Kirstin Hunter

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Kirstin Hunter

Techstars Managing Director (NSW)

Kirstin is the Managing Director (NSW) at Techstars and an experienced startup executive with a particular focus on purpose-driven fintech businesses. Kirstin co-founded Future Super, an Australian-based superannuation (pension) fund that differentiates through ethical and fossil fuel free investment strategies and shareholder advocacy, and currently has over AU$10B under management and advice. Kirstin has also held executive, board and mentoring roles with several other prominent organisations within the Australian startup ecosystem. Prior to her entrepreneurial career Kirstin worked as a management consultant with Bain & Company and a lawyer with Herbert Smith Freehills.

Related Sessions

Australia’s tech scaleup ecosystem – how are we faring internationally?

THU, OCT 19, 1:30 PM
Conference
Australia is a nation of innovators, but how do we compare and compete with other countries in the global economy? Join us for the launch of the "Tech Scaleup Australia 2023 Report” by global experts MTB. Exploring the findings, the Panel will discuss the state of innovation in Australia, the challenges and opportunities it faces, and the best practices and lessons learned from its innovation journey. Whether you are an entrepreneur, a policymaker or just curious to find out more, this panel discussion will inspire you to think creatively and critically about the future of innovation.

Innovating for a Net-Zero Future: The Climate Tech Imperative

MON, OCT 16, 11:30 AM
Conference
Reaching net zero calls for major innovation to bring new technologies to market as soon as possible, and trillions in investment in the coming decades. Learn how research organisations, start-ups, investors and corporates are collaborating on the path towards net zero, and the importance of climate tech investment to get us there. Brought to you by CommBank.

Mythbusters: Aussie Startup Culture Edition

WED, OCT 18, 3:00 PM
Conference
Mythology is usually associated with ancient civilisations, religious groups and footy clubs. But, in many ways there is a mythology that develops around any community of like minded, passionate people. A startup ecosystem is no exception. There are stories about gods and heroes in the form of legendary founders and their plights and victories. Often founders are considered heroes who triumph over adversity into great success. There are shared beliefs about how we define success, and a sense of shared identity. But to what extent do these beliefs reflect reality? What aspects of the mythology created in the relatively short history of Australian startup culture help us thrive, and which beliefs hinder us from triumphing and achieving success? Our panellists will provide their perspectives on questions such as: - What’s unique about Australian startup culture that we should be proud of? - How does the current ‘mythology’ have a negative influence on the ecosystem? - Is there too much positive bias towards founders who come from successful Aussie startups (e.g. Canva/ Atlassian)? - What barriers exist for founders coming from non-traditional backgrounds and how can we remove these? - Are we growing startups that align with our strengths & what the Australian economy needs?
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