZBIG).
ANZBIG has a roadmap that aims to produce approximately $7 billion dollars per annum of biochar, remove 30 million metric tonnes annually of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent equal to $3.5 Billion dollars in carbon revenue, produce 300 million Gj of energy worth $16.5 Million dollars per annum, provide at least $3 billion pa in Agricultural productivity gains by using biochar, including recycling and increasing soil carbon, reducing N oxide and methane emissions with at least $32 Million pa in additional water savings.
Rachel Sperinck, Auslan interpreter and founder of PAH! App, is on a mission to ensure the Deaf Community never has to choose between access and opportunity.
Quick, easy, empowering… PAH! allows users to book interpreters in minutes instead of days.
Storm is the Founder of ByStorm Beauty.
The beauty industry has spent decades innovating everything except accessibility — and ByStorm Beauty is changing that. ByStorm Beauty is a simple, scalable solution to an obvious problem no one bothered to fix: making beauty work for people with disabilities.
Oliver is the Co-Founder and Technical Lead Engineer at Grolia. Grolia makes it easy and exciting to grow fresh food. Their first product is Flush, an automated mushroom grower giving access to rare gourmet varieties at home.
2025 REGIONAL ROADSHOW SPEAKERS ~
2025 REGIONAL ROADSHOW SPEAKERS ~
Leading a small, but highly effective team, at the Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association (HVWTA), a not-for-profit, membership-based organisation and peak industry body for destination marketing and increasing visitation to Hunter Valley Wine Country.
Executive Officer at Hunter iF, where he leverages over two decades of marketing and strategy consulting experience to champion innovation and drive regional prosperity across the Greater Newcastle and Hunter areas.
Innovation, Strategy and Change Specialist | Consultant & Founder | Board Director | Workplace Diversity Advocate | Regional Development Advocate | Speaker | Facilitator
Founder of LIVMEDIA and The Collaboration Club. Over 20 years in media and communications, specializing in regional storytelling, marketing, and community engagement.
Alisdair Tulloch is Vineyard & Operations Manager at Keith Tulloch Wine & co-owner of Aeon Wines.
As a Creative Partner at Canvas Group, Jorge has over 20 years of experience in graphic and digital design, advertising, and communications.
Caroline is a collaborative leader committed to delivering positive outcomes for local communities, with a strong focus on both economic development and tourism in regional areas. Her career demonstrates a clear passion for fostering local business and a community-minded approach, as highlighted by her volunteer roles.

