Breaking Barriers: Women Entrepreneurs and Access to Startup Capital
Are you a woman entrepreneur seeking to overcome the challenges of securing startup capital? Don’t miss an insightful live panel discussion titled "Breaking Barriers: Women Entrepreneurs and Access to Startup Capital," hosted with support from the NSW Government and moderated by Crystal McGregor, General Manager at Tech Ready Women.
The panel features:
- Melanie Leahy, Co-Founder of Ziinkle, who has successfully navigated the challenges of raising pre-seed capital.
- Jenny Li, Partner at Scalare, with a strong track record of supporting female-led startups.
- Monique Trivas, Portfolio Owner, Small Business & SME Channel at Westpac Business Lending, dedicated to promoting financial inclusion and reducing barriers for business founders, including women.
This discussion will explore the unique obstacles women face in the startup ecosystem, share personal experiences, and offer actionable insights to help secure the funding needed to elevate your business. Engage with industry leaders driving change and fostering gender equity in entrepreneurship.
About the Panelists:
Melanie Leahy - Melanie is the Co-Founder of Ziinkle, an Australian social connection app that's designed to help people connect socially, in real life, to enable meaningful and memorable experiences. Ziinkle acts as a matchmaker, connecting people with the perfect hospitality venues to enrich their relationships and achieve their social goals. Before founding Ziinkle, Melanie built a 15+ year career in financial services technology marketing, collaborating with global brands like Google, Microsoft, and Mastercard. She’s passionate about marketing, psychology, and digital innovation, and continuously strives to create impactful results and engaging experiences.
Jenny Li - Jenny is a strategy focused and results orientated finance leader, with more than 15 years’ experience in improving financial governance, working in and advising multinational business to high growth start ups undertaking rapid change and growth.
Monique Trivas - Monique is a passionate and commercially minded leader with more than 10 years at Westpac across Product, Transformation and Finance. Prior to joining Westpac, she was at Commonwealth Bank for 7 years and before that in the Property industry at Multiplex and Westfield. She has also been a successful small business part-owner of two businesses including an Anytime Fitness Gym. Monique is a qualified accountant and a very proud Mum!
Crystal McGregor - Crystal is a passionate leader, who loves the highs and lows of working hands-on in startups and sharing the experiences and knowledge to help others. Her experience extends to operations, business development, project management, company governance, research, pitching, and securing pre-seed investment. She is also an inventor with the Australian Innovation Patent.
This event is part of Spark Festival, designed to inspire, connect, and provide the tools for success in the new economy.
By attending, you consent to being photographed or recorded for future marketing purposes.
