2020 Pearcey National Awards and November Conversation
Online – via Zoom Wednesday 25 November 2020; from 4:00pm AEDT
The presentation will be followed by the final Pearcey Conversation for 2020 – Looking forward to 2021! – with industry leaders sharing their valuable insights and predictions for the year ahead. Speakers include: Jamila Gordon, CEO and Founder, Lumachain; Leanne Kemp, Queensland Chief Entrepreneur; Elaine Stead, Managing Director, Human VC; and Jon Whittle, Director, CSIRO’s Data61; moderated by Simon Foster, Chair, The Pearcey Foundation NSW Committee.
The Pearcey Medal and Hall of Fame awards are very much recognition of personal efforts. They are honouring the endeavours, dedication, and outstanding contributions of individuals to Australia’s and the world’s ICT industry and Research.
The Pearcey Entrepreneur Award recognises a person in “mid career”, who is already a successful Tech Entrepreneur, and who has the potential to succeed further. The criteria are centred around taking a risk, making a difference and being an inspiration.
Congratulations to the 2020 State Entrepreneur Award Winners:
- ACT – Shane Hill, Founder of Skoolbo
- NSW – Jamila Gordon, CEO and Founder of Lumachain
- QLD – Nick Therkelsen-Terry, CEO and Founder of Max Kelsen
- SA – Dr Michelle Perugini, CEO and Co-founder of Presegen and Life Whisperer
- TAS – Mike Cruse, CEO and Founder of Definium Technologies
- VIC – Grant Petty, CEO and Founder of Blackmagic Design
- WA – To be announced soon!
Program
Wednesday 25 November 2020
- Kelly Hutchinson – Deputy Chair, The Pearcey Foundation
- Wayne Fitzsimmons – Chair, The Pearcey Foundation
The national winner will be announced, from an outstanding cohort of 2020 State Pearcey Entrepreneur of the Year winners.
- Rick Harvey – Chief Judge, Pearcey National Entrepreneur Award Committee
4:15pm
- Wayne Fitzsimmons – Chair, The Pearcey Foundation
- Jon Whittle – Director, CSIRO’s Data61
Join us for a lively conversation, as our guest speakers generously share their valuable insights and personal predictions for what’s in store for 2021!
Speakers include:
- Jamila Gordon – CEO and Founder, Lumachain
- Leanne Kemp – Queensland Chief Entrepreneur
- Elaine Stead – Managing Director, Human VC
- Jon Whittle – Director, CSIRO’s Data61
- Moderated by Simon Foster – Chair, The Pearcey Foundation NSW Committee
- Kelly Hutchinson – Deputy Chair, The Pearcey Foundation
*This program is subject to change
Speakers

Her background includes roles as Group Chief Information Officer of Qantas Airways and Leighton Holdings/CIMIC, and prior to this, as a global executive with IBM based in Europe, leading some of IBM’s largest transformational ‘mega-deals’ with Solectron Manufacturing, AXA Insurance and ABN AMRO Bank.
Jamila has a deep understanding of the corporate world from both a technology and business perspective, and an extensive network spanning the business, technology, start-up and VC worlds, both in Australia and globally.
Jamila’s professional success is made more remarkable by her personal story. She arrived in Australia at the age of 18 having escaped the Somali civil war alone and being virtually homeless in Kenya. Upon arriving in Australia, Jamila began a nine-month course in English at a TAFE college in St George, Sydney before moving to the Gymea campus to complete a diploma in accounting. She then went on to study a Bachelor of Accounting at La Trobe, where she found her passion for programming and IT. She served on the Board of La Trobe University for five years. She currently sits on the Council for Questacon, Australia’s National Science and Technology Centre.

Queensland Chief Entrepreneur
Leanne Kemp is the Founder and CEO of Everledger. With a rich history in innovation, Leanne previously founded three Australian startups including Absoft Queensland, Fastcards, and the Great Australian Survey Company. Her entrepreneurial success has led to her appointment as the first female entrepreneur to hold the position of Queensland Chief Entrepreneur in October 2018, a role to further develop the startup ecosystem, attract investment, and support job creation. Leanne is an appointed member of the World Economic Forum’s Blockchain Council and a Co-chair for the World Trade Board’s Sustainable Trade Action Group and is on the IBM Blockchain Platform Board of Advisors. Her leadership role in technology has been recognised, winning awards including the 2018 Advance Australia Award, Innovator of the Year 2018 at the Women in IT Awards (London) as well as being named in UK Business Insider’s 26 Coolest Women in UK Tech 2016. Leanne was named Brummell Magazine’s Top 30 Female Innovators 2016 and is also an IBM Champion for 2018.

Elaine Stead is a scientist, turned entrepreneur, turned venture capitalist, who has never really completely shed any of these roles. A venture capitalist for the past 13 years, she currently manages the South Australian Venture Capital Fund. She believes deeply in taking a human approach to extract the best out of people, technology and our emerging industries – this means being a partner, developing authentic connections, engaging with vulnerability, an open heart and mind, and to be a truth teller but to do so with compassion. She believes our industry will make the most impact when it’s built on a platform of values that place the human at its core, rigorous intellectual debate, a desire to make better that which can be, and a culture of giving first.

Data61’s strengths are in #artificialintelligence and #machinelearning, #cybersecurity and #privacy preserving technologies, #robotics and #autonomous systems, and #computationalscience. Data61 works across the entirety of CSIRO, collaborating with scientists and engineers in manufacturing, health and biosecurity, agriculture and food, minerals, land and water, oceans and atmosphere, and energy.
Data61 offers computer scientists, data scientists, engineers and designers a unique opportunity to work on cutting edge research that will translate into real-world positive impacts on society.
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