Fifth ACRI emerging leaders networking evening
The Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) welcomed former Fishburners CEO and Startup Muster co-founder Murray Hurps to address our first emerging leaders networking evening for 2019.
In 2018, the University launched UTS Startups, a community focused on engaging, inspiring and connecting students to entrepreneurship opportunities. Murray Hurps is the new Director of Entrepreneurship at UTS. He outlined his vision for UTS to become the leading Australian university in the creation of startups and the divergent challenges startups face in the Australian and Chinese markets. ACRI Director Professor Bob Carr chaired the following Q&A session.
ACRI's emerging leaders networking evenings are an opportunity for young professionals with an interest in Australia-China relations to connect with others in the space and learn from their insights.
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Speaker
Murray Hurps
Murray Hurps is UTS’ first Director of Entrepreneurship, tasked with growing the number of student-founded startups coming out of UTS and nurturing the Ultimo precinct’s vibrant startup environment. Murray plays a key role in developing and sustaining pathways connecting UTS graduates and student founders to the startup ecosystem locally, regionally, and internationally, including commercial accelerators, venture capital and international destinations. Murray also leads initiatives to ensure Ultimo continues to expand its historical position as a significant contributor to Sydney's startup ecosystem.
As part of the leadership team of the UTS Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit, led by Executive Director Professor Margaret Maile Petty, Murray contributes to the strategic direction of the unit, driven by a cross-faculty approach.
Murray is passionate about Australian startups, and sees the biggest risk and opportunity for Australia to be the number of people launching scalable companies. He believes universities are uniquely positioned to move Australia's entrepreneurial needle in the right direction and is committed to ensuring UTS provides the best encouragement and support to the largest number of potential startup founders.
Murray has a long list of credentials in the Australian startup ecosystem, with a 20-year career spanning an array of ventures and organisations. He is well-known for his role as CEO of Fishburners from 2014 to 2017, growing it into Australia’s largest startup community from 100 desks to 750 desks and supporting 845 startups in that time.
