One of our favorite parts of the job as a VC is building community.
Creating space for stories to be shared across generations, geographies, and stages is how real ecosystems take shape. Hearing investors like
@kitevc and
@larster reflect on their early investment in
@canva — and the outsized impact that single decision has had on the Australian tech ecosystem— was a powerful reminder of how patient capital, paired with community, can change an entire region.
A belief that innovation can happen anywhere and a love of kiteboarding is what brought Bill to Western Australia more than a decade ago. In 2011, he co-founded what began as the Western Australia Oz Apps Awards with
@taylor_paula ,
@rohanmcd , and Larry Lopez which later became
@westtechfest , now Australia’s largest and longest running tech & innovation festival. The following year, Bill brought Lars over to help judge. This kind of intentional bridge-building matters.
@amandaterry first came to WTF in 2017 and has had the privilege of speaking over the past several years. What keeps bringing her back is the people and a shared belief that ecosystems are built by showing up consistently.
Equally important is giving founders a platform. We were proud to highlight one of our next fund’s portfolio companies, Sovereign Green Compute, which is building renewable AI data centers that are majority co-owned by First Nations people aligning innovation, inclusion, and long-term stewardship.
Deep gratitude to Gordon Cole for the Welcome to Country, and a big thank you to
@bernadettenolivier and
@genevievehohnen from
@thevolte for bringing the WA community together. Thanks to
@lcooke88 of
@spacedraft_ for helping organize such a special lunch at
@lawsonflats . Thank you to
@lisaandrews__ and
@taylor_paula for making it such an awesome week for the
@actaiglobal community!
Ecosystems are built by sharing stories, inspiring others, opening doors, and lifting each other up. 🌏
#actaiventures #westtechfest #WTF #perth #curtinuniversity
