Year 9 and 10 students are at a critical decision-making point in their lives and we need them.
2024 UTS Startups Summit
We are opening expressions of interest for our next UTS Startups Summit during the NSW School Term 1, 2026! Join Australia's largest event to inspire and support young tech-enabled entrepreneurs, hosted by Australia's largest university startup community.
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The UTS Startups Summit brought students in years 9 and 10 at school together for a day of inspiration around entrepreneurship by hearing from young entrepreneurs at UTS about their work, who they are and how others can follow their example.
we're at the UTS startup Summit down at
the ICC in Sydney we are here to see
interesting entrepreneurs this young
diverse interesting backgrounds using
technology and interesting ways to
create their own jobs determine their
own way of
working I think now is the time but it's
always been the time to consider
entrepreneurship one thing if you look
back at history entrepreneurs have made
the biggest changes to the way we live
and I think that's incredibly exciting
and in this new era of AI and digital
technology and humanoid robots there's
no greater time to be at the Forefront
of technology and think about how you
can change what the future is going to
be for the
better be
afid I hope that the students were at
least a little bit inspired by the talks
that they see and maybe consider for the
first time a non-ad
path forward out of high school it is a
viable and completely rational choice
for the kids to
make now is probably one of the best
times in the world to consider
entrepreneurship there's so many really
exciting things happening AI is one of
them where young people can build really
amazing things faster than ever before
one of the key messages I want them to
take away is that you can really build
your own luck as long as you work hard
um and do the things you enjoy I think
the possibilities are
endless teachers should really think
about like looking at each student and
how can you teach them initiative and
teach them sort of how do they
self-learn CU when you get out of school
you don't have a teacher so how can you
have those basic skill sets I think the
other thing is what I find fascinating
is at school we never learned how to do
taxes we never learned what a p&l sheet
was we didn't even learn you know the
basics of the things that you need to do
to build a business or getting started
or putting up a landing page how do you
look for a customer so I think there's
some basic skills that not just in being
an entrepreneur but you can use at at a
workplace environment as well how do we
bring that into like everyday
schooling Li the dreams we will
complete failure fuel the fire inside
three things I'd like students to get
out of coming here today one start now
it's never too late to start working on
on your interest and pursuing some typee
of idea second you have all the tools
you need um go for it right now you have
chat GPT you have ai you have YouTube
and then third uh do something you love
be obsessed with what you do and then
working on it would just be
natural I think sometimes when you want
to start a business it can be really
crippling when you think about how many
options there are you're always thinking
oh my God I want to have this billion
dooll Tech business where is that going
to start and we're too focused on where
it should be in 10 years time when
really all you need to focus on is the
very next step and it kind of doesn't
matter what that next step is you'll
know that the product you create will
always keep on changing so it's just a
matter of getting there first and what
is meant to be in the future will always
come from those first steps that you
take I hope the students take away from
this event today that you can do it I
know it sounds like a nikee slogan but
you really can we have more access to
technology and information more than
we've ever had before and the thing that
you need to be able to do is believe in
yourself and believe that you were
capable to do the things even when you
don't think you are do them anyway prove
to yourself you can because you really
can disg
Students heard from young entrepreneurs with backgrounds like their own, sharing what they’re doing, how they’re doing it, who they are and how those watching can take their first steps. We want to provide teachers with information on careers that use tech skills outside the technology industry. We provided young people with a holistic overview of how tech skills can lead to careers in a range of industries.
The audience was primarily made up of high school students, some teachers and school staff, education stakeholders, and event partners. The event was hosted by the UTS Startups team and the ICC Sydney.
WHEN: Tuesday 3 December 2024
10-2pm (9am arrival time)
WHERE: ICC Sydney Theatre - ICC Sydney, 14 Darling Drive (a short walk from Darling Harbour and Central Station)
Theme for the year
AI in Action: Witness live demonstrations that showcase the power of AI and technology. Your students will gain firsthand experience with cutting-edge technology that will enable them to start their entrepreneurial journey straight away.
UTS Startups speakers
Designed to show current, relatable examples of what’s possible for young entrepreneurs, UTS Startups lined up speakers who were in the same position as the audience not so long ago, wondering where their future was headed and what career options were available.
Cliff Obrecht, Co-Founder of Canva - Keynote speaker
Learn from one of Australia’s most successful tech entrepreneurs.
| Cliff Obrecht is COO and co-founder of Canva, an online visual communication and collaboration platform with a mission to empower the whole world to design. Since launching in 2013, Canva has grown to more than 85 million monthly users around the world, and has achieved the milestone of more than $1 billion in annualized revenue. From presentations to videos and websites, more than 13 billion designs have been created with the platform (that’s 180 designs every second) across more than 190 different countries and in over 100 different languages. In the last couple of years, as millions of people around the world embraced a hybrid way of working, Canva experienced its biggest period of hypergrowth yet and continues to go from strength to strength thanks to a global team of more than 3,000 people. In 2021, Canva was valued at $40 billion, following a $200m funding round. This saw it become one of the most valuable private software companies in the world. Individual creators, small businesses, teams and the Fortune 500 are embracing the power of design, photos, collaboration features,videos and even sound to cut through the noise and achieve their goals using Canva. Cliff got his start in business in 2007, after graduating from a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education at the University of Western Australia. He and CEO, Melanie Perkins, then founded Fusion Books, which took the idea of a simple design tool, and applied it to the niche market of school yearbooks. Over five years, Fusion Books grew into the largest yearbook company in Australia, and expanded into France and New Zealand. Having known all along that the technology could be applied more broadly, the Canva product was soon brought to life. |
Jade Tan-Holmes, Science Communicator at Up and Atom Youtube Channel - MC and Host
With over 770,000 subscribers, hear how Jade is "Making hard stuff less hard" with her entertaining YouTube channel about physics.
| Jade Tan-Holmes is an Australian YouTuber who runs the “Up and Atom” video channel. She attended the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia and earned a Bachelor of Applied Science with a focus in Physics. She launched her YouTube channel in 2016. The channel features lively and entertaining introductory videos about popular physics explained at the everyman from the bachelor’s degree level. Her motto is "Making hard stuff less hard." She has earned more than 760,000 subscribers on her Up and Atom channel. She was awarded the Vsauce Fellowship in 2020. |
Marcus Radice-Jones, Founder of Velio and Grow Your Gaming Youtube Channel
Hear how he amassed nearly 40 million YouTube views and started a six-figure online business.
| Marcus Jones is a 23-year-old entrepreneur and content creator. Starting his career as a YouTuber, Marcus quickly made a mark in the industry, joining one of the top marketing agencies in Wollongong and working his way up to Chief Strategist at 19 years old. Along his professional journey, Marcus has built multiple successful online businesses, has personally reached +50,000,000 YouTube views, has worked with clients in 89 different countries (including HarperColins, Disney Radio, TikTok, Football Australia, Super Rugby, Logitech, Epic Games, Wondershare, and Fiverr), was invited to become an Industry Fellow of UTS, launched a software company Velio.co, and has mastered the art of writing bios that make him sound like a complete douche. |
Nakisah Williams, Founder of Craft Club
Hear from the Founder of Australia's fastest-growing craft e-commerce platform.
| Nakisah is the founder of Craft Club, Australia's fastest growing craft ecommerce platform. Craft Club's mission is to empower creativity with it's easy and unique DIY kits. Their best-selling rug making kits have reached thousands of customers all over the globe. With extensive experience in fashion buying, retail and marketing, Nakisah has scaled Craft Club over the last two years creating a vibrant community of craft lovers who adore the brand. |
Brett Fox, Founder of Photzy
Discover the story behind a leading photography education startup.
| Brett Fox turned a simple idea into Photzy.com, a global online photography school with over 250,000 paying customers. Taking a more unconventional path to become an entrepreneur, he believes that success is built on having difficult conversations, and taking big risks. Now a multimillion-dollar business, Photzy.com represents Brett’s mission to help people discover and share their creative side. |
Isuru Wanasinghe, Founder of Bears Gratitude
Hear from the team behind a suite of cute lifestyle apps.
| A husband-and-wife team behind a suite of cute lifestyle apps featuring a Bear and a cast of whimsical characters facing the ups and downs of life. Their app Bears Gratitude was the winner in the Delight and Fun category of the Apple Design Awards 2024, and they’re currently working on their first indie game. |
Jesaiah Creek, Founder of SaxApp
Hear how 17-year-old Jesaiah built SaxApp, a way for anyone to learn how to play the saxophone using just their phone.
| Jesaiah Creek is a 17-year-old Australian student who loves playing the saxophone. Using Apple's Swift programming language, Jesaiah built SaxApp, a way for anyone to learn how to play the saxophone using just their phone. Jesaiah has been the recipient of international awards, including the 2024 & 2023 Apple Swift Student Challenge, 2023 Australian Defence Force Future Innovators Award, and the 2022 National Young ICT Explorers Award. Beyond coding and music, Jesaiah enjoys building model rockets and teaching programming skills to others. |
Holly Cardew, Founder of Carted
Hear insights from the founder of a groundbreaking e-commerce platform.
| Holly Cardew is the Founder and CEO of Carted, a company transforming how we shop. Carted’s vision is simple: to make shopping better for shoppers. By focusing on shopper needs, Carted has created the ultimate wishlist app that helps people organise and manage their shopping while notifying them of any price changes and stock availability. Holly and the team continue to build on what Carted is today, building solutions for every part of the shopping journey—from finding inspiration to making better, more informed shopping decisions. |
Storm Menzies, Founder of ByStorm Beauty
Hear how Stoem built accessibility tools for makeup application.
| Storm Menzies is the founder of ByStorm Beauty, a brand dedicated to making beauty accessible to all. Born with mild cerebral palsy, Storm knows firsthand how challenging traditional makeup products can be for people with physical limitations. This realisation inspired her to create a line of inclusive beauty tools that empower everyone to feel confident and beautiful, regardless of their abilities. Leading a small but passionate team, Storm is bringing ByStorm's mission of inclusive beauty to a broader audience, challenging industry norms and advocating for a future where beauty truly belongs to everyone. |
Annie Liao, Founder of Build Club
Hear from 23-year-old Annie Liao, who recently raised $1.2 million for her AI education platform.
| Forbes 30u30 2024, Ex-BCG strategy consultant, former chief of staff at a Series A AI startup. Background in venture capital focused on early stage AI investments (2x board observer in AI startups) and data science. Annie Liao recently successfully raised $1.8M for Build Club. |
AI demonstration speakers
- AI Presenter with Paniora Nukunuku (Nuks)
- AI Image Mockups with Danny Wu, Head of AI Products at Canva
- AI Music with Aaron Ngan, UTS Startups
- Coding with Aaron Ngaan, UTS Startups
High school speakers
A key feature of the day was a short showcase of current student entrepreneurs.
- Emily F. (Year 12, Maronite College of the Holy Family)
- Edward W. (Year 8, Redlands)
- Fiona F. (Year 12, MLC)
- Gracie A. (Year 12, Rose Bay Secondary College)
Information for schools
Information for schools and attending parents and guardians is accessible via the UTS Startups Summit Schools Briefing Portal.
Event Contact
Jane Oja, UTS Events & Program Coordinator
0450 128 847
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