"I naturally thrive in the fast-paced startup environment and pride myself on making things happen."
Pandora Shelley (B Business 2014) is a proven startup executive with 10+ years of strategic experience in innovative, high-impact organizations.
She spent over eight years growing Fishburners into the largest tech startup coworking incubator in the Southern Hemisphere with over 2,000 startups and supporting over 100,000 people across numerous locations.
In 2019, Pandora was awarded as one of the top four of the highly-competitive 2019 Telstra Business Women's Awards and was the UTS Alumni Award (Business) winner.
Currently in New York, Pandora is the VP of Operations at Qwick - connecting food & beverage professional who want on-demand work with businesses who need them.
The UTS Business School asked Pandora for her thoughts and recollections for an alumni profile:
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Why did you choose to study at UTS? |
I knew I wanted to study business, but I didn’t quite know what field I would end up working in. I remember talking to a UTS rep at a university job fair who explained the flexibility UTS offered around their business majors. With a dream of having my own business one day, the other major deciding factor was UTS Business School’s very early focus on entrepreneurship. At the time, no other universities seemed to offer any entrepreneurship classes. |
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What lessons, tips, and experiences do you use now that you learnt from your time at UTS? |
One of the best skills I learnt at UTS was how to work effectively with a group of diverse people. I learnt that not everybody thinks, operates, or communicates the same way. The Bachelor of Business required a ton of group assignments, and I would almost always be in a group with new people. Although very challenging at times, it helped me be more adaptable and learn how to communicate with different people effectively. I remember for one class, the teacher preassigned the groups. After some students’ upset, I remember the lecturer saying, “you’re not always going to be able to choose who you work with”- she was right! One of the most useful hard skills I took away was the pricing analysis framework from my marketing major. It’s incredibly valuable, especially in the startup world, where many companies take a more qualitative approach to pricing decisions. |
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What would you say to a prospective student who is considering study at UTS? |
University is not the end of your learning road! Don’t feel the pressure to choose a course you think you “should do,” start with a class you “would love to do.” UTS has a fantastic range of courses you can take and offers terrific flexibility, so don’t be afraid to mix and match. If your circumstances allow, I encourage getting some real-life work experience. My studies made so much more sense when I was able to use them in a real business context. I started working at Fishburners in my second year, and my grades went up a ton as I was able to bring real-world examples to my studies and consider the coursework in an applied context. |
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Do you have a favourite recollection from your time at UTS (a memorable academic, a funny experience, etc.)? |
They say university is all about the people you meet. While I thought that meant future business contacts, I ended up meeting my partner in a marketing class 10 years ago! |
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Tell us a bit about your background (your family, where you grew up, key experiences like studying abroad or volunteering), and how that might have influenced your life? |
I come from a family of entrepreneurs. My father came to Australia with a single dollar in his pocket. He started a clothing manufacturing business, which he turned into a very successful venture. I would often visit the factory as a child and developed an early infatuation with entrepreneurship. He died when I was seven years old, and I learned that life is short, so you need to make the most of it. This life lesson has often led me to take the unconventional path - joining Fishburners and later leaving my job as CEO to chase my dream of living in NYC. He always taught me the importance of giving back. Since early 2019, I’ve mentored Esnath, an inspirational Zimbabwean entrepreneur through the Resolution Project. I’ve worked in startups for the last ten years, which has influenced my passion for innovation and doing things that will make a positive impact on the world. |
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What do you feel is special about UTS? |
I think UTS has always been ahead of the curve. They continually look for and implement new and innovative ways of providing education. From studying at UTS and then working with UTS in the startup community, I was impressed with their willingness to adapt and change as our world does. They understand the old way isn’t always the best way, and education needs to evolve constantly. I continue to appreciate and value their focus on building the practical skills necessary for succeeding in the modern workplace. |
If you would like to share your UTS Alumni Story, please complete the UTS Business School Alumni Profile template - we would love to share your story.