Our Mentors

Founder of Academy of Entrepreneurs

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Paula is a global citizen; born in Brazil, raised in South Africa, Mexico and Australia. She started her first social enterprise project when she was 9 and has been an entrepreneur since then. 👩‍💻✨Paula engages, educates and empowers the audience to think disruptively, in a way that they can turn problems into business opportunities that creates social impact. 🎓🚀 Paula is the founder of the Academy of Entrepreneurs where we empower students from 100+ nationalities with entrepreneurial skills & network to set up, launch and scale businesses both in Australia and around the world. 🌎

Dimity, the founder of Wasabi Labs. Originally hailing from Brisbane, Australia, she’s a passionate and entrepreneurial woman. Her interests include traveling, creating art, and drinking coffee.

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Her professional journey began in Digital Marketing, working for various agencies. However, she soon recognized that the skills she was using to benefit other businesses could be applied to my own ventures. This realization prompted her to embark on the journey of entrepreneurship. Today, through Wasabi Labs, she’s dedicated to crafting digital products with purpose, aiming to create a positive impact within our community.

Tech & App Serial Entrepreneur and Google Certified Teacher

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Founder of DevAcademy and a Google Certified Trainer, is a tech education visionary with a MasterTech designation. He's renowned for developing courses for Facebook and holds a Master's in Information Technology Management, combining technical expertise with strategic insight, making him a standout figure in the tech industry poised to drive innovation and success.

A marketing expert and life/executive coach, specializing in facilitating change processes using tools such as Human Design, emotional intelligence, NLP, and mindfulness. Also, a mentor for purpose and productivity, international speaker, and digital business entrepreneur.

Crypto Expert and Serial Entrepreneur

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Having had an extensive career in Web 1.0 and 2.0. Facilitating the growth of startups such as Groupon and Mindbody. Adam turned his attention to Artificial Intelligence in buildings to reduce emergency consumption through the use of data. Working with one of the founders of Atlassian. Having seen the emerging applications of Crypto and Web 3.0, along with buying his first bitcoin at $4 in 2011, Adam diverted his attention to the application of smart contracts and blockchain to verify transactions of physical assets leveraging blockchain technology to verify ownership. He has been a full time day trader for 9 months, using the capital gained to finance his start up bridging the gap between the instance of the internet we know today, and the roadmap of technology for the next 5 years.

International Partnership Expert and Startup Mentor

Serial Entrepreneur, Lawyer, Migration Agent and Business Advisor

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Edward Miller is a NSW Solicitor and Registered Australian Migration Agent (MARN: 1463421). He is also a mentor at Academy of Entrepreneurs and a serial entrepreneur. He's the Owner & Managing Director at Study Choice Australia and the Owner & Founder at Miller & Co Lawyers & Migration Agents.

Co-Founder, CEO, and Social Entrepreneur

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Co/founder of crowdfunding platform StartSomeGood, giving circle app Good Mob, Australian Changemakers Festival, Vibewire Youth Inc and the Black Rock City Farmers Market, and first Social Media Director at Ashoka: Innovators for the Public. Tom's commitment to social entrepreneurship in the digital space is something that is hard to duplicate. He is constantly listening, collaborating and broadcasting. And not only does he have a great personality online, he is even more passionate in person.

Crowdfunding Coach and Learning Programs Manager

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Ayush works at the intersection of entrepreneurship and social change as a Crowdfunding Coach at StartSomeGood, where he empowers and supports social entrepreneurs making a difference in their community. In his previous roles at SPARK Deakin in Melbourne and Techstars in Bangalore, he helped run an accelerator program and helped over 30 early stage startups with their growth. Ayush has lived, studied and worked in major international cities such as Singapore, Dubai, and Sydney. He has also worked on projects with multinational corporations to startups such as the Woolworths Group, Lowe Lintas Group, State Bank of India, and Social Change Central. He is also a key projects manager at his family business of quick service restaurants.

Serial Entrepreneur and Investor

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Forever known as 'the ideas man', a jack of all trades, the 'doer'. Driven by innovation, technology, entrepreneurship, sustainability and a growth mindset, Ben is deeply passionate about business, property, start-ups and collaborating with like-minded people and companies, and developing fresh and innovative solutions. Ben has spent 15+ years working with and building his own businesses and startups within the property, technology, artificial intelligence, eCommerce, and retail sectors. ​ His early career began in sales, and has held various national sales/partnership and operation roles which provided him with a baseline of on-the-ground experience, opportunities, and networks. From starting his first business at 18, there have been plenty of failures and successes across many industries, Ben now specializes in 'startup' business operations, strategy, sales and management — nurturing his various businesses and collaborating with new ventures across many industries.

Serial Entrepreneur and Investor

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Thaio Tomazetti, 41 years old, Brazilian businessman with a history of success abroad. Born in São Paulo, he grew up in the traditional Moóca neighborhood and demonstrated his passion for business from an early age. At the age of 16 he took his first steps into entrepreneurship with a startup in the party industry. During college, he opened a successful human resources company. One day, stuck in traffic on Marginal Tietê and tired of the routine of the country's largest metropolis, he felt it was time for new challenges. So, he sold his company and, in 2006, he left for Australia with a suitcase full of dreams. Without speaking a word of English, the challenges upon arriving were many. In his first few months in Sydney, he got a job as a Marketing Manager at an English school. “But how are you going to be a Marketing Manager and sell the courses if you don’t speak the local language?” asked the school owner. A salesman by nature, Thaio convinced him that he could achieve the proposed objectives and offered to work without pay for a test period. The owner of the school, who is a friend of Thaio to this day, was surprised by the numbers achieved and hired him in the first month. In the following months, he continued to stand out, bringing results never seen before. Experiencing the daily lives of international students on a daily basis, at a time when technology was in its infancy, combined with his personal experience of arriving in the country and not having a “home”, Thaio saw an opportunity in the accommodation sector. It was then that, still in his first year in Australia, he transformed his need - and that of thousands of other immigrants - to have housing when arriving on the other side of the world into one of the largest accommodation companies for international students: 2Stay Accommodation . Currently, 2Stay offers various types of accommodation, operating in Australia's largest cities and with more than 700 partners around the world, including the largest Australian English schools and exchange agencies. Thaio estimates that he has helped more than 40,000 students over his fifteen years in business, having recently offered free accommodation in partnership with the Government to hundreds of students impacted by the pandemic. In addition to his outstanding career, Thaio is also known in the Brazilian community for his altruism, participating in numerous projects in favor of others. Always positive, he gives his best in everything he does and is remembered for his commitment and contagious energy. Today, Thaio assumes his position as one of the most recognized Brazilian businesspeople in Australia, having already received awards such as “Company of the Year - 2018” by the Australia Brazil Business Council and “Business of Year - 2021” by the New Wales State Business Department of the South. But his legacy goes far beyond the business world. His true legacy will be his dedication of body and soul to the good of an individual, a community and, above all, an inspiration to believe in dreams. After all, the impossible only exists until you accomplish it.

Serial Enterpreneur and Founder of Silicom Valley

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An analytical, innovative, passionate and results-driven sales & marketing executive with 17+ years of management experience across multiple regions. Proven record executing successful Go-To-Market campaigns, driving Services strategies and maximizing business growth and opportunities. Diverse responsibilities including managerial, visionary leadership and technical account positions managing large portfolios and teams in highly competitive markets. Excellent communication skills, exceptional mentor and coach.

Serial Hospitality & Entertainment Entrepreneur

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Born and raised in Mexico,, with a passion for Latin American culture, Hector has consulted for and operated over 15 food businesses over the last 10 years. From the most iconic Spanish/Cuban restaurant in Florida to the busiest bar in Barcelona, Hector has experienced every aspect of the hospitality industry and excels at driving more efficient, profitable operations. In 2018, he successfully sold the cafe portion of his business Ola Lola and successfully grew the remaining catering and events operations over 300% in less than two years. Since then he has consulted for a number of venues here in Sydney including Tequila Mockingbird, Esteban, Gami and The Pacific Club and run in house food service operations for startups like Airtasker.

Global Emotional Intelligence Coach, Speaker and Entrepreneur

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Ush Dhanak is one of Australia’s leading experts on emotional intelligence, EQ coach and trainer and a popular keynote speaker at events around the world. She’s the founder and CEO of Emotional Quotient (EQ) Academy, the online hub for emotional intelligence courses, workshops EQ resources in Australia. Ush’s point of difference is using Neuroleadership and EQ to help leaders uncover their true potential. It’s about understanding the brain and using science-based methods to rewire it and create new ways of working and thinking. Born in the UK, Ush is a lawyer and barrister by trade. After moving to Sydney 16 years ago, she worked as a lawyer for top-tier law firms, and then moved into Head of HR roles. Around this time, Ush developed a keen interest in emotional intelligence, and began studying and reading about its impact. She studied it at a time when no one was really talking about it. So, Ush decided to pursue it as a career, and saw fantastic results in the people she coached. Today, Ush coaches leaders and runs workshops for organisations that recognise the value of offering emotional intelligence training to their people. Her practice has evolved to include training for dental practices, education and schools and human resources – under the EQ Academy.

HR & Culture Leader and Entrepreneur

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10+ years’ HR experience across Recruitment, Talent strategy, Learning and Leadership development. Having worked across the Financial and Professional services industries and more recently advising Founders and working with StartUps; Linda has developed successful talent strategies, redesigned the onboarding process for PwC Australia and induction program for KPMG Australia, as well as Headed up Talent and Leadership development for KPMG Australia. Linda has also had a side-hustle running meetaflatmate events (speed dating for flatmates) and love working with entrepreneurially minded go-getters!

Finance Expert and Entrepreneur

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Juan is a management consultant with extensive experience in entrepreneurship, start-ups, small and medium businesses improvement and strategy. After two years in A.T. Kearney that gave him the tools and skills of a top-tier firm. Juan returned to Colombia to work for Vault, advising small and medium businesses across Latin America. During that time Juan worked with Connect Bogota as an adviser for over 20 successful start-ups and co-founded HRIS, a boutique HR consulting firm specialized in finding the right talent for early-stage companies and other firms (today the company employs over 15 people, Juan acts as a board member).

Social Entrepreneurs and Leader

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Prof. Faisal Alih is passionate about social innovation and is an advocate for the mainstreaming of entrepreneurship in all fields of education. In his position at Academy of Entrepreneurs, he actively pushes for the inclusion of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a vital component of Entrepreneurship programs where students and other learners are inspired to understand global challenges, take strategic action, develop business ideas and bring positive impact to society and the environment. Previously, Prof. Alih led the academic departments of Foundation University in Dumaguete City. He also previously managed portfolios of capacity development programs at the Asian Institute of Technology and the Yunus Center AIT in Thailand in the areas of Higher Education, Social Business and Social Entrepreneurship in Agriculture, Engineering and the Creative Industries. innovation and is an advocate for the mainstreaming of entrepreneurship in all fields of education. In his position at Academy of Entrepreneurs, he actively pushes for the inclusion of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a vital component of Entrepreneurship programs where students and other learners are inspired to understand global challenges, take strategic action, develop business ideas and bring positive impact to society and the environment. Previously, Prof. Alih led the academic departments of Foundation University in Dumaguete City. He also previously managed portfolios of capacity development programs at the Asian Institute of Technology and the Yunus Center AIT in Thailand in the areas of Higher Education, Social Business and Social Entrepreneurship in Agriculture, Engineering and the Creative Industries.

Serial Entrepreneur and Global Branding Guru for Nintendo and 100+ Political Campaigns

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He has extensive experience in Marketing, particularly in specialized areas such as Trademarketing and Digital Marketing. Management of brands and licenses with international recognition. Experience in opening industries and markets in Latin America such as Video Game Retail and the App business.

Serial Entrepreneur that has worked with/for leading brands such as Sydney Opera House, Vivid, Tedx to name a few.

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Dineshri Reddy, a born Entrepreneur with a vision to drive equality began her career in Marketing. With 18 years of corporate experience she worked for some of the leading brands worldwide such as Sydney Opera House, Vivid, Tedx & Canada Goose to name a few. After discovering her fascination for human behaviour, emotional intelligence, energy and quantum physics, she chose to change her career. Completing her qualified as a Master practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, hypnotherapy & Time Line Therapy® she launched her coaching business, Bossing It. Dineshri is now living her purpose as a Confidence Coach empowering women to reclaim their confidence and educating both females and males to unlock their full potential.

Digital Marketing Entrepreneur

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Yesica Alfonso has a mission to empower small businesses and startups to unlock their full potential so they can thrive and make the most out of the digital era. For over 6 years, she has made an impact in the industry by being the voice of truth for businesses and startups. Yesica has guided businesses to increase sales and returning customers by shaping their online presence. She’s worked with all sorts of interesting companies ranging from cyber-security, charities, drone services, education, beauty, coaching, online gaming, hospitality and real estate. She also has an extensive background in Strategic Marketing through Google and Facebook Ads, Website Analytics, and Graphic Design. She can help you understand your target audience online, community growth and sales through her practical experience. Yesica has enabled many business owners to create their websites, design, do social media posts and assess marketing performance. To put it simply, Yesica is committed to getting the job done.

Serial Entrepreneur based in Los Angeles USA

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Born in Sydney, Australia, and having lived in Los Angeles for the past 10 years, he had an early career in the Investigation and Security industries, followed by several business exits before embarking on international business adventures. As an innovator and visionary, he now sits at the helm of ILA Global an international business advisory firm, specialising in venture advising and deal origination. Johnston is an entrepreneur and investor and is a mentor and advisor with a number of successful domestic and international technology accelerators. In addition to advising emerging startups through advisory board positions, he also devotes his time to several non-profits. When not having fun with his friends or extended family, Johnston can likely be found riding or racing motorcycles.

COACH, Digital Advisory, Sales, Marketing, Business Plan

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Lucas is a curious tech entrepreneur, with a major in Business Economics at Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and recently started a Master of Business Administration (MBA). He loves travelling, just like us. Passionate about solving problems using the latest tech, he mentors and advises several tech startups and corporations on how to implement and use technology to help startups evolve.

Entrepreneur, Radio Host, Coach, Influencer And Mrs Australia Globe 2017 People’s Choice

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Self love and confidence coach, helping others build their lives from inside out. Creator of Master That Presence show interviewing successful entrepreneurs for their secret sauce. Mrs Australia Globe 2017 choice of the people. Miss Confidence CGM model Award 2018. Who I am: Maggie T Phan. Mum of 3. Corporate escapee. (A person who was) Tired of outward success and lost herself in the process doing (trying to do things) the other People’s way. Who I have become: (Who did Maggie T Pham become) (first and foremost someone who likes to talk about herself in the 3rd person) (also) a strong, confident person (who) discovered her gift and now (is on a mission to) help others do the same. What (Maggie) stands for: ( the importance for people to realise the power of self discovery and rediscovery to enable them to travel their new and true path) (I stand to support people who are) for anyone that are unsure of who they are and why they’re are on this earth and if they’re good for anything. I don’t represent just me. I know this is not a Maggie problem anymore but it’s a common problem for so many. What if what you’re going through is preparing for what you’ve asked for? (For what you’ve always dreamed of but never thought possible) My vision is for everyone especially women to see greatness in themselves and be happy with their lives no matter what stage they’re at.

Design Thinking, Innovation and Systems & Technology

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Luis is a Technology and Innovation Project Manager, with a bachelor in Electronic Engineering from University of Narino (Colombia) and a Masters in Information Technology from the University of Technology Sydney (Australia). Passionate about entrepreneurship he teaches programs at UTS to educate in design thinking, lean startup and entrepreneurship and mentor entrepreneurs on local incubators and accelerators. Currently, he is the Innovation and Academic Manager at Academy of Entrepreneurs. Before joining AE he was a Project Manager at WiseTech Global, one of the largest technology companies in Australia.

Entrepreneur, Global Finance Guru, Ex CFO of Sephora, Tesco and Unilever

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Before starting my Practice, I had over 20 years of experience in the corporate finance business sector in senior leadership/executive roles with a strong focus on business finance and people. Being a CFO at Sephora (Group LVMH Luis Vuitton Moet Hennessey) allowed me to focus on finance strategy and the people of a fast-paced, growing company. Delivering finance strategy meant I spent a lot of time coaching and mentoring teams and the management board. Working with CEOs, C-suite executives and professionals is my passion, and I enjoy witnessing, observing and celebrating their new achievements. In my Practice, I can be seen as a mountain guide. I help smart business people to have a map (Financial Information), understand where they are on the hike (Financial Interpretation) and have suitable gear for the weather (Financial Implementation). After such a hike together, we celebrate financial peaks climbed. I guess it's no surprise that my biggest hobbies are mountain hiking and running.

Sales Coach, International Keynote Speaker, eDISC Practitioner, Sales Mentor, Facilitator & Trainer

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Sharon is a highly qualified and passionate sales mentor and coach who has helped transform over 200 sales people generate an additional 18 million in sales and counting! With over 10,000 hours of sales coaching and training Sharon is helping small business, entrepreneurs and soloprenuers transform their business - convert more clients, make more money and Be More Awesome at Sales.

Finance Mentor and Entrepreneur

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Giovanni Graziano has worked in the finance and real estate industries for over 10 years, with extensive experience in both the technical, analytical and sales. He holds a Bachelor of Business from UTS majoring in Finance and Marketing, and a Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University. He is currently building a fintech Startup focusing on the intersection of loan finance, analytics and real estate investment. He has taught extensively across these disciplines, including finance, risk, strategy and entrepreneurship.