An event for People professionals scaling thriving startups.
For People professionals building the teams, culture, and practices that fuel startup success. Learn from startup People experts who have done it before—real expertise, no fluff, just actionable strategies that move the needle.
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People fuel startup success.
But scaling the teams, culture, and practices that drive growth is no small feat.
We’re assembling a powerhouse lineup of People experts with firsthand startup experience to share practical, no-fluff insights—real strategies that drive real impact. From attracting and retaining top talent to building scalable systems, this event will deliver actionable takeaways you can apply.
Professionals
& Experts
Day
Schedule
Where today’s People leaders shape tomorrow’s workplaces
Thursday, 31 July 2025 | 09:00am to 04:00pm AEST
Full schedule coming soon. In the meantime, preview our track themes 👇
Talent Acquisition, Onboarding & Growth
Focus: Attracting, hiring, and scaling the right talent efficiently in a startup environment.
People Operations & Systems
Focus: Building the foundational systems and processes for efficient people management.
Compensation, Benefits & Transparency
Focus: Designing competitive, fair, and scalable compensation frameworks.
Culture & Engagement
Focus: Creating a strong, authentic culture that scales with the business.
Leadership & Strategic Influence
Focus: Equipping People leaders with the skills to influence, lead, and drive business outcomes.
Speakers
Meet the experts shaping startup People practices
An all-star roster of leading People professionals, startup operators, and founders who have built and scaled high-performing teams—and are ready to share what really works.
SESSION:
Maps, missteps, and momentum: Scaling People practices at startup speed
Adam Axon
SESSION:
Creating a culture of hiring / Employer branding on a budget
Alexia Ellmers
SESSION:
People science for startups: Building a culture of excellence and engagement
Allen Lee
SESSION:
Scaling comp strategies for Startups
Ange Morgan
SESSION:
Culture and lessons from TikTok
Anitta Krishan
SESSION:
Panel: The value of outside perspectives for today’s People leaders
Ashleigh Loughnan
SESSION:
Writing policies that don't suck (and achieve business goals too!)
Aubrey Blanche-Sarellano
SESSION:
Automate the manual, amplify the human: AI’s real role in startup HR
Bianca Hill
SESSION:
Do the work you’re afraid to do and build the culture you keep asking for
Christian Miran
SESSION:
The conversations that make or break a Manager
Damon Klotz
SESSION:
Can we really 'fail fast' in HR?
David Ky
SESSION:
F!...
Deepak Singh
SESSION:
The People & Culture edge: Building investable companies through people, culture & leadership
Erika Enberg
SESSION:
Making change is exciting, not scary
Felicity Davis
SESSION:
Why work isn't working
Georgina Robilliard
SESSION:
Culture and AI: The high-stakes leadership play
Hiam Sakakini
SESSION:
People & Culture: The view from VC
Jess Blomfield
SESSION:
How to pay people when there’s no playbook compensation 101: Building a pay strategy for growth
Jonathan Morgan
SESSION:
From Founder fallout to team toxicity: The hidden employee relations landmines in startups
Kate Williams
SESSION:
When shit goes down, you’ve gotta step up
Kimberley Gilmour
SESSION:
People not paperwork
Kimberly Burns
SESSION:
Culture and lessons from TikTok
Laura Chuck
SESSION:
Make it count: How to turn everyday work into career development
Lisa Lie
SESSION:
Nailing performance management with a product-led mindset
Mark Lewis
SESSION:
The startup’s guide to building a clear, confident pay position
Matt McFarlane
SESSION:
Lead like a scientist: Run the experiments that move your forward
May Samali
SESSION:
Maps, missteps, and momentum: Scaling People practices at startup speed
Megan Trotter
SESSION:
What your Founder/CEO won’t tell you… and how to use that to your advantage
Nic Hopkins
SESSION:
Why it’s ok to roll it back (and why that builds trust)
Rachael Goodenough
SESSION:
Getting the top team right
Raechel Gavin
SESSION:
People role from a VC perspective
Reshmi Buthello
SESSION:
The conversations you’re not having
Samantha Gadd
SESSION:
Belonging from the beginning
Siân Govind
SESSION:
Why work isn't working
Stefan Bramble
SESSION:
Building a talent engine that fuels scale
Stefan Welack
SESSION:
The death of best practices / First principles thinking in action
Susan Chen
SESSION:
The biggest mistakes companies make when hiring
Tova Angsuwat
Powered by brands that are empowering startups
The Startup People Summit is backed by brands that empower startups and the People leaders driving their success.
Startup People Summit is made possible with the support of our major sponsors
We’re also proudly sponsored by
Tickets
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Don’t miss your chance to be part of the first-ever Startup People Summit. Secure your spot—and bring your whole team along for the ride. Get your tickets here.
MVP Pass
Access to live sessions
Unicorn Pass
Access to live sessions
Access to session recordings
Exclusive resources & materials
Exclusive access to community platform
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