The Startup Network team celebrating their final Pitch Night of 2023 at MCEC.  

Left to right: Desmond John (Membership Manager), Dickie Currer (Head of Partnerships & New Markets), Vicki Stirling (CEO), Steph Hall (Head of Programs), Ryan Burns (Head of Community). Image: provided by The Startup Network 

The Start Up Network is ready to kick off a massive line up of tech events for budding entrepreneurs this year. 

The sector hit the ground running with over 150 bright sparks attending the AUNZ Startup Growth Summit exploring lessons about scaling Australian unicorns and the role AI will play in the coming year.  

Future entrepreneurs are also gearing up for a big year. Australia's leading university startup accelerator is even hosting their MAP Founder Drop-in sessions until the end of Jan in the lead up to their Info Night on 1 Feb.  

But the BIG news is that The Startup Network kicks off the techfest calendar with their Future Horizons Festival. This is sure to become a game-changer in the tech and startup world and we’re so excited its home grown in Melbourne. A stellar line up from brands Culture Amp, Canva and TikTok and a host of creative technologists, investors and industry leaders looking to drive the future, not just be a passenger. Then, get on the dancefloor and network in new ways – it is festival season after all.  

Inside the Future Horizons Festival

Image: taken from Dickie Currer's LinkedIn.

To get the inside story on this new festival, the DIF team sat down with Dickie Currer, Head of Partnerships & New Markets at The Startup Network. 

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind organising the Future Horizons Festival? 

The inspiration for Future Horizons came while we were planning an end-of-year party. The team had the brainwave of scrapping our plans to squeeze another event into an already packed calendar within our ecosystem, so we opted for a 'Start of Year' party, so that we could kick 2024 off with a bang! With that in mind, there was no better theme than ‘Future Thinking’. 

How do you anticipate the festival will benefit both aspiring entrepreneurs and established professionals in the tech and startup space? 

We're confident that there is content that will appeal to everyone within the Tech and Innovation ecosystem. Aspiring and Early Stage Founders will be inspired by the insights of people who have been there and done it before, and more established members of the Startup community will have the chance to learn from their peers and contribute to the conversation. 

The festival includes a diverse range of speakers. How important is diversity and inclusion in shaping the discussions at the Future Horizons Festival? 

Diversity and Inclusion is one of our core tenets at the Startup Network, so it was really important when putting together the Future Horizons. It's a responsibility that we have as thought leaders in our ecosystem to make sure that equal voices are heard and that people feel part of an inclusive community. 

The list of speakers from Festival Horizons Festival’s Day Program includes 

• Douglas English, Co-Founder & CTO of Culture Amp on the future of teams 

• A hand-selected panel of Australia’s most creative technologists including Konrad Spilva of Shadowboxer, Andy Lee of WilderWorld & Nicole Gibson of Love Out Loud. 

• Simone Attanasio, Group Design Lead at Canva. 

• Rachel Yang from Giant Leap, Tracey Warren of F5 Collective and Rachel Nuemann of Flying Fox Ventures. 

• Anthony Dever, Head of Brand & Creative Consultancy at TikTok  

Can you provide details about any interactive or networking opportunities that attendees can participate in during the festival to enhance their experience and connect with the speakers and other attendees? 

We have plenty of opportunities for attendees to connect. During our day session, we're hosting a lunch where festivalgoers can come together and talk shop. There'll also be a virtual platform to help get to know who is in the room pre, during and post-event. The night is all about relationship building in a different way, as we hit the dance floor for a good old-fashioned party. 

Personally, what are you most looking forward to experiencing at the festival? 

I personally can't wait for the debate! We have a highly talented panel of Investors who will be discussing the solutions that solve the gender funding gap present in our Startup ecosystem. It's such an important topic to highlight, and I love the format, so it definitely isn't one to miss. 

Finally, could you share any exciting plans or developments for the Startup Network or other events in the works? 

We've got a busy year ahead, with a huge National events program to boot. We'll be kicking off our pitching program in Melbourne with the Australian National Final of the Entrepreneurship World Cup before we hit the road for events outside of Victoria. We're also adding new programs to our existing repertoire and re-launching our successful scale-up cohorts. So, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for updates! 

With its focus on future thinking, diversity, and inclusive discussions, the Future Horizons Festival is not just an event but a platform for inspiration, learning, and networking. Head here for more information about the event, its speakers and ticketing information.