Spark Festival is Australia's largest entrepreneurial community, originating in 2016 as the Sydney Startup Festival. It is a not-for-profit, grassroots festival and community that includes startups, investors, SMEs, government, corporates, and innovators primarily from New South Wales (NSW) and beyond. The festival aims to inspire, connect, and educate participants about the new economy. Spark Festival hosts events throughout the year, mostly free to attend, to ensure accessibility for all. It also features the Spark Investment Network, which connects investor-ready founders with key investors. The festival is supported by various partners, including Investment NSW and ACS Labs.
Team
Maxine Sherrin
Festival Director
Maxine Sherrin is an accomplished program and project management professional based in the Greater Sydney Area, Australia. She is currently working on a contract with the Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner at the Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade. Maxine is renowned for her strategic planning, community engagement, stakeholder management, and event delivery skills, which she showcased as the creator and leader of the Spark Festival, Australia's Festival of Innovation. Her career includes co-founding Web Directions, where she developed strategies for numerous events in the Australian Web industry. Maxine is highly regarded for her ability to build digital communities and her significant contributions to driving innovation in New South Wales.
