Brand Strategy Sydney

Sarah Stokes/Karina Smith Cultivating an Adaptive mindset

Welcome Back CCX Sydney to our Events for 2026 from myself, Lydia, Sylvia and James and we are planning a bumper selection of speakers for the new year. Our Fourth event on June 16th will be a interactive workshop from our two speakers Sarah Stokes and Karina Smith who will speak to the proposition of cultivating an Adaptive Mindset We will be again kindly hosted by our friends at Accenture Song. More details to follow soon on the venue location (Barangaroo) **IMPORTANT NOTE FOR THIS SESSION!** **An Important detail is that due to gaining entry to Accenture we will need any CCX Member planning to attend this session to supply us with their First and Last name in advance of attending.** NOTE: On this occasion we will not be able to accept Members who do not supply these details. Many thanks CCX Sydney. About Sarah and Karina's workshop **Interactive workshop: Cultivating an adaptive mindset for yourself and your work.** Now more than ever our capacity for change must meet the challenges we face at work and in the world. We know less about what the future looks like, so we need to be ready to face unknown whilst experiencing rapid change in the face of AI and other societal issues. This interactive workshop will start by establishing an understanding of what it means to be adaptive, followed by an approach attendees can personalise to their circumstances. People in this community are often facilitators and agents for change, let's apply our design thinking methods to how we work as well as what we produce. **About Sarah Stokes** Sarah has over 25 years of experience in the world of experience design, including leading product design teams at Atlassian, Domain, and Westpac. She holds a Master's in Business Coaching and has coached design and product leaders for nearly a decade. Sarah is curious about how we harness our human skills in design. She’s spoken on a number of topics including influence, wisdom, feedback culture, cognitive bias and good listening. **About Karina Smith** Karina is an award-winning strategic and service design leader with over 30 years’ experience helping government and social enterprises navigate operational complexity. She specialises in business improvement and service design, building the integrated systems and processes required to help large-scale organisations work more effectively and deliver measurable outcomes. Prior to her current work as a solo consultant, Karina was a Principal at Meld Studios, one of Australia’s most highly regarded and awarded service design consultancies. Therefore don't miss out on a place at our first interactive workshop CCX Sydney event for 2026, as seats will be limited for this session.

Stranger Soccer's 6-a-side match @ Fairfield!

Hey mates! If you're looking for a 6-a-side kickoff, we have it happening at **Fairfield every Tuesday from 6-7 pm**! Joining us is easy! Just download the Stranger Soccer app and register for free. Use the code **WELCOME** to book your first game for free if you're playing with us for the first time. We hope to see you on the pitch!

SydDT #127: The Human Loop – Keeping the Customer at the Core of AI

As AI rapidly accelerates product delivery, it’s easier than ever to ship features that look impressive but fail to solve real customer problems. For SydDT’s 11th birthday celebration, we’re collaborating with our friends from GenAI Lab to bring together a panel of design and product leaders to discuss how to balance the sheer speed of AI with genuine, human-centered design. We’re lucky to have Tarra van Amerongen, Alex Zinoviev, Riley Coleman, and Kristin de la Fuente sharing their observations and insights. They’ll cut through the hype to explore how user research needs to adapt for generative AI models, how to design for trust and transparency, and how the designer’s role is shifting from pixel-pusher to system orchestrator. Come join us for some fun conversations with interesting people in and around the design thinking community. New members are welcome! **SPEAKERS** **[Tarra van Amerongen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarravanamerongen/)** **VP of Product & Design \| Asia\-Pacific\, Thoughtworks** Tarra is an award-winning user experience and digital transformation leader, guiding creative, technical and business teams towards experiences that change the game. She's worked as a practitioner, lecturer, consultant and leader with in-house teams, consultancies and agencies for the past 15 year after pivoting into design from software development. Tarra is focused on taking a human-first approach to the application of AI, and challenges us to provide an informed view of what should remain human-first, what work means in this new paradigm, and how we stretch our craft as good design matters more than ever. **[Alex Zinoviev](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexzinoviev/)** **Head of Product, Neo Intelligence & Founder, GenAI Lab** Alex Zinoviev has spent 15+ years in product, most recently as Head of Product at Neo, an operations management platform for construction. He founded GenAI Lab, a 1,400-member community of product and design practitioners across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, because he kept seeing the same gap: teams excited about AI but unsure how to adopt it without losing sight of the humans they're building for. GenAI Lab runs workshops grounded in first-hand experimentation. **[Riley Coleman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/riley-coleman-a185754/) (they/them)** **Founder, AI Flywheel** Riley started their career as service designer creating behaviour change programs for marginalised communities in the not-for-profit sector. Before studying a masters in human-centred multimedia and transitioning to user experience design. Riley has spent the last 12 years working in design leadership roles in Australia, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden. Now, as founder of AI Flywheel, Riley teaches human-centric AI training programs to designers and leaders. Drawing from their extensive experience in behaviour change, human-centred design and technology transformation, they’re building a community of practice around effective Human+AI products, services and operations that people can trust. **[Kristin de la Fuente](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristindelafuente/)** **Design Lead – AI Products, SEEK & GenAI Lab Design Partner, GenAI Lab** At SEEK Kristin is pioneering trust architecture for automation and agentic experiences by recognising that trust failures are often psychological failures, not necessarily technical ones. She's designed practical mechanisms that keep customers centred and in control of agentic workflows. Working with teams to integrate Responsible AI principles and Strategic AI plays, Kristin leverages these frameworks to translate principles into concrete design decisions, ensuring they show up meaningfully in user experience. She moves beyond shipping impressive features to ask harder questions: where should AI actually be used? How do we maintain human agency at scale? Her work makes the invisible visible turning complex AI capability into systems people can understand, trust, and actually control. **EVENT SPONSORS** This event is brought to you by [Thoughtworks](https://www.thoughtworks.com) and [Dynamic4](https://dynamic4.com/). We take photos and record our events for documentation and promo purposes. Just let us know if you prefer not to be featured.

Newcastle Local Introverts Online Speed Dating

**🌺 Speed Dating without the Venue for Newcastle Locals from Home — Compatible Locals** As a guest, you'll have back-to-back brief timed Zoom sessions alongside personality-matched Newcastle locals in your age group, while the host manages transitions so you can focus on the person in front of you. During sign-up, you complete a brief compatibility form — the matching data comes from to build your personal lineup of Newcastle locals, which makes every round worth having. After the night, mutual match details are distributed — contact details flow only on mutual selection — and you take over from there entirely. **Register by age group:** - **Ages 18-32** → [REGISTER HERE](https://tempodating.com/product?productId=499.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Newcastle&groupurlname=club-for-meaningful-connections-and-brunch&ar=18-32&face_v=3.0) - **Ages 30-46** → [REGISTER HERE](https://tempodating.com/product?productId=499.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Newcastle&groupurlname=club-for-meaningful-connections-and-brunch&ar=30-46&face_v=3.0) - **Ages 40-58** → [REGISTER HERE](https://tempodating.com/product?productId=499.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Newcastle&groupurlname=club-for-meaningful-connections-and-brunch&ar=40-58&face_v=3.0) - **Ages 55+** → [REGISTER HERE](https://tempodating.com/product?productId=499.0&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Newcastle&groupurlname=club-for-meaningful-connections-and-brunch&ar=55+&face_v=3.0) **⚠️ Important:** This rsvp does not equal a reserved seat, so register through your age group link above and complete the personality quiz — limited capacity means you should not wait, and without both steps done your spot is not held. --- **Best suited to:** - Singles around Newcastle ready to move past matches that fade out before meeting and prefer structure over ambiguity. - Professionals from the Newcastle area wanting to escape profiles that never convert to actual dates and want to meet real locals without the faff. - Anyone at all from around Newcastle moving on from apps that waste evenings for no return and are serious about meeting someone. **Event Info** - **Format:** Real-time through Zoom video with live one-on-one date rounds from start to finish, curated by compatibility and age for all rounds. - **Where:** All online — on phone or laptop — your choice, a connected device with a camera is everything you need, and home office or anywhere in between all work. - **Vibe:** Warm speed dating sessions with Newcastle singles who are here for the same reason you are, and most people book again after the first time. - **Duration:** Most sessions run for one hour to ninety minutes end to end, though it can vary slightly by event. **The evening in four steps** 1. **Confirm your place** – through the age group link above, then answer the short personality questions, because this step is your confirmation not the RSVP. 2. **Log in** – at the scheduled time using your Zoom link, phone tablet or laptop all work equally well, and a host keeps everything smooth from that point. 3. **Chat one-on-one** – host-guided one-on-one rounds with personality-matched Newcastle locals in your group, with a host keeping rounds moving at a comfortable pace, as the quiz results already did the work of choosing who you meet. 4. **Find your matches** – after all rounds finish mutual matches are distributed privately, with no one-sided reach-outs since only mutual matches get each other's details, and the next move is completely yours to make. ⭐ *"Was nervous going in, but — worth every minute of the 90 it took"* – Newcastle first-timer 💡 **Top tip:** grab a glass of water before you start, and it sets you up for a better evening overall, since it only takes five minutes and makes everything smoother. --- ✨ The right person might already be registered — lock in your spot above and we will handle the rest as soon as you are ready. Your matches are waiting to be found. 🌙 ✨

LTP 2026 Conversation Continued with Taufiq Khan

**LTP 2026 Conversation Continued with Taufiq Khan** After one of the most talked-about sessions at Leading the Product 2026, [Taufiq Khan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/taufiqkhan/) is back for an intimate fireside chat to continue the conversation. Hosted by LTP Events and [The Onset](https://theonset.com.au/), this special evening will go deeper into the ideas, provocations, and practical insights from TK’s standout presentation at LTP 2026 — exploring why continuous synthesis is becoming one of the most important skills in modern product leadership, and how AI can help teams turn chaos into clarity. In a world overloaded with information, shifting priorities, and constant noise, how do product teams focus on what actually matters? Drawing on his experience across industries, TK will unpack how teams can better manage information, improve decision-making, move faster with confidence, and build what he calls a “context machine” — a smarter way to simplify inputs and create clearer outcomes. If you attended LTP 2026, this is your chance for an awesome double-dose of TK and an opportunity to go even deeper into the conversation. And if you missed the conference, you’ll discover why Taufiq as a fresh view on product and AI in general. Following the fireside chat, we’ll open things up for audience Q&A and networking — giving you the chance to connect with fellow product leaders navigating the same opportunities and challenge. **Evening timeline:** 5.30 – 6.15pm: Arrive, grab a drink, and connect 6.15 – 7.00pm: Fireside chat with Taufiq Khan and Q&A 7.00 – 8.00pm: Networking, conversation, and connection We’ll have light food and drinks covered — all we ask is that you bring your curiosity and your questions. [The Onset](https://www.theonset.com.au/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "https://www.theonset.com.au?utm_source=chatgpt.com") is one of Australia’s leading Digital, Product, Technology, Data, and Design recruitment and executive search firms, partnering with some of the country’s most recognised consumer, SaaS, retail, fintech, and technology businesses. They specialise in building high-performing Product and Digital teams across both contingent and executive search, supporting everything from critical leadership hires and CPO successions through to large-scale transformation and growth initiatives across the Australian market. **Reserve your spot today. RSVPs are limited and will close soon.**

2026 Astrology Delivery at Bondi Beach with Astrologer Jessica Adams

The Founding Brunch Vol. 01

**Sydney's first table for fashion, beauty & lifestyle founders, and the creators they love.** One long brunch & the start of something special. Muse & Myrrar Sydney is the in-person home for the people quietly building the next wave of Australian brands and this is where it begins. **Who this is for** \- 👗💄👑 Founders building fashion\, beauty\, lifestyle\, wellness or DTC brands \(early\-stage to scaling\) \- 📱🎬 Emerging creators & influencers in fashion/beauty/lifestyle who want to build real relationships with the brands they admire\. \- 🛍️😍 Trendsetters and beauty lovers keen to discover the hottest new brands before they blow up\. **What to expect** ☕ A relaxed 3-hour brunch at a beautiful cafe in Potts Point where you can network with other founders & discuss both brand-to-brand collab opportunities as well as potential partnerships with the creators. \- 🥐 Order off the menu — pay your own bill \(expect $20–45 for food \+ coffee\) \- 🌸 A small welcome moment\, one shared prompt to break the ice\, then organic conversation **The fine print** \- 🌿 15 seats only\. We curate lightly to keep the room intentional\. \- 📍 Venue is in Potts Point\. 6 min walking distance from Kings Cross Train Station\. \- 🗓 Sunday morning\, 10:30am–1:30pm on the 7th of June\. \- 💸 No ticket fee — just pay for your own brunch on the day\. Cancel by Friday if your plans change so we can offer your seat to the waitlist\. See you at the table. ❤️‍🔥 Stay connected by joining Muse Circle — our online community where the founders you meet here keep finding each other: collab opportunities, trusted freelancers & suppliers, fortnightly founder podcast spotlights, and the real conversations between events. 👉[ Join the community → circle.musefunnel.com](https://circle.musefunnel.com/) **Powered by Muse Circle & Myrrar with love.**

EUXSyd 2025 - June Meetup

**EUXSyd** are excited to have our next meetup on the 4th of June!! This will be the last meetup we hold at the blueegg offices and will be a celebration of EUXSyd over the last 10 years. We will be at **blueeggs' office on level6/75-77 Pitt St**. Networking, drinks and pizzas will start from 6:00 and talk will start at 6:30pm. Look forward to seeing you there!! This event is proudly sponsored by Experience Design "UX" Agency blueegg ([www.blueegg.com.au](http://www.blueegg.com.au/))

Start with Why ~ Coffee catchup where every sip sparks a new perspective.

PLEASE BE ADVISED! We will be outside the cafe, near the stairs to the chessboard area. NOT IN THE CAFE. Discover your ‘why’, build with intention, and connect with like-minded people who are ready to create, grow, and 10X their lives. A friendly meetup with like-minded people that love learning and growing🙌Let’s grab a cuppa coffee or matcha and connect over what fuels our growth. Whether you're into books that challenge your mindset, habits that build a better you, or future goals that you are excited about, lets enjoy talking about how we evolve—this is a friendly space to share ideas, swap inspiration, and cheer each other on!🤗

AI on Tap | Sydney | Episode 6

**AI on Tap: Real AI. Real People. Real Beer.** **📍** Sydney’s monthly meetup for AI-curious marketers and business minds *Forget the hype. Let's talk AI over a drink.* ***Tired of AI hype and jargon? So are we.*** AI on Tap is a no-pressure hangout where business minds swap stories about what’s actually working with AI - and what’s not. No slides. No hard sell. No tech-bro vibes. Just real conversations, a bit of learning and a few cold drinks. ***Your ticket = drinks + bites*** The $35 ticket gets you a welcome drink and food on the house. Come in, grab a glass, have a bite, and settle in. ***What To Expect*** *Stories from the trenches* Hear from local leaders actually using AI – from streamlining operations to scaling sales. What’s working, what’s not, and what they’d do differently. *Ideas you can use tomorrow* Practical stuff you can immediately try in your own business – no fluff, just value. *People who get it* Like-minded professionals navigating the same AI questions and challenges. Share what you’ve tried, ask what you’re stuck on, and figure it out together. *Great beer and a relaxed vibe* Bar 26 serves up ice-cold beers alongside bold flavours. Grab a pint and settle in for an evening of laid-back, intelligent conversation. ***Who's It For?*** Whether you’re leading a team or just getting curious, if you want to understand AI’s real-world impact, you’re welcome here: * Business leaders trying to make sense of AI’s potential * Managers exploring tools to improve productivity * Founders and entrepreneurs experimenting with AI * Knowledge workers who want to stay relevant * Anyone interested in practical, human-first AI conversations *No technical background required - we speak human, not code.* ***Meet Your Hosts*** [Sean Pereira](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-pereira-/) \- Co\-Founder\, AI on Tap \| Co\-CEO\, [Hyperlytics](https://hyperlytics.digital/) ***Event Details*** 📅 **When:** June 11th, 5:30 PM onwards 📍 **Where:** Bar 26 ,Unit 2/26 – 30 Halloran St Lilyfield, NSW 2040 🍺 **What to bring:** Just yourself (and maybe a mate) 💰 **Cost:** $ 35 🎯 **Format:** Expert panel + lightning tips + mingling + optional one-on-one chats with hosts ***Why We're Doing This*** We believe that businesses using AI will replace those that don’t – and the ones that thrive will be the ones that learn fast, adapt faster, and support each other along the way. **AI on Tap** is an initiative of **Proof to Production**, a community dedicated to helping business leaders share practical AI stories from the frontlines – no theory, just results. ***Ready to see what AI can really do for your business?*** Grab a pint and join the conversation. 👋 First-timers especially welcome!

Building an AI-Enabled Enterprise

**From experimentation to operating model change: what it takes to build an AI-enabled enterprise.** AI is everywhere, but most organisations are still treating it as a side initiative rather than rethinking how the enterprise actually works with it. In this conversation, we'll step back from the usual focus on tools, pilots, and adoption stories to explore a bigger question: what really needs to change in the operating model if AI is to deliver meaningful value? Together, we’ll explore the House of AI as a framework for thinking about how strategy, governance, team design, and delivery need to evolve together, why isolated AI initiatives often struggle to stick, and how the Better, Value, Sooner, Safer, Happier measures can be used to assess whether change is improving outcomes, not just increasing activity. If you are trying to work out how AI fits into the wider design of the enterprise, this conversation will offer a practical lens for thinking about structure, flow, governance, and value - join us and bring your questions and perspectives. This session is for executives, product, delivery and technology leaders, and transformation practitioners who want to understand how AI is reshaping enterprise operating models, leadership, and performance measurement. **Maria Muir**, Founder, SSH APAC Maria co-founded and leads the Asia-Pacific region for SSH, where she builds the movement through storytelling, community building, and advisory. She has worked with more than ten ASX 200 companies, enabling them to become adaptable, innovative, and customer centric. She is passionate about disrupting the status quo and delivering value sooner, safer, and happier. Maria works at the intersection of strategy, operating models, lean portfolio management, delivery, ways of working, culture, data and technology. **Mark Payne,** Principal, SSH APAC Mark specialises in designing enterprise systems or work including delivery pathways, lean governance, portfolio management and tooling. He unlocks complexity and connects stakeholders at all levels, from c-suite to operational teams, to design and embed change at every stage of the journey. **Ruma Dak,** Senior Consultant, SSH APAC Ruma is passionate about helping teams and leaders embrace change and work smarter in fast-paced environments. With a strong foundation in both technical and people-focused roles, she empowers individuals and teams to adapt, collaborate, and drive measurable outcomes. Ruma combines her coaching and facilitation skills to design effective ways of working that enable organisations to thrive amidst complexity and transformation.

Accelerated Serendipity - Planning To Be Lucky

Most people think luck means random chance. This experiential learning session will mess with that assumption, and reveals how personal and professional transformation often begins with the opportunities we learn to notice, create, and act on. Yes, many people accidentally stumble into rewards. But for the rest of our lives, there is growing evidence that we are often the biggest limiter of our own success - including in situations involving random chance that could benefit us. Through interactive games, social experiments, roleplay scenarios, chain-reaction challenges, and coincidence simulations, we’re turning serendipity into something you can begin activating all around you. You’ll experience: 🎲 how to tweak conversation to bring up opportunities 🎲 invisible domino effects behind synchronicity 🎲 why energy, enthusiasm, and participation magnify possibilities 🎲 "being in the right place at the right time" more often 🎲 activate secrets of momentum no one talks about By the end of the session, you may begin questioning whether luck was ever truly random to begin with. Or at the very least…why not begin by asking: “What is the best that can happen?” if you attend this event. Secure your spot for this ticketed event at: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1585189 **ABOUT** Utopia Rising delivers unconventional social experiences for self-improvement seekers looking to broaden their network or simply be inspired by life again. It’s a party reimagined - alcohol-free, featuring healthy plant-based food.