Podcast appearances and mentions of gina baldassarre

Ainsley Johnstone and Natalie Firth are cofounders and co-CEOs of Melbourne recruitment firm Think Talent. The pair founded the business in 2014, because they wanted to do something a little different in recruitment. They explain Think Talent as a marketing-led business, where they help employers develop strong brand recognition that will future-proof them as the battle for talent gets more intense. Having started the business when they had young children, the cofounders are also focused on helping people ‘find their nirvana’, or whatever blend of work/life balance they need to enjoy both. The business is now turning over $3 million, working with clients including Medibank, Aesop, David Jones, and Cricket Australia. Gina had a chat with Natalie and Ainsley about the launch and growth of the business, how they developed their approach, and how they are helping to prepare both employers and job seekers for the future of work.

On this episode, Gina and Tricia chat about corporate venture capital.  We sat down to chat with Melissa Widner, general partner at NAB Ventures, the venture capital arm of National Australia Bank. Launched in 2016 with $100 million committed through to 2020, NAB Ventures has invested in over a dozen startups both in Australia and abroad so far. It invests in enterprises that “can leverage the bank’s expertise, assets and market position to drive growth in investee companies”. We spoke to Melissa about the development of NAB Ventures and its investment themes, its relationship and how it works with the bank, and what it looks for in startups.

Now managing director for OpenLearning in Australia, Cherie Diaz has had an interesting career trajectory: after starting out as a classroom teacher, she made the move to the corporate world with Ernst & Young, before progressing through a series of roles and then taking on the OpenLearning gig this past July. It’s an interesting one: OpenLearning raised an $8.5 million Series A round led by two Malaysian companies earlier this year to help fund its further expansion across Australia and into Southeast Asia. The startup now has more than 1.3 million students on board learning through the massive open online courses created by its university and vocational education partners. Along with Australian clients including UNSW, the University of Melbourne, and the Federal Government, the startup also has Malaysia’s 20 public universities and 34 public polytechnics on board. Gina sat down for a chat with Cherie about her career path, the evolution of OpenLearning’s approach to education, and the growth of the company moving forward.

On this episode, Gina and Tricia chat about customised apparel. We sat down to talk with Mick Spencer, founder and CEO of OnTheGo. A mass customisation platform for apparel and accessories, OnTheGo is used by everyone from local businesses through to the likes of Microsoft and professional sports teams for the design, development, and production of sports uniforms and custom clothing. The business was founded by Spencer in 2012, as he puts it, in the back of a university lecture theatre. Six years on and the startup in June brought on funding from and launched a joint venture with Wesfarmers’s Workwear Group, which owns brands including Hard Yakka and King Gee. We spoke to Mick about the origins of the business, its approach to finding and working with customers, and how the partnership with Wesfarmers came about and what it entails.

On this episode, Gina and Tricia chat about online retail. We had a chat to Anna Lee, the chief operating officer at online fashion retailer, The Iconic.  The business was launched in Australia in 2011 through Rocket Internet and is now a giant locally, with CEO Patrick Schmidt saying earlier this year that the company expects to start reaching $1 billion in sales within 3 years. We spoke to Anna about the growth of the company, the importance of the customer, and how The Iconic stays agile now it’s grown to more than 500 staff.

On this episode, Gina and Tricia chat about startup investment.  We had a chat to Hein Vogel, the managing director of the Emerging Companies division at Investec, an “entrepreneurial-focused” investment bank. The bank is global, founded and headquartered in South Africa, but its emerging companies division was founded in Australia two years ago to look at developing the Investec's startup investment arm and strategy.  It’s invested in over a dozen companies so far, and they’re quite varied - among its first investments, for example, was H2 Ventures, the fintech-focused accelerator program. It’s also invested in Splend, a service which allows drivers to easily rent vehicles for rideshare driving, and one of its most recent investments was glasses company Dresden. We spoke to Hein about the development of the Emerging Companies division, what it's looking for in portfolio companies and what, in turn, it can offer them, and the Australian startup landscape. 

On this episode, Gina and Tricia chat about training new recruits. We had a chat to Hugh Fahy, the GM of Engineering at MYOB, who works to ensure MYOB are producing the best products possible. To do so, MYOB needs to be able to recruit the top tech talent in Australia and New Zealand. The company looks to do this through the Future Makers program, a concept based on the maker philosophy with an emphasis on people who take pride in their craft and seek out mastery will be happier and more productive at work.  We spoke to Hugh about the growth of MYOB, the development of the Future Makers program and its DevelopHER initiative, and the company's culture.

Ruth Hatherley is the founder and CEO of Moneycatcha, a regtech startup providing a real-time blockchain solution for regulatory and compliance reporting. After growing up on a farm, Ruth spent her career at Commonwealth Bank and Mortgage Choice in Western Australia before coming up with Moneycatcha and deciding to go all in on the startup, leaving all the corporate benefits and investing her life savings to make it happen. Gina had a chat with Ruth about her career in finance, the current financial services landscape and the understanding of blockchain within it, and the process of growing Moneycatcha.

On this episode, Gina and Tricia chat about the business of real estate listings. We have a chat REA Group's chief inventor Nigel Dalton about the lessons he learned about disruption while working at Lonely Planet, where he said the company ignored the rise of the internet and "convinced ourselves out of jobs", what innovation looks like at a 23 year old startup that's now an ASX-listed giant worth billions, and why REA Group can't just rely on the clicks coming to realestate.com.au and needs to keep reinventing itself.

Oksana Goncharova is the Managing Director of the Material Information Platform at Australian startup Ansarada. Originally from Russia, Oksana moved from Berlin to Australia in 2012 as part of the startup team created by Rocket Internet that launched The Iconic. Oksana and her team grew the business from zero a multi-million dollar company and more than 300 employees in less than four years. Gina had a chat with Oksana about joining Rocket Internet, her move to Australia, the experience of launching The Iconic, and the work she is now doing at Ansarada.

Editor of Startup Daily - Australia's leading startup publication - Gina Baldassarre explores the fundamentals you need to get right when launching your own venture. From defining your target market and choosing a name, to setting up online and business registration basics, setting solid foundations is at the core of long-term success.

Editor of Startup Daily - Australia’s leading startup publication - Gina Baldassarre explores the fundamentals you need to get right when launching your own venture. From defining your target market and choosing a name, to setting up online and business registration basics, setting solid foundations is at the core of long-term success.

This week Cec, Gina, and Peter chat location. How do you manage working far from clients? Will clients care? How do you relocate a business? You can join us live each Thursday at midday for the Facebook Live edition of the pod (https://www.facebook.com/events/1724338717609453/) or tune in here - if you've got a burning business question you can send it in to editorial@pinstripemedia.com.au

On this episode of Startup meet Corporate, Gina and Tricia chat about coworking. They have a chat with Tashi Dorjee, the cofounder and chief space officer at TwoSpace, a startup that transforms restaurants closed during the day into a network of coworking spaces, about how it went about getting partners on board and why hotels are interested in working with the business.

On this episode of Startup Meet Corporate, Gina is joined by new cohost Tricia to chat about the news media industry. They have a chat with Gautam Mishra, CEO of Australian platform inkl, a digital news marketplace that unlocks the world’s best news publishers, a bit like a Spotify or Netflix for news. 

This week Kochie's Business Builders editor Cec and Startup Daily editor Gina chat how to manage employees who have a side hustle - how do you ensure they stay on task on their day job? Should you be offended that they're working on something else they're more passionate about? How can you leverage their side hustle for your business's benefit? You can join us live each Thursday at midday for the Facebook Live edition of the pod (https://www.facebook.com/events/1724338717609453/) or tune in here - if you've got a burning business question you can send it in to editorial@pinstripemedia.com.au

This week Kochie's Business Builders editor Cec, Startup Daily editor Gina, and Flying Solo editor Peter chat waking up at 3am and worrying about the business - how can startup founders, small business owners, and solopreneurs manage stress and avoid burnout?  You can join us live each Thursday at midday for the Facebook Live edition of the pod (https://www.facebook.com/events/1724338717609453/) or tune in here - if you've got a burning business question you can send it in to editorial@pinstripemedia.com.au

Each week, Kochie's Business Builders editor Cec Busby, Startup Daily editor Gina Baldassarre, and Flying Solo editor Peter Crocker get together to talk everything solopreneurs, startups, and small business on Facebook Live, tackling everything from how to define and measure success to burnout and mental health. This episode looks at how to stay motivated when you work for yourself or at home, setting up your business priorities and vision, and why everything comes back to customer service.  You can join us live each Thursday at midday for the Facebook Live (https://www.facebook.com/events/1724338717609453/) or tune in here - if you've got a burning business question you can send it in to editorial@pinstripemedia.com.au

Each week, Kochie's Business Builders editor Cec Busby, Startup Daily editor Gina Baldassarre, and Flying Solo editor Peter Crocker get together to talk everything solopreneurs, startups, and small business on Facebook Live, tackling everything from how to define and measure success to burnout and mental health. This episode looks at how to start hiring employees - and how to figure out when you need to - and how to project your business the way you want it to be seen, even if it's just you working on it from home.  You can join us live each Thursday at midday for the Facebook Live (https://www.facebook.com/events/1724338717609453/) or tune in here - if you've got a burning business question you can send it in to editorial@pinstripemedia.com.au

Each week, Kochie's Business Builders editor Cec Busby, Startup Daily editor Gina Baldassarre, and Flying Solo editor Peter Crocker get together to talk everything solopreneurs, startups, and small business on Facebook Live, tackling everything from how to define and measure success to burnout and mental health. This episode looks at how to develop your work routine - and stick to it, how to boost your customer service, and the value of building your personal and business brand.  You can join us live each Thursday at midday for the Facebook Live (https://www.facebook.com/events/1724338717609453/) or tune in here - if you've got a burning business question you can send it in to editorial@pinstripemedia.com.au

Kate Morris is the founder and CEO of Adore Beauty, an online cosmetics retailer. The business was founded in 1999, when Morris was working on the cosmetics counter part-time while attending university. While she loved this work, she realised that for many women, the experience of buying makeup at a department store wasn't exactly enjoyable. Rather, Morris saw that many felt intimidated instead of empowered as they approached the makeup counters.  Gina had a chat with Kate before the Christmas break to talk about the birth and growth of Adore Beauty, the sale of a stake of the business to Woolworths and buying it back, and supporting women in the Australian startup space.  

Benjamin Chong has been building and investing in online businesses for 15 years now, and currently, holds a whole host of jobs. Among them, he is the cofounder and partner at Right Click Capital, and also the director of the Founder Institute.   Ben sits down with Gina in this episode to talk about breaking through the glass ceiling of the Australian tech ecosystem and recounts what it was like to start a business within the dial-up era as well as the relationship between investors and founders.

Cyan Ta'eed is the cofounder of Envato one of Australia's most successful tech companies. The platform is a digital marketplace where people buy and sell creative digital goods like music, graphics, video, photos, website themes and other products you may need for a creative project. Envato has over 7 million members and is more profitable than the likes of Atlassian and Campaign Monitor. Cyan sits down with Gina in this episode to talk about breaking through the glass ceiling of the Australian tech ecosystem and reflects on what it has taken to build one of the worlds most successful digital companies.

In this episode of Startup meet Corporate we explore the world of social data and analytics and the way in which companies are leveraging this to grow their business. We look at a new platform leveraging influencers in the gaming industry and Mat sits down with the founder of Digivizer, Emma Lo Russo and finds out how their technology is helping corporates to be more innovative based on data from their social media accounts.

In this episode we explore innovation in the real estate industry. We learn about a new partnership between audiobook company and Audible and the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre aimed at enhancing the mind’s performance, and Gina talks with Andrew Clowes, head of Information Technology at JLL, about what innovation means in the real estate and investment management space and the company’s so-called digital ambition. Hosts: Mat Beeche and Gina Baldassarre.