Evan Thornley
Co-Founder & CEO at Longview
Evan Thornley is a prominent Australian entrepreneur and executive known for his significant contributions to technology and social ventures. He is currently the Executive Chair at LongView, a leading firm in residential property buying and management in Australia. Thornley has been a property investor for over 30 years and has focused on addressing Australia's housing challenges through innovative solutions like the Shared Equity Fund.Thornley co-founded LookSmart, the first Australian high-tech company to achieve NASDAQ listing and unicorn status, delivering a 100x return to venture capital investors. He also co-founded GoodStart, Australia's largest social venture and the world's largest early childhood education provider. His career includes a brief stint in public office as Parliamentary Secretary to the Premiers of Victoria and co-founding the public policy think tank Per Capita and the activist network GetUp!.Thornley began his career at McKinsey & Company and holds degrees in Law and Commerce from the University of Melbourne. His diverse experience spans technology, social entrepreneurship, public policy, and property investment, making him a key figure in both the business and social sectors in Australia.
In their own words
From Evan Thornley discusses the evolution of the startup ecosystem · The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview SeriesIf you're one year ahead of the competition in Silicon Valley, mate, you're a genius. If you're two years ahead of the market, the market might be trying to tell you something.
Career
- Now Co-Founder & CEO · Longview
- From 2014 Executive Chair · Same Business Different Outcome
- 2012–2013 · Scale-up Global CEO · Better Place LLC
- 2009–2012 · Scale-up CEO · Better Place Australia
- Earlier Co-founder · Goodstart Consortium
- Earlier Founding Director · GetUp!
- Earlier Founding Chair · Per Capita
- Earlier · Scale-up Co-founder · LookSmart
- 1991–1995 Management Consultant · McKinsey & Company
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Key moments
Jump straight to the part of Evan Thornley discusses the evolution of the startup ecosystem you want.
- 0:11 Overview of Australian Startup Ecosystem
- 0:29 Guest Introduction: Evan Thornley
- 0:40 Evan's Current Role at Longview
- 1:09 Evan's Early Entrepreneurial Days
- 1:21 First Startup Experience in University
- 2:06 Starting LookSmart and Insights on Search
- 3:42 The Internet Boom and Crazy Valuations
- 4:51 Challenges Post-Bust and Running LookSmart
- 6:36 The Decision to Leave LookSmart
- 7:43 Reflections on LookSmart's Journey
Heard on
▶
▶
▶
▶
▶ Longview on Day One
LongView is an Australian company focused on providing equitable and accessible housing solutions. They offer a range of services including property management, buyer… 1 person · 5 episodes → Connections
Adam SpencerHost, Documentary: The History Of The Australian Startup Ecosystem
Mark PesceFuturist & Host, The Next Billion Seconds, The Next Billion Seconds
Hayden WilliamsGroup Product Manager, MYOB
Tim FungFounder & CEO, Airtasker, Airtasker
Trevor FolsomCo-Founder and Chairman, Investible
Peter DavisonFormer Co-Founder, Fishburners, Fishburners
Pete LeadCoach, Scalable Leaders, Scalable Leaders
Terry HilsbergPartner, Fork Ventures, Fork Ventures Spot something wrong? Suggest a correction Updated 25 September 2026
Want a show of your own?
W2D1 Media — the team behind the Day One Network, which helped build Blackbird Ventures' Wild Hearts — builds and produces podcasts for funds, founders and operators. If you want a show built around your brand, let's talk.