Category: Featured

The sixth anticipated instalment of In Conversation with Change Makers features Murray Hurps, Director of Entrepreneurship at UTS, discussing the challenges for technology startups to obtain adequate means for success.

As the First Director of Entrepreneurship at UTS, Murray is passionate about Australian startups, and sees the biggest risk and opportunity for Australia to be the number of people launching scalable companies.  In addition to this, he has developed software used by over 100 million users, implemented the largest survey of Australia’s startup ecosystem, grown Australia’s largest network of startup hubs, designed and implemented Australia’s first data-focused accelerator program for Australia’s oldest company (Westpac). He is currently building the largest community of student-launched startups at UTS.

The UTS Entrepreneur program is an active part of the community and is committed to progressing thoughts, ideas, and beliefs within the university, and understanding the biggest challenges when it comes to depth and breadth of the startup landscape. Students are collaboration with industry, academics and the local startups ecosystem, offering students the opportunity to study entrepreneurship in a practical, immersive way.

The highly anticipated fifth instalment of In Conversation with Change Makers features Cultural Infusion’s Michael Walmsley, Chief Experience Officer, and CEO and Founder Peter Mousaferiadis, discussing global harmony through intercultural understanding and action, as well as full transparency in goals and achievements for the future of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

For nearly two decades, Cultural Infusion has established an impressive track record promoting intercultural understanding worldwide. Founded in 2002, Peter “always wanted to bring people together, always wanting to build cohesion through the arts, always trying to tell a story that we’re all connected”. One of the ways of doing this was through the creation of Diversity Atlas, a data-driven analytics platform measuring cultural and demographic diversity.

According to the United Nations, three-quarters of the world’s major conflicts have a cultural dimension. Bridging the gap between cultures has become urgent and necessary for peace, stability and development, and we will only be able to face challenges and change together when we are able to coexist and work in harmony, which is exactly what Chief Experience Officer Peter Mousaferidis plans to do Cultural Infusion and Diversity Atlas.

The fourth instalment of In Conversation with Change Makers features Karin Verspoor, Executive Dean of Computing Technologies at RMIT, discussing the importance of diversity, ethics and effectiveness of AI in health, and the complications surrounding the digital healthcare sector.

At RMIT, Dean Karin Verspoor is responsible for providing academic leadership for all aspects of computer science research and education. As a computer scientist by training, with an emphasis on artificial intelligence and cognitive science, as well as language representation and processing in the biomedical domain, she investigates some of the challenges of AI when it comes to healthcare, including the lack of diversity and inclusion.

One of the biggest concerns surrounding the use of AI and conducting healthcare studies is representation, as well as privacy concerns about data, and how the digitisation of treatment benefits both healthcare practitioners and patients. “Ensuring we respect the privacy of the data, as AI algorithms are hungry for data. We can’t bring together large data sets unless we have the mechanisms to do so”, says Karin. She also adds that “there are efforts to bring data across multiple sources, but we’re not quite there yet”. Coming off the Pandemic, she can’t wait to see what the future of education will look like, as well as redesigning the student experience.

The highly anticipated second instalment of In Conversation with Change Makers features NSW Government Department of Customer Service Chief Data Scientist, Ian Oppermann, and Co-Founder & Director of Counterparts Technology, Matt Wynn-Jones, discussing data security and AI transparency during a pandemic.

The NSW Government’s Department of Customer Service aim to deliver excellence in customer service, digital leadership and innovation in government services, and safe and secure markets. They help establish the customer at the centre of all programs and initiatives across the NSW Government, deliver a more consistent and efficient digital experience with government, and use data and behavioural insights to drive customer service improvements for the people of NSW.

Counterparts Technology are pushing boundaries as technology consultants and procurement specialists. From public, private to hybrid cloud services, data networking, phones, video and unified communications, through to IT security, bespoke software development, fully managed IT services & support, and easy hardware procurement and software licensing, Counterparts work with organisations on security, data centre optimisation, and workplace enablement.

The very first edition of In Conversation with Change Makers features Publisher Corrie McLeod and Editorial Director James Riley from the tech and innovation focussed publication InnovationAus, who will be discussing government policy driving innovation in Australia.

InnovationAus is an independent publication that reports on government policy as it affects technology-based innovation across the nation’s growth industries. From mining and agriculture to financial services, MedTech, cyber security and advanced manufacturing, the journalism focuses on the opportunities that align with Australia’s strategic priorities and connects government, institutional researchers, investors, entrepreneurs and the mainstream business community.

InnovationAus’ goal is to galvanise new thinking and encourage new action in building on Australia’s economy in transition.​ Through their publication, targeted industry forums, high-level roundtables and bespoke content and events, InnovationAus provide information and insight on the application of new technology toward continued national prosperity. They provide independent and trusted information to its readers and is considered the record of choice for decision makers from government, industry and research sectors.