This Month
‘Eyes wide open’: Female founders swap safety for satisfaction
These women had their pick of traditional careers but chose to make something entirely of their own.
Turning trash into treasure for passion and profit
Australians jettison 540kg of rubbish a year. Kylie Wallace saw the opportunity to make a business out of saving junk from landfill.
January
The quiet rise of Australia’s newest billionaire Katrina Leslie
Katrina Leslie avoided attention for years, but her software firm Swipejobs did not. It drew in a who’s who of big backers, with plans for an IPO this year.
October 2025
Bain consultant’s dog inspires $220m fortune and Young Rich List spot
When Ukrainian immigrant Anna Podolsky adopted a kitten at 12, she never imagined her love for animals would eventually land her on the Young Rich List.
September 2025
The O&M founder had one big idea. It became a global haircare empire
This female founder came to Sydney as a backpacker and now runs a business. She talks to Lauren Sams, a host of the How I Made It podcast.
Forrest, Zampatti families fund VC to back women start-up founders
The children of the late fashion designer Carla Zampatti are among cornerstone backers of a new venture capital fund that exclusively invests in female-led businesses.
A 25-year-old Melburnian now has a $100m robot helper start-up
Female founders are still struggling to receive funding, but Grace Brown’s robotics start-up Andromeda just banked a $23 million series A funding round.
July 2025
The Sydney florist who made $300 bouquets normal
Florals? They became groundbreaking because of this woman. Grandiflora founder Saskia Havekes is a rebel who revolutionised how Australia sees flowers.
March 2025
NSW plans investment funds to boost innovation and productivity
Strategic investment and emerging technology commercialisation funds will be considered for June budget, innovation minister Anoulack Chanthivong reveals
Australia’s 75 richest women now control a record $179b
Tech, mining and a booming beauty sector helped fuel a 19 per cent surge in fortunes in the past year, as 11 new faces made the list.
February 2025
Quotas won’t produce more female founders in VC. Here’s what will
Filling innovation funding gaps will boost female founders, suburbs and regions, former Tech Council chief executive Kate Pounder says.
November 2024
How a jibe from this CEO’s teenage daughter triggered a career rethink
Kate Galvin, the chief executive of the $92 billion Victorian Funds Management Corporation, hadn’t applied for a new job in 23 years and, without realising it, needed a push.
July 2024
‘Not good enough’: Blackbird admits its gender pledge has stalled
Australia’s largest VC fund pledged to track data to support its rhetoric around investing in more women founders. Its first report shows it has gone backwards.
December 2023
VC pitching platform helps founders find investors
It can be a nightmare for entrepreneurs to access backers for their start-ups, but some of the biggest investors in the industry are jumping on a new online marketplace.
August 2023
From riches to rags to riches again: Tamara Ralph’s couture comeback
Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow and Meghan Markle wore her designs, then everything fell apart. Now she’s back in the spotlight – in more ways than one.
June 2023
From the Hyatt front desk to fintech start-up founder
Trenna Probert was 24 and working the front desk at the Park Hyatt in Sydney when a customer noticed she had the gift of the gab.
From sleeping in the warehouse to $40m in sales
A focus on the four Ps – product, price, place and promotion – has helped Hannah Drury’s business grow at 30 to 40 per cent a year.
May 2023
‘Don’t care what other people think’: This founder’s key to success
Gabrielle Manning was climbing the ladder of a corporate career in the fashion industry until, in her early 30s, she and two of her sisters quit their jobs to go it alone.
Fraudster Elizabeth Holmes isn’t fooling anyone (but she keeps trying)
The Theranos founder understood that almost everyone – journalists, investors, patients, doctors – can be swayed by a pat narrative.
Chief Executive Women’s new push: Free childcare
Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz is determined to ensure Chief Executive Women under her presidency continues its transition from being a voice for “elite” women to a voice for all women.
