Sydney, October 14, 2024 – INVNT, part of INVNT GROUP, the Brand Storytelling and experiential innovation agency has in partnership with SXSW Sydney® 2024 released their jam-packed four-day program for the Tech & Innovation-led Discovery Stage.
From Wednesday the 16th to Saturday the 19th of October, SXSW attendees will have the chance to witness over 100 trailblazers take on the Discovery Stage covering a dynamic mix of future-forward conversations covering topics from sports-tech to finance, seaweed to surfing innovations, sustainability, emerging startups, med-tech, and more, across 40 sessions. In signature INVNT style, each day will feature unique, immersive experiences, with exciting surprises to be revealed along the way.
Come join us for the INVNT x SXSW Sydney ‘Discovery Stage’ 2024 program:
DAY 1 – WEDNESDAY 16TH OCT
10:20 AM
Grand Opening of the Discovery Stage and Tech & Innovation Expo
Colin Daniels – Managing Director, SXSW Sydney
With special guests
10:45 AM
Stop Interrupting and Start Being The Entertainment
Jo Boundy – Chief Marketing Officer, CommBank
Tameka Yallop – Professional Footballer, CommBank Matilda
Narelda Jacobs OAM – Whadjuk Noongar Journalist and Presenter, Network 10
Partner Session presented by CommBank
11:15 AM
From Petri Dish to Planet Saver: Sea Forest’s Bold Journey Revolutionising Food Systems and Climate Action
Liana Rossi – Creative Consultant (Moderator)
Sam Elsom – Co-Founder & CEO, Sea Forest
11:45 AM
The Wave of Innovation: How Technology is Reshaping the Future of Surfing
Mitchell Tomlinson – Sports Commentator / Life Without Andy
Chloe Kojima – VP Global Communications, World Surf League
Connor O’Leary – Professional Surfer, Japanese Olympic Surf Team
James Miles – Head of Strategic Partnerships, URBNSURF
Sam McIntosh – CEO & Co-Founder, Stab
12:30 PM
Ageless & Unstoppable: Breaking Barriers in Women’s Health
Alexandra Isaac – Women’s Health Advocate, Hormone HQ (Moderator)
Dr Ceri Cashell – GP and Co-founder, Healthy Hormones
Michelle Bridges – Australian Personal Trainer and Author
Zoe Bingley-Pullin – Nutritionist, Chef, Presenter & Author
1:30 PM
What’s Next: Unlocking Infinite Futures Through Secrets of the Past
Jared Lock – Senior Marketing Manager, Aussie Broadband (Intro)
Daniel Flynn – Co-founder, Managing Director, Thankyou
Partner Session presented by Aussie Broadband
2:15 PM
Brand Love, Loss and Loyalty
Jamie Domenici – Chief Marketing Officer, Klaviyo (Moderator)
Athan Didaskalou – Founder, July
Mike Smith – Founder, ZeroCo
Partner Session presented by Klaviyo
3:00 PM
The Startup Sprint
Bronte Campbell – Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer & Co-Founder, Co-CEO Earthletica (Moderator)
With Special Guests
3:30 PM
AI and Creativity – Are We Entering a Creative Renaissance?
Rita Arrigo – Strategic Engagement Manager, National AI Centre (Moderator)
Desmond Ang – Director of Strategic Development, Creative Cloud, Adobe
Jessie Hughes – Senior Creative Technologist, Leonardo.ai
Oliver Bown – Associate Professor, UNSW
Eden Payne – Design Lead & Co-Founder, Kopi Su Studios
Partner Session presented by the National Artificial Intelligence Centre
4:15 PM
How Much Does the Internet Know About You?
Jordan Newnham – Executive Director, Corporate Affairs and Brand, CyberCX (Moderator)
Leah Pinto – Cyber Intelligence Lead, CyberCX / Cyber Team Lead on Hunted
Carter Smith – Senior Security Consultant, Security Testing and Assurance, CyberCX
Jay Banerji – Managing Investigator, Digital Forensic and Incident Response, CyberCX
DAY 2 – THURSDAY 17TH OCT
10:40 AM
When Storm Lions Rumble
An interactive experiential performance presented by Yunyu & The Newmarket Collective
11:00 AM
Electrifying Culture: Transforming Mobility Through Heritage, Connection, and Innovation
Scott Cullather – President & CEO, INVNT GROUP
Heath Walker – Director Marketing, General Motors
Partner Session presented by INVNT
11:30 AM
Getting Uncomfortable To Redefine Impact In Australia
Noah Yang – Founder & CEO, We Are Mobilise (Moderator)
Danielle Schutte – Chief Operating Officer, We Are Mobilise
James Ward – Co-Founder & Creative Director, Bursty / Co-Founder, Nedd’s Milk
Ben Vasiliou – Youth Projects CEO
Plus Special Guest
12:00 PM
Breaking Boundaries: How Innovation is Disrupting Culture and Media
Prithi Dey – Podcast Lead AUNZ, Spotify (Moderator)
Angela Stengel – Head of Digital Content & Innovation, ABC
Dagogo Altraide – Founder, ColdFusion
Daphne Berry – Podcast Host & Musician, Indie
Wendell Hussey – Journalist, Betoota Advocate
12:30 PM
Beyond the Screen: How Spatial Computing & The Industrial Metaverse is Reshaping Human Experience
Johan Polhem – Executive Director Immersive Tech, INVNT.ATOM
Oliver Weidlich – Founder & Director of Design & Innovation, Contxtual
1:30 PM
Olympic Excellence: How Data and Technology Propel Australia’s Swimming Success
Rianne van Veldhuizen – Managing Director Australia and New Zealand, AWS (Moderator)
Jenna Strauch – Olympic Silver Medalist, Swimming Australia
Jess Corones – General Manager of Performance Support and Olympic Campaign, Swimming Australia
Rohan Taylor – National Head Coach, Swimming Australia
Partner Session presented by AWS
2:15 PM
Beyond a trend: Sustainability is in Fashion For Good
Lottie Dalziel – Founder, Banish (Moderator)
Angela Winkle – Chief Sustainability and Strategy Officer, R.M. Williams
Rebecca Hard – Group Retail CEO, The Sussan Group
Laura Thompson – Gunditjmara, CEO & Co-Founder, Clothing The Gaps
Angie Farrugia – Director of Communications & Engagement, B Lab Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand
Partner Session presented by B Corp
3:00 PM
Shaping 2050: The Rise of Generation Alpha?
Mark McCrindle – Principal and Founder, Futurist & Generational Expert, McCrindle
Ashley Fell – Director of Advisory, Futurist & Generational Expert, McCrindle
3:30 PM
Curiosity as a Catalyst: How Partnerships Drive Innovation in Community Resilience
Samantha Selinger-Morris – Host of The Morning Edition, SMH & The Age (Moderator)
Michelle Klein – Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, IAG
Penny Harrison – Deputy CEO, Australian Red Cross
4:00 PM
The Great Debate: Australia Should Be A Leader In AI
Ange Lavoipierre – National Technology Reporter, ABC (Moderator)
Kristen Migliorini – Founder and CEO, KomplyAi
David McKeague – Co-Founder, Curious Thing AI
Erika Ly – Public Policy Manager, Tech Council of Australia
Nicholas Davis – Professor of Emerging Tech & Co-director of the Human Technology Institute (HTI), UTS
Jamie Van Leeuwen – Founder & CEO, Absolutely AI
Dr Kate Bower – Consumer Advocate
DAY 3 – FRIDAY 18TH OCT
10:40 AM
The Battle of the Prompts: Where Creativity Reigns Supreme
Stephanie Cholakyan – Senior APAC Creative Manager, Getty Images (Moderator)
Jeremy Mura – Creator, Brand and Web Designer, Mura Design Co
Johann Kruse – Director Strategic AI Partnerships, NVIDIA
Meredith Besseling – ATime&Place
Rupert Chesman – Creative Generalist, AI Consultant
11:15 AM
SpaceTech & AI: Pioneering More Sustainable Paths to Net-Zero
Flavia Tata Nardini – CEO & Co-Founder, Fleet Space Technologies
Partner Session presented by Fleet Space
12:00 PM
Creative Trends, Shaping Our World
Ben Cooper – Council Member, D&AD
12:15 PM
Design as a Product Superpower
Neil Griffiths – Managing Editor, Mumbrella | Host of ‘The Plug’ podcast (Moderator)
Andrew Green – Head Of Design, Canva
Partner Session presented by Canva
1:30 PM
Sell More In-store: How tech is enabling Future Sales Opportunities in Retail Media
Ben Dixon – Head of Retail Media & Partnerships, Qsic
Ben McMillan – Retail Media Strategist, Qsic
Partner Session presented by Qsic
2:15 PM
Capital Raising: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Steve Maarbani – CEO and Founder, VentureCrowd (Moderator)
Gretta van Riel – Founder, Hey Influencers
Kate Save – Founder & CEO, Be Fit Food
Troy Douglas – Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Goodness Group Global (Nexba)
Partner Session presented by VentureCrowd
3:00 PM
The Startup Sprint
Hon Stephen Dawson MLC – Minister for Innovation and the Digital Economy (Moderator)
With Special Guests
3:30 PM
Wombtunes: Turning Ultrasounds into Music
Dr Kirsten Banks – Astrophysicist and Science Communicator, Astro Kirsten (Moderator)
Caroline Pegram – Cybernetics Imagination Resident, School of Cybernetics, ANU
Lara Nakhle – Musician, Registered Music Therapist (RMT) and Disability Ambassador
Tushar Apte – Producer, Composer, Songwriter, Music Technologist
Adrian Schmidt – Creative Technologist, Kopi Su Studio
4:00 PM
AI is the Death of Creativity?
Sarah Carney – National Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft ANZ
Olivier Blais – Co-Founder & Head of Decision Science, Moov.ai
DAY 4 – SATURDAY 19TH OCT
10:40 AM
Stories in Pieces: Using Art to Heal Emotional Wounds
An interactive experience by In Pieces Together
11:00 AM
Game-Changing Innovation: The Pursuit of Inclusive Experiences
Florencia Aimo – VP of Marketing & Communications Australasia, Mastercard (Moderator)
Sonny Rennison – Australia’s First Wheelchair Ballkid
Emma Rennison – Author on Rare Diseases and Family Resilience
Russ Tucker – Executive Creative Director, TBWA / Eleven PR
11:30 AM
The Power of Humour: The Playbook for Turning Laughter into Loyalty
Bec Melrose – Award-Winning Writer & Comedian (Moderator)
Lucinda Barlow – CMO International, Uber
12:00 PM
Hackathon 2024 Winner presented by National AI Centre
With special guest
12:15 PM
Raising the Bar on Geospatial AI
Dr Michael Bewley – VP, AI and Computer Vision, Nearmap
Partner Session presented by Nearmap
1:30 PM
Going Under The Hood Of The UGC Gaming Revolution
Gareth Leeding – Chief Strategy Officer, Livewire
Inge Berman – Art Director, Lemonade Games
Marine Turner – Sydney Head of Strategy, EssenceMediacom
Sohan Karunaratne – Co-Founder & CEO, No Standing
2:00 PM
Invisible Money: How Technology can Help or Hinder the Next Generation
Yi-Hsia (Yish) Koh – Managing Director, KIT & x15ventures CommBank (Moderator)
Emily Heath – Director, Alchemy Labs
Wil Monte – Co-founder & CEO, Playlunch Games
Georgie Dent – Chief Executive Officer, The Parenthood
Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon – Financial Literacy Speaker, Columnist & Author, Nicole’s Smart Money
2:30 PM
How Tech Innovation and AI are helping to Cure Cancer
Nikki Kinloch – CEO, Cure Cancer
Dr Arutha Kulasinghe – Group Leader, University of Queensland
3:00PM
Future Forward: The Science All-Star Panel
Hosted by Alice Motion – Associate Professor and Deputy Head of School, School of Chemistry
With Special Guests
Expect bold perspectives and fresh voices to take the stage. The Discovery Stage is located at the Tech & Innovation expo from the 16th – 19th of October, INVNT will be bringing more emerging ideas, experiential moments, and world-first on-stage collaborations with the purpose of driving disruptive conversations, to shape and curate the future.
