Startup essentials: A crash course for founders

Desmond John is a community and ecosystem builder in the Australian startup economy, running events and tours under Vibe Guide Ventures.

With a background of industry engagement at the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, along with capital raising and running accelerator programs, Desmond now runs startup events, ecosystem tours/delegations and community building for clients such as Smart Company, The Startup Network, Wade Institute, Monash Generator, The Commons and Cremorne Digital Hub. 

Frances Goh is the co-founder and CEO of One Roof, a national membership community supporting women entrepreneurs to start, grow and scale their businesses through connection, curated support and practical resources.

An innovation specialist and serial entrepreneur, Frances is passionate about closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship and building ecosystems where women can lead boldly.

She is a 2024 AusMumpreneur Community Award winner, a 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian Australian, a 2025 Governor of Victoria Startup Awards finalist, and was named among the Top 50 Young Entrepreneurs in Victoria and Top 250 in Australia.

Through her work, she continues to advocate for a fairer, better funded future for women led businesses.

Alex Barakat is Director of AI, Business Architecture & Digital Strategy of digibus AI. He is an AI and digital transformation specialist with over 35 years of international experience helping organisations turn technology into real business results.

Alex has worked across the UK, Europe, USA, South East Asia and Australia, supporting businesses of all sizes to adopt AI and emerging technologies in practical, value-focused ways.

His career spans financial services, energy, retail, logistics, government, and education sectors, working with organisations including UniSuper, Wesfarmers, NAB, AEMO, Toll Group, and Australia Post.

As a recently appointed Monash Precinct Network Board Member, Alex is committed to helping businesses across the Network harness AI to unlock new opportunities and competitive advantage

Nazieh Fazli is a Senior Investment Director at Breakthrough Victoria, the Victorian Government's innovation and commercialisation fund.

Her work focuses on helping early-stage companies navigate funding pathways, from grants and co-investment to venture capital and strategic partnerships.

She also teaches Venture Capital and the Startup Ecosystem at Monash University, where she explores how startups raise capital and how the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem operates.

With over 15 years of experience across venture, corporate strategy, and entrepreneurship across Australia, the UK, the US, and Mexico, Nazieh brings a practical, founder-centric perspective on what funders look for and how businesses can position themselves for growth.