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Nicole O'Brien

Director, Operations, Investor Group on Climate Change · Former CEO at Fishburners

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Nicole O'Brien

About Nicole O'Brien

Nicole O'Brien is Director, Operations at the Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) and the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change.

She was previously chief executive of Fishburners, the not-for-profit co-working space and community for tech startup founders, which she joined in April 2019. Before that she was company secretary at ACON Health, where she led strategic and business planning along with commercial operations, finance and other functions, and she spent a decade at YWCA NSW, including as director of marketing. She holds an MBA and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

On The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem interview series, she described the startup ecosystem as overwhelmingly positive.

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2 episodes

Start hereNicole O’Brien: The startup ecosystem is overwhelmingly positiveHer dedicated interview, recorded while she ran Fishburners, on why she saw the startup ecosystem as overwhelmingly positive.

Documentary: The History Of The Australian Startup Ecosystem

The History Of The Australian Startup Ecosystem - Part 6

With Leslie Delaforce, Darryl Lyons, Megan Sebben, Wayne Gerard, Alex Carpenter, Evan Thornley, Baden U'Ren, Tim Fung, Trevor Folsom, Peter Davison, Craig Swann, Moira Were, Colette Grgic, Allan O'Connor, Rachael Neumann, Chad Renando, Annie Parker, Brendan Hill, Aaron Birkby, Malcolm Turnbull, Jodie Fox, Susan Oliver, Silvia Pfeiffer, Yolanda Redrup, Andrew Nunn, Melissa Widner, Alfred Lo, Sarah Pearson, Phil Hayes-St Clair, Colin Kinner, Lauren Capelin, Matt Barrie, Kate Cornick, Cheryl Mack, Andrea Gardiner, Niki Scevak

Go straight to the good bits.

Key moments from Nicole O’Brien: The startup ecosystem is overwhelmingly positive.

  1. 0:29Meet Nicole O'Brien
  2. 0:35Nicole's Role at Fishburners
  3. 0:56Involvement in the Startup Ecosystem
  4. 2:20Comparison with Silicon Valley
  5. 3:03Australia's Investment Landscape
  6. 3:33Right Track for the Community
  7. 4:26Limitations of Isolation
  8. 5:34Technology Bridging Gaps
  9. 6:40Unique Aspects of Australian Entrepreneurs
  10. 7:28Nurturing Entrepreneurial Mindset

In their own words.

“Surround yourself by other smart people. People that have been there before, that have got skills that can fill in some of those skills gaps you might not have.”
Nicole O'Brien — Nicole O’Brien: The startup ecosystem is overwhelmingly positiveThe History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 8 March 2022

The path so far.

  1. Now

    Director, Operations, Investor Group on Climate Change

  2. Until 2019

    Company Secretary; Head of Strategic & Business Planning · ACON Health

  3. Earlier

    Director of Marketing · YWCA NSW

Sources: thebusinessconversation.com.au

Across the network.

Spot something wrong? Suggest a correctionUpdated 29 October 2026

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