Emily Rich is an accomplished executive and entrepreneur based in Sydney, Australia. She is currently the Executive Director at Hola and a Partner at M8 Ventures, a venture capital fund focused on early-stage tech and product commercialization. Emily co-founded a machine learning and computer vision startup, which was acquired by a publicly listed IoT company in 2017. She has also served as the Managing Director of Startups for APAC at Microsoft, where she helped startups grow and scale with a founder-first approach. Emily holds a Bachelor of Information Technology in Networking and Security from the University of South Australia and has been recognized with several awards for her innovation and project management skills. She is also a former board member of Girls in Tech - Australia.

Alan Jones is a seasoned tech investor, founder coach, and radio host with over 25 years of experience in the tech industry. Currently, he serves as a Limited Partner at Co Ventures, Australia's first dedicated pre-seed venture fund, and as a General Partner at M8 Ventures, where he invests in early-stage tech startups from Australia and New Zealand. Alan is passionate about supporting entrepreneurship in diverse and underrepresented groups, including women, LGBTQI+, refugees, migrants, and young people.In addition to his investment activities, Alan co-hosts "The Advisory Board," a radio show and podcast on Disrupt Radio, offering advice to startup professionals. He is a frequent speaker at events and in the media, sharing insights on lean startup methodologies, product strategy, growth marketing, and capital raising.Alan's career includes roles as an angel investor, mentor, and advisor to numerous startups and organizations. He has a strong commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, making significant contributions to the startup ecosystem in Australia and beyond.