People Building Businesses

Listen to a conversation about the struggle of growing a business as an indigenous woman in Australia and how to overcome obstacles that can stand in the way. Mikaela Jade, CEO and founder of Indigital is the guest on this episode of the People Building Businesses podcast. Host, Jason Lim and Mikaela talk about how she went from a park ranger to a tech founder and gives some raw insight into how difficult but rewarding the process can be. The podcast was produced, shot and edited by James Moussa. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A conversation about serial entrepreneurship and the rights and wrongs when finding the right idea or product. Richard Joffe, CEO and founder of Honey Insurance is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. Host Jason Lim and Richard talk about previous businesses, how to spot if you're going in the right direction or if you should even start it at all and how Honey launched with the largest seed round ever for an Australian tech startup: AUD$15.5M. The podcast was produced, shot and edited by James Moussa. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A conversation about diversity and inclusion and its importance in the workplace.  Winitha Bonney OAM, YBF's first member of its Tech Diversity and Inclusion Council is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. Host Jason Lim and Winitha talk about how Winitha found her path on diversity and inclusion and how to create a positive culture in your business. The podcast was produced, shot and edited by James Moussa. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A conversation about using experience to build the right team and business. Zeller CEO Ben Pfisterer is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. Host Jason Lim and Ben talk about how Ben managed to become CEO of one of the fastest growing fintech startups. The podcast was produced, shot and edited by James Moussa. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A conversation about building a modern business from the ground up and tips on how to do it yourself. Click MGMT CEO Grace Watkins is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. Host Jason Lim and Grace talk about how Grace transitioned from the world of law to directing Click Management and representing the worlds biggest online gaming personalities. The podcast was produced, shot and edited by James Moussa. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A conversation about budding founders and going head to head with big international competitors. Dovetail CEO Nick Frandsen is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. Host Jason Lim and Nick talk about how a seemingly typical childhood eventuated into entrepreneurship and the journey from dropping out of high school to Dovetail and its inevitable success. The podcast was produced, shot and edited by James Moussa. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A conversation about pioneering a business category, help from Alicia Keys and mental health. Linktree CEO Alex Zaccaria is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. Host Jason Lim and Alex talk about the origins of Linktree, gaining over 2 million users while it was a side hustle, a turning point involving Alicia Keys, the myth of growth hacking, dealing with copycats, new products, mental health, burnout, the future of work post-COVID and more. The podcast was produced, shot and edited by Joe Harrington. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A conversation about building a digital bank, taking risks and leadership. 86 400 CEO Robert Bell is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. Host Jason Lim and Robert speak about his diverse career path, growing into leadership roles, neo banks versus the traditional banks, why they built 86 400, how COVID-19 will affect the banking industry and much more. The podcast was produced, shot and edited by Joe Harrington. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A conversation about reusable cups, circular economies and leading the fight for a sustainable future. KeepCup CEO Abigail Forsyth is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. Host Jason Lim and Abigail talk about founding KeepCup out of a Melbourne cafe, local production versus overseas, expanding the team to three countries, changing the culture of sustainability within businesses, not taking on investment, finding your voice, the future of coffee culture post-COVID and much more. The podcast was produced, shot and edited by Joe Harrington. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

A conversation about the Australian company changing the toilet paper game for good. Who Gives A Crap CEO Simon Griffiths is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. Host Jason Lim and Simon discuss his roots in not-for-profits, being one of three co-founders, failures along the way, supply chains, the craziness of COVID-19, social impact in business, running an international company from Melbourne and more. The podcast was produced, shot and edited by Joe Harrington. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

A conversation about cybersecurity and mitigating the risk around APIs. The guest on this episode of People Building Businesses is AiCULUS CEO and founder Omaru Maruatona. Omaru and our host Jason Lim speak about his early life in Botswana, his interest in AI and ML, starting a cybersecurity company, API security, the CyRise accelerator program, Landing Pads, COVID-19 and the national cybersecurity risks. The podcast was produced, shot and edited by Joe Harrington. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

A conversation with the Australian company that has reimagined how we create online documents. The guest on this episode of People Building Businesses is Qwilr COO and co-founder Mark Tanner. Mark and our host Jason Lim speak about his early experience in startups, his time at Google, the early days of Qwilr, perfecting a SaaS product, raising money on four different occasions, working with investors, the 'Murder Your Darlings' approach, sales techniques and much more. It's a really insightful chat with lots of takeaways, we hope you enjoy it. The podcast was produced, shot and edited by Joe Harrington. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

A conversation with the CEO of Australia's first ethical superannuation fund for women, by women. The guest on this episode of People Building Businesses is Verve Super CEO and co-founder Christina Hobbs. Christina and our host Jason Lim covered a lot on this episode. The topics they spoke about include Christina's work with the UN in Syria and Turkey, her stint as a Green Party senate candidate, financial literacy in Australia, the state of superannuation in Australia, divesting from fossil fuels, equality for women in pay and pension and more. It's a super interesting chat, we hope you enjoy it. The podcast was produced, shot and edited by Joe Harrington.

A conversation with a Melbourne startup that’s helping bars, cafes and restaurants stay alive in these uncertain times. Mr Yum's Kim Teo is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. Our host Jason Lim (YBF Ventures) and Kim speak about her switch from corporate life to startups, a failed business, the experiment that Mr Yum grew from, their approach to funding, COVID-19's impact on hospitality, taking on UberEats and Deliveroo and future plans for the company. The podcast was produced, shot and edited by Joe Harrington.

A conversation with the co-founder of an equity crowdfunding platform that allows everyone the opportunity to invest in Australian brands. Birchal's Matt Vitale is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. Our host Jason Lim (YBF Ventures) and Matt speak about the impact of COVID-19 on investing, how Birchal has responded to the crisis, the origins of the company, the process of getting a financial licence in Australia, diversifying investments, funding for the tech sector and much more. The podcast was produced, shot and edited by Joe Harrington.

A conversation with the founder of one of the leading legal technology startups in Australia. NEXL's Philipp Thurner is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. Our host Jason Lim (YBF Ventures) and Philipp speak about his youth growing up in Austria, going from the customer service desk to the innovation team at a huge law firm, navigating the media, the importance of networks, the Lander & Rogers' LawTech Hub, being a solo founder, the cost of growth and building NEXL. The podcast was produced, shot and edited by Joe Harrington.

Quantify Technology CEO Brett Savill is the guest on episode 18 of People Building Businesses, the podcast from the team at YBF Ventures. Quantify Technology is all about making buildings more intelligent. Their products automate homes, offices and buildings and provide the building blocks to enable a future in the rapidly growing Internet of Things (IoT) space. The company is also part of the PropTech Hub which is a collaboration between Honeywell and YBF Ventures. On this episode, Brett and host Jason Lim speak about Australia's place in the global tech landscape, his consulting roles, taking over as CEO of Quantify, public companies vs private companies, the intricacies of M&A negotiations and more. You can find People Building Businesses on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and YouTube. This episode was produced by YBF's Joe Harrington. (This podcast was recorded in early February 2020).

LUNA CEO and founder Ronen Heine is the latest guest on People Building Businesses, the podcast from YBF Ventures. Our host Jason Lim and Ronen chat about his love inventions, being a corporate lawyer, solo founding a company, the keys to good recruitment, a big reason why companies fail, innovation in big corporates, the future for LUNA and why mission is so important. You can listen and subscribe to People Building Businesses in all the usual places: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.

Startup Victoria CEO Judy Anderson is the latest guest on People Building Businesses, the podcast from YBF Ventures. Our host Jason Lim and Judy covered a lot of topics including her stint as a 7-year-old inventor, going to university to study entrepreneurship, working at Deloitte, taking over as CEO of StartupVic, the good and bad of the Victorian startup ecosystem, "hustle porn", founder burnout and more. You can listen and subscribe to People Building Businesses in all the usual places: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.

July co-founder Athan Didaskalou is the first guest on the new season of People Building Businesses, the podcast from YBF Ventures. Our host Jason Lim and Athan talk about his parents' influence on him, Smith Street in the '90s, his various businesses, starting July, securing $10.5million in funding, working in physical and digital retail and much more. You can listen and subscribe to People Building Businesses in all the usual places: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.

Tech trends for 2020 and the growth of a global startup accelerator program are covered on this podcast. Startupbootcamp co-founder Ruud Hendriks is the guest of episode 14 of People Building Businesses. Our host Jason Lim and Ruud talk about his pirate radio days on Radio Caroline, launching commercial radio stations in Europe, his involvement in Big Brother's enormous success, launching Startupbootcamp, the traits of successful teams, the state of tech and his predictions for the future of tech in 2020 and beyond. You can listen and subscribe to People Building Businesses in all the usual places: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube. The podcast is produced by Joe Harrington.

Find out more about the Australian startup disrupting the way companies recruit talent. Weploy CEO and co-founder Tony Wu is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. Tony and host Jason Lim cover a whole range of topics; jiu-jitsu, sacrifices his parents made for him, starting the company in a toilet showroom, hiring top talent, using advisory boards efficiently and the future of recruitment. You can listen and subscribe to People Building Businesses in all the usual places: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube. The podcast is produced by Joe Harrington.

Find out the full story behind the fastest growing gift delivery startup in Australia. LVLY co-founder Hannah Spilva is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. Hannah and host Jason Lim discuss topics like bootstrapping, co-founder relationships, digital marketing strategies, how to do customer service right, looking for investment, the pressures that come with scaling and much more. You can listen and subscribe to People Building Businesses in all the usual places: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube. The podcast is produced by Joe Harrington.

How did George Hedon build Pause Fest into one of the biggest festivals in Australia? We find out in this episode of People Building Businesses. George is the CEO and founder of Pause Fest and he tells us about growing up in Serbia, his career in design, the first days of the festival, the mechanics behind running it, how he handles stress and he reveals some of the big names lined up for 2020. You can listen and subscribe to People Building Businesses in all the usual places: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube. The podcast is presented by Jason Lim and produced by Joe Harrington.

A fascinating insight into securing startup investment and innovating legal technology with Josef co-founder and CEO Tom Dreyfus. This is episode 10 of People Building Businesses. Founded in 2017, Josef is a platform that empowers lawyers to easily build and launch their own legal bots and their mission is to create a legal industry that works for everyone. On the podcast, Tom talks about finding his two co-founders, their journey through Startmate, raising $1million in funding, working with investors and how they're handling their rapid growth. You can listen and subscribe to People Building Businesses in all the usual places: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube. The podcast is presented by Jason Lim and produced by Joe Harrington.

Meet the Australian startup that has become a world leader in peer-to-peer designer dress lending. Kirsten Kore, co-founder of Designerex, is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. Founded in 2015, Designerex is a peer-to-peer designer dress lending platform that has exploded in popularity. It has grown to 12,000 listed items in Australia and embarked upon expansion in the US. On the podcast, Kirsten talks about the early days of the business, being non-technical founders, organic growth, finding an angel investor, expansion to the US and fast fashion. It's a great insight into a rapidly changing industry. You can listen and subscribe to People Building Businesses in all the usual places: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube. The podcast is presented by Jason Lim and produced by Joe Harrington.

Sharon Taylor, Managing Director and former CEO of Omny Studio, is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. In 2019, Omny Studio was acquired by global audio tech company Triton Digital. Sharon tells us the story of the company from 2011 to now, and how they navigated numerous challenges along the way to become a major player in the podcasting space. You can listen and subscribe to People Building Businesses in all the usual places: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube. The podcast is presented by Jason Lim and produced by Joe Harrington.

Farley Blackman, the CEO of YBF Ventures, is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. Farley has worked in senior management roles in huge companies like GE, Motorola and BP. He took over as CEO of YBF in October 2017 and has overseen huge growth in the past two years with expansion in Melbourne and Sydney. He tells us his story from early days in the States, his experiences at the highest levels of the corporate world, leading the innovation push in Australia and everything in between. You can listen and subscribe to People Building Businesses in all the usual places: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube. The podcast is presented by Jason Lim and produced by Joe Harrington.

Valeria Ignatieva, the co-founder and co-CEO of Work180, is the guest on People Building Businesses this week. WORK180 is the only jobs platform that pre-screens employers to see how well they support women’s careers. The criteria includes paid parental leave, pay equity, flexible working arrangements, employee engagement scores, and all the other things jobs boards don't usually talk about. In this episode, Valeria talks about growing up in Russia, her introduction to tech, starting Work180 with her co-founder Gemma Lloyd, their mission and global expansion. It's a really fantastic story, we hope you enjoy it. You can listen and subscribe to People Building Businesses in all the usual places: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube. The podcast is presented by Jason Lim and produced by Joe Harrington.

Dom Pym, the co-founder of Up Bank, is the guest on People Building Businesses this week. Up is Australia's first next generation bank and the latest figures published say they have gained 100,000 customers since its launch in October 2018. That makes one of the fastest growing digital banks in the world. In this episode, Dom talks about the growth of Up and delves into his near 20 years experience working in the financial sector. You can listen and subscribe to People Building Businesses in all the usual places: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube. The podcast is presented by Jason Lim and produced by Joe Harrington.

Jordyn Evans, the founder of Mingle Seasoning, is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. Mingle is one of the most exciting food products through its online success and its availability in stores across Australia including supermarket giants Coles. In this episode, Jordyn talks about the early 'Breaking Bad' style days creating the flavours in her own kitchen, growing her social audience, taking part in two accelerator programs, imposter syndrome, getting people to join her on the journey, and plans for the future. You can listen and subscribe to People Building Businesses in all the usual places: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube. The podcast is presented by Jason Lim and produced by Joe Harrington.

This week’s guest is Square’s head of APAC Ben Pfisterer. Ben has a hugely impressive career history with roles in Deloitte, Jetstar, NAB and Visa before starting his own company Kinetik Innovation. He moved to Square in 2014 and has overseen its huge growth ever since. The podcast covers his early career with Jetstar and the other corporates, moving to Square, his relationship with Jack Dorsey, the company's focus on regional Australia, their product range, their mission and more. You can subscribe to People Building Businesses in all the usual places: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube. The podcast is presented by Jason Lim and produced by Joe Harrington.

James Leathem, the founder of VendorPanel, is the guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. His honesty and transparency in this interview is remarkable and we thinks there's something in it for everyone. VendorPanel is a leading Australian procurement platform. It was named one of the Top 20 Westpac Businesses of Tomorrow in 2018, and received an award for Most Innovative Use of Technology from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. You can subscribe to People Building Businesses in all the usual places: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and there’s also a video version on YouTube. If you have any feedback, email: peoplebuildingbusinesses@ybfventures.com

Code Like A Girl CEO and co-founder Ally Watson is our guest on this episode of People Building Businesses. With a background in computer science, Ally embarked on a career as a software engineer and developer before founding social enterprise Code Like A Girl in 2015. Code Like a Girl is best known for running coding workshops for girls aged between six and 18, but it does a lot more, and the startup has reached over 2,000 girls over the past two years.  The Sydney Morning Herald named Ally as one of Australia’s nine most influential female entrepreneurs of 2017 and her and her team have picked up numerous more accolades along the way. You can subscribe to People Building Businesses in all the usual places: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and there’s also a video version on YouTube. If you have any feedback, email peoplebuildingbusinesses@ybfventures.com.

People Building Businesses is the brand new podcast from the team at YBF Ventures. The podcast will focus on how startups and companies grow. From the first days of the business, to looking for investment, scaling, recruitment and beyond. We want to know exactly how it’s done from people who have done it. We have an amazing line-up of guests coming your way over the next few months. Subscribe now.