Episode Summary:
Cheryl Mack is passionate about supporting founders and has done so in a variety of roles over the years: as a mentor for programs including Startmate and Founder Institute, as CEO of StartCon, as an angel investor with over 10 investments and counting, and most recently as the CEO and founder of Aussie Angels. In her conversation with Adam, she discusses the importance of building communities, and what she sees as the current gaps in the Australian startup ecosystem.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Day One Podcast
00:11 Overview of the Interview Series
00:31 Meet Cheryl Mack
00:36 Introduction to Aussie Angels
00:56 Cheryl's Background in Startups
01:22 Interest in Startups and Entrepreneurship
02:06 The Appeal of Startup Culture
02:34 Education and Its Impact on Career
03:34 Cheryl's Journey into the Startup World
04:08 Moving to Australia
05:00 Working at Freelancer.com
06:01 Starting Starkon
08:18 Challenges in Turning Starkon Around
10:02 The Growth of the Australian Startup Ecosystem
10:34 Comparison of 2015 and Now
11:41 The Role of International Speakers
15:07 Gaps in the Australian Startup Ecosystem
17:58 Funding and Gender Gaps
18:51 Strengths of the Australian Ecosystem
19:01 Unpopular Opinions on Funding Speed
20:34 Advice for New Founders
23:17 Final Thoughts on Policy and Innovation
