Episode Summary:
Alex Scandurra is the founding CEO of Stone & Chalk, a not-for-profit organisation which aims to support Australian startups, scaleups, corporations and governments at every stage of their innovation journey. Alex is also Co-Founder and Director of Spark Festival, a two week program of events covering all things startup, innovation and entrepreneurship. In his conversation with guest host Will Tjo, Alex discusses the aspects of Australia’s start ecosystem growth that have exceeded his expectations, as well as some of the areas he thinks we could be improving.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Day One Podcast
00:33 Meet Alex Scandurra
00:44 Alex's Current Projects: Stone & Chalk and Spark Festival
02:11 Alex's Journey to Entrepreneurship
03:22 First Impressions of the Startup Ecosystem
04:49 Transition from Corporate to Startup
06:11 Reasons for Returning to Australia
07:26 Differences Between London and Australian Startup Ecosystems
09:44 Growth of FinTech in Australia
10:54 Catalysts Driving Growth in the Australian Startup Ecosystem
12:36 Importance of Global Perspective for Founders
15:35 Opportunities for Collaboration in the Ecosystem
17:03 Suggestions for Improving Commercialization
20:42 Key Takeaways for Policymakers and Corporates
22:23 Advice for New Founders
23:50 Closing Remarks
