Dickie Currer, Head of Partnerships and New Markets at The Startup Network, aspires to make Australia's tech and innovation ecosystem more competitive on the world stage. The DIF team had the pleasure of sitting down with Dickie before he wraps up his time with The Startup Network with last hurrah at the inaugural Future Horizons Festival. Dickie's insights remind us that the journey of entrepreneurship is as much about the adventure as it is about the destination. He shares his thoughts on Victoria's vibrant startup scene, exciting future trends and valuable advice for aspiring founders. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background? I'm originally from the North of England, though moved to Australia in 2015 and have called Melbourne home for most of that time. Travel has always been my north star, so I feel that I was always destined to be an expat. This hunger for adventure, which has taken me to 64 countries thus far, has also been an ever present in my career. Spending time working as an Immigration Lawyer and British Army Officer before finally falling into Partnerships and now the Startup world! During your two years at The Startup Network, what excited you most about Victoria's startup scene? The sense that we're on the verge of something huge! We've always been a country of innovators, though our startup ecosystem is still quite nascent and quite a way behind leading nations like the US, Israel and the UK. In spite of this, this some of our Founders are already solving global problems and building internationally scalable businesses'. This is forcing the ecosystem to start building the infrastructure so that it can catch up and keep supporting this growth. It's exciting for me to think that we're breaking new ground every day and there's still so much more to do. What gives you the greatest optimism regarding startups and entrepreneurs in Victoria? The people that I meet daily! Be that the Founders that show an incredible resilience and appetite for risk or the operators supporting them which are often just as passionate. I'm particularly enthused when I meet students or other young people that are just starting to explore entrepreneurship as an option. Inspiring the next generation of Founders and supporters is so integral to keeping our Victorian ecosystem growing! For aspiring startup founders, what advice and key considerations do you suggest as they grow into their role? I would say just to take stock and acknowledge the journey that you are about to undertake. Being a Founder isn't a job, it's a lifestyle and if you're not careful one that can lead to burnout, be really challenging on your mental and physical health and impact your relationships with those you care about most. It's an incredible undertaking and you should enjoy the highs and the lows, though make sure to do it safely. And make sure to build a strong support community around you! Can you share any emerging trends or areas of innovation that you believe will shape the future of startups in Victoria? I think less about technological advancements like AI and Quantum and more about the problems that need solving in our society. Be that the impending climate crisis, food and wealth inequality, the increase in cost of living and access to affordable housing, a lack of diversity in C-suite positions. These problems need innovators and Startups to solve them and will be front of mind for the generations to come. What role do you think collaboration and networking play in the growth and success of startups, especially in a region like Victoria? For me, it's one of the most important factors in a startup's success. As the old idiom goes, "it takes a village to build a Startup". Surrounding yourself with that supportive community both inside and outside of your business is so critical. We've got an active networking scene in the Victorian ecosystem, with a friendly and inclusive cast of people running it. I'd recommend anyone interested in any role within this world, to take the leap, show up and start becoming a part of the community. What has been your experience being part of the Digital Innovation Futures program over the last few years? I've had the pleasure of organising and hosting two showcase events as part of DIF and have been an attendee at plenty of other satellite events during the festival. I've loved working with the team and the energy that is in Victoria throughout the DIF programming. Events that bring together all the stakeholders of our ecosystem are so important for inspiring entrepreneurship and building community and I'm so grateful for the role that DIF has played in this. Dickie is also a founding member of The Growth Cartel, a community-driven podcast from which explores the many facets the entrepreneurial journey; successes, failures, insights and strategies. Tune in for more pearls of wisdom from Dickie and his team. You can also follow him on LinkedIn and subscribe to his newsletter ‘Startup Vagabond’.
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.