In this episode of Funded Futures, Emily sits down with Alan Jones, General Partner at M8 Ventures, founder coach, radio host, and t-shirt designer. With a career spanning tech journalism, startup investment, and mentoring early-stage founders, Alan shares his insights on the evolving Australian startup ecosystem, the qualities that make a great founder, and the unexpected role of t-shirts in virtual communication.

Alan delves into his experience supporting startups through accelerator programs like Remarkable and Startmate and explains how the pandemic led to the launch of Communitees, a t-shirt project that supports the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. He discusses the importance of diversity in founding teams, why venture capital needs to do better in backing a more representative range of entrepreneurs, and how M8 Ventures applies a “no diversity, no dollars” approach to investment.

The conversation covers how founders can navigate networking without getting trapped in industry cliques, the impact of AI and deep tech on early-stage investing, and the balance between founder visibility and company-building. Alan also shares his perspective on startup failure, why founders should focus on the journey rather than the outcome, and how resilience, adaptability, and great teams set the foundation for success.

Towards the end, Alan talks about his love for obstacle course racing, particularly Spartan Race and Tough Mudder, drawing a metaphor between tackling muddy challenges and the rollercoaster journey of entrepreneurship.

Links from this episode:

• Communitees
• M8 Ventures
• Catalysr
• Coming soon: Pick My Brain
• Alan’s blog
• Spartan Race

Enjoy the episode and don’t forget to connect with Alan on LinkedIn if you want to learn more about his work!

In this episode of Funded Futures, host Emily sits down with Suji Sanjeevan, the co-founder and CEO of Light + Glo and Brandscent, to discuss her incredible journey from medicine to entrepreneurship. After training as a doctor in London, Suji realized she was unfulfilled and pivoted into the world of fragrance, eventually building two successful businesses that harness the power of scent for branding and consumer engagement.

Suji shares how she broke into the competitive home fragrance market, how her company developed the concept of olfactory logos, and how big brands use scent to create memorable customer experiences. She also reflects on her time on Shark Tank, how she and her husband balance co-leading the business, and why scent marketing is becoming a must-have strategy for businesses looking to stand out.

This episode covers:

• Suji’s transition from medicine to entrepreneurship
• The creation and growth of Light + Glo and Brandscent
• How scent impacts human emotions and consumer behavior
• The concept of olfactory branding and its growing importance in marketing
• The challenges of bootstrapping a business and scaling sustainably
• Suji’s Shark Tank experience and what she learned from the investors
• The future of scent marketing, from retail stores to virtual reality experiences

Whether you're an entrepreneur, marketer, or just fascinated by the science of scent, this conversation will change the way you think about branding and consumer experiences.

In this episode of Funded Futures, host Emily sits down with Jeanette Cheah, the dynamic founder and CEO of HEX. HEX is revolutionising education by equipping students and young professionals with entrepreneurial skills and future-proofing them for the rapidly changing world of work. Jeanette shares her journey from corporate life to launching HEX, the challenges of scaling a startup, and her insights into the funding landscape, particularly for female founders.

Jeanette also reveals powerful stories of how HEX has transformed students' career paths, why she believes in investing in undervalued founders, and how she navigated fundraising after bootstrapping for four years. If you're an aspiring entrepreneur, investor, or just curious about the future of education, this episode is packed with valuable insights.

🔹 Key Topics Covered:

• The inspiration behind HEX and how it's redefining education
• How entrepreneurship can be a viable career path for students
• The importance of future-proofing skills in an evolving job market
• The transition from corporate to startup founder
• Bootstrapping vs. raising capital: When is the right time?
• Challenges and biases female founders face in securing funding
• Strategies for sustainable scaling and hiring the right talent
• Jeanette’s biggest lessons learned in business and fundraising
• The power of storytelling, networking, and positioning in the startup ecosystem

🔹 Guest Info:
Jeanette Cheah– Founder & CEO of HEX
🌐 Website: www.startwithhex.com
📸 Instagram & Twitter: @startwithhex

In this episode of Funded Futures, host Emily sits down with Adam Schwab, Co-Founder and CEO of Luxury Escapes, one of the world’s most recognized travel brands. Adam shares the fascinating story of how he pivoted from running a deals website to creating a multi-billion-dollar luxury travel business.

They dive into the challenges of scaling, the role of AI in travel, and how Luxury Escapes stays ahead in a competitive industry. Adam also talks about hiring strategies, leadership lessons, and why agility and risk-taking are crucial for business success.

As the host of The Contrarians podcast, Adam shares his contrarian takes on business, competition, and the future of online booking. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a travel enthusiast, or a business leader, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

Key Topics Discussed:

✔️ The Growth of Luxury Escapes – From a Groupon-style deals site to a leading travel company
✔️ Surviving & Thriving Post-Pandemic – How Luxury Escapes adapted and scaled after COVID
✔️ AI & The Future of Travel – How AI and blockchain technology are reshaping travel experiences
✔️ Competitive Advantages in Travel – Why Luxury Escapes remains difficult to replicate
✔️ Lessons in Leadership & Hiring – The challenges of growing a team from a handful to 600+ employees
✔️ The Contrarian Mindset – Why challenging the status quo leads to business breakthroughs
✔️ Personal Travel Insights – Adam’s favourite travel destinations and worst travel experiences

Resources & Mentions:

🔗 Luxury Escapes
🔗 The Contrarians Podcast (Hosted by Adam Schwab)
🔗 Seven Powers by Hamilton Helmer (Business Strategy Book)
🔗 Connect with Adam Schwab on LinkedIn

In this episode of Funded Futures, we sit down with Will Richards, co-founder of Overnight Success and senior associate at Encour, to talk about the power of media, storytelling, and startup funding. Will has built a name for himself in Australia’s startup ecosystem by covering early-stage founders, helping them gain visibility, and supporting businesses through public relations and investment insights.

We dive into Will’s unexpected entry into startups, from working at a car insurance company that went through an acquisition to navigating private equity and eventually launching Overnight Success, a platform dedicated to amplifying founders’ stories. He shares how he leveraged media as a tool to break into venture capital, and why founders should be thinking about their narrative long before they seek investment.

We also explore the role of PR in startups, why some founders waste money on press coverage too early, and how to craft a compelling story that resonates with investors, customers, and journalists alike. Will offers practical advice on raising capital, including the biggest mistakes founders make when positioning their business for funding, and why deal terms matter just as much as valuation.

Finally, we discuss the changing landscape of startup investment in 2025, the rise of AI in media, and how founders can stand out in an increasingly competitive funding environment.Whether you're a founder preparing for your next raise, an investor looking for promising early-stage businesses, or just someone fascinated by how startups get their big break, this episode is full of real, actionable insights.

In this episode ofFunded Futures, we sit down with Stefan Di Benedetto, the founder of SolBevi, to talk about his journey in bringing Australia's first canned Limoncello Spritz to market. From perfecting a family recipe to turning it into a thriving business, Stefan shares his experience navigating product development, branding, and the competitive beverage industry.

We discuss the inspiration behind SolBevi, how he identified a gap in the market, and the challenges he faced transitioning from a construction career into the world of premium spirits. Stefan opens up about the learning curve of manufacturing, scaling, and securing retail partnerships—walking into venues with a bag of product samples and pitching it one bar at a time.

Stefan reflects on his ongoing journey to raise capital, the mental and financial toll of investor negotiations, and why he’s weighing up crowdfunding as a strategic move. He also shares insights into brand positioning, marketing strategies, and the power of community-driven growth.

With international expansion on the horizon, including a launch in New Zealand and potential markets in Southeast Asia, Stefan is setting his sights on global success. Whether you’re a founder looking to scale your business, an investor interested in the FMCG space, or just a lover of Limoncello, this episode is packed with honest insights and entrepreneurial grit.

Indianna Roehrich has built a reputation as a sharp entrepreneur with an intuitive sense for where innovation meets necessity. Her latest venture, Tomorrow Today Beauty, tackles a modern skincare problem few had considered: the impact of blue light on our skin. After a decade running Simply Social, a social media agency, she found herself constantly in front of screens and started questioning what that exposure might be doing to her skin. The search for answers led her to create a skincare brand designed to protect and repair from the effects of high-energy visible (HEV) light.

In this conversation, Indianna shares her journey from running an agency to launching a product-based business and why she took the leap into the world of beauty despite having no prior experience in the industry. She reflects on how her background in social media and modelling shaped her approach to branding, product development, and marketing.

With a bold move to New York, Indianna has embraced the fast-paced environment of the US market, where things move quickly, and ambition is met with opportunity. She talks about testing her products in one of the world’s most competitive beauty spaces, securing her first retail stockist in Manhattan’s Happier Grocery, and her strategic choice to focus on major retailers rather than spreading the brand too thin.

Funding a startup is always a challenge, but Indianna has self-funded her brand through Simply Social’s success. As offers for investment roll in, she remains intentional about choosing the right partners, focusing not just on financial backing but on alignment with her long-term vision. She also shares the mindset shifts that have come with being a second-time founder—making decisions faster, prioritizing what moves the business forward, and understanding the power of resilience.

If you’re interested in the intersection of beauty, technology, and entrepreneurship, this episode is an inspiring look at the work behind building a brand that’s ahead of the curve.

Find out more about Tomorrow Today Beauty at tomorrowtodaybeauty.com.

In this episode of Funded Features, host Emily Macfarlane welcomes Darren Westlake, the co-founder and former CEO of Crowdcube. Darren shares insights from his journey in building one of the most successful equity crowdfunding platforms, discussing the similarities and differences between the UK and Australian markets.

During the conversation, Darren reflects on the evolution of equity crowdfunding, highlighting the initial challenges of gaining trust and credibility in the industry. He draws parallels between Crowdcube's early struggles and the current landscape in Australia, where platforms like Birchal are still working to establish equity crowdfunding as a legitimate and mainstream funding option for startups.

Darren and Emily discuss the misconceptions around equity crowdfunding, particularly the notion that venture capitalists shy away from companies with a large number of shareholders. He emphasizes that strong, growing businesses will always attract investment, regardless of their shareholder structure. The discussion also touches on the importance of setting realistic valuations, preparing for future funding rounds, and the benefits of having a loyal community of investors who double as customers and brand advocates.

Emily and Darren also delve into some of Crowdcube’s major success stories, such as BrewDog and Revolut, which have leveraged crowdfunding to scale into global brands. Darren explains how these companies strategically used their investor communities to drive engagement and business growth.

The episode concludes with advice for founders considering equity crowdfunding, emphasising the need for preparation, realistic expectations, and collaboration with crowdfunding platforms to ensure a successful raise.

In this episode of Funded Futures, Emily sits down with Kirstin Hunter, Managing Director of Techstars Australia and co-founder of Future Super. Kirstin shares her journey from law and management consulting to leading high-growth startups and mentoring the next generation of founders. Her career is a masterclass in navigating transitions, embracing purpose-driven work, and advocating for systemic change in business.

Kirstin discusses the challenges of balancing ambitious careers with personal priorities, the importance of identifying energy-giving versus energy-draining tasks, and how saying "no" strategically has been key to her success. She also reflects on the biases women face in the workplace, the power of mentorship, and the critical role diverse leadership plays in reshaping industries.

Listeners will gain insights into Kirstin's strategies for thriving in high-pressure environments, her thoughts on the evolving startup ecosystem, and actionable advice for finding mentors, navigating career transitions, and building businesses with purpose.

This conversation is packed with inspiration and practical wisdom for anyone looking to redefine their career, embrace their potential, and contribute to a more inclusive and equitable business landscape.

In this episode of The Birchal Podcast, host Emily Macfarlane is joined by Tim Griffiths, a serial entrepreneur and partner at Scalare Partners. Tim shares his insights into the world of venture capital, offering a unique perspective on how Scalare Partners supports early-stage startups through funding, mentorship, and community-building. He delves into the firm’s innovative approach, which includes running on a balance sheet model rather than a traditional fund structure, allowing greater flexibility for investors and portfolio companies.

Tim discusses the challenges and opportunities for female founders in the startup ecosystem, highlighting the importance of initiatives like Tech Ready Women to foster diversity and inclusion. He also reflects on his experiences building companies, embracing failure, and adapting to the rapid advancements in technology, such as AI and low-code solutions. From lessons on maintaining equity as a founder to the nuances of scaling globally, this conversation is packed with actionable advice and thought-provoking anecdotes.

Listeners will gain valuable insights into the mindset of a seasoned entrepreneur and investor, with Tim’s candid take on the fine line between confidence and arrogance, the importance of community in entrepreneurship, and the evolving landscape of startup funding. Whether you’re a founder, an investor, or simply curious about the startup world, this episode is a must-listen.