CEO Roundtables Melbourne

A11y Allies Roundtable: Shining a light on Accessibility

November topic: **Shining a Light on Accessibility** Proudly supported by **Builure**. *Free event* Roundtable discussion on how people have increased awareness about accessibility within their workplace. Have you done this at your work? Share what worked for you. Are you facing barriers? Let’s help you workshop some solutions. Or come and listen to what has worked for others. Whether you work in accessibility, advocate for inclusion, have lived experience, or simply want to learn more, you’re welcome to join the conversation. * No presentations * Open, facilitated discussion * Share experiences and ideas * Workshop practical solutions * Make genuine connections **Date:** Tuesday 17 November 2026 **Time:** 5:30pm - 7:30pm Light refreshments will be provided. Please let us know in advance if you have any dietary requirements. **Location: [Tank Stream Labs](https://share.google/EFqphtpudwJQM5c3u)** Level 5, 440 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 The venue includes: \- A quiet\, private event space \- Wheelchair access \- An accessible toilet **Building entry** * Enter the building via the Collins Street entrance. * Elevator access to Level 5 is available until 5:45 pm. **Running late or unable to access Level 5?** No problem. Send us a message with your estimated arrival time. Then let us know when you’re in the lobby and one of our organisers will come to get you. **Accessibility questions or requirements** Creating an inclusive and welcoming event is important to us. We’ve included accessibility information in the event FAQs to help you know what to expect before attending. If you have an accessibility requirement, concern or question that isn’t covered in the FAQs, please contact us before the event. We’ll do what we can to support you and help you feel comfortable participating our events.

Startup Networking Melbourne: Founders, Investors & Talent Mixer

Join founders, investors and tech talent at this curated **startup networking event in Melbourne.** Meet ambitious builders, exchange ideas and discover new opportunities in a dynamic community environment. RSVP: [Use this link](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/startup-networking-melbourne-founders-investors-talent-mixer-tickets-1987629760118?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true) Please note that RSVP is managed via Eventbrite to control attendee lists — don’t ignore it to avoid issues with on-site payment. **💡 Why This Event Is Different** Most networking events end with exchanged LinkedIn profiles. This one focuses on real conversations and real opportunities. We bring together founders, investors, engineers, operators and talent in a curated environment designed to create meaningful connections. Through interactive networking rounds, open conversations and pitch opportunities, participants can share challenges, exchange insights and build relationships that last beyond the event. 🤝 What to Expect * **Interactive Networking** Structured networking rounds where participants briefly introduce themselves, share current challenges and explore collaboration opportunities. * **Talent Corner** Recruiters and hiring managers can briefly share open positions, while engineers and operators can introduce their skills and interests. * **Startup Conversations** Open discussions about fundraising, product development, growth and startup challenges. **👥 Who Should Attend** • Startup founders • Investors and angels • Engineers and builders • Operators and product managers • Recruiters and HR professionals • Sales and business development professionals • Job seekers interested in startups • Newcomers to the Melbourne tech ecosystem

Short talks: end of year

We're doing Short talks for the final session of the year. Our Speakers: [Jade Bennett](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jadebennett/) will help us with a Year End Career Audit and thoughts on how to position yourself for the market in 2027 [Pavi De Alwis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavi-de-alwis-79a628263/) (talk details in the works) [Nandhini Sathyamurthy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nandhini-sathyamurthy/) has a few practical ideas to build in small steps utalising lean product thinking. Doing more with less while learning more about what customers need & want. [Pranjal Dube](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pranjaldube/) (talk details in the works) Our wonderful sponsors; [Revity](https://www.linkedin.com/company/revity-group/): Revity helps startups, scaleups and established organisations deliver product-led quality software outcomes. We partner with businesses to build high-performing teams, uplift engineering capability, and deliver product outcomes that last beyond the project.From applied AI and mobile apps to global expansion and customer lifecycle platforms, we focus on practical, scalable solutions that drive business value.At Revity, we don’t just deliver projects, we empower teams to learn by doing, so organisations grow stronger with every engagement.

Still Learning - End of Year Panel

**Curious about what tech leaders are finding difficult, and how they keep learning anyway?** Join us for a great panel discussion on what tech leaders are still learning and where they find things difficult. This will be followed by our Tech Leading Ladies End-of-Year Celebration! 🎉 We’re thrilled to welcome an incredible lineup of panelists: ✨ **Mai Nguyen** (she/her) - Chief Engineer @ Bendigo Bank ✨ **Lavinia Kanagandran** (she/her) - Ethical Tech Founder @ Good Humans ✨ **Iman Yusuf** (she/her) - Senior Engineering Manager @ Atlassian Our panelists will share how they find their way out of survival mode and keep growing. Each of these remarkable leaders has forged their own path in tech, and they’ll open up about their personal journeys, lessons learned, and the wisdom they have acquired along the way. 💬 **Bring your questions!** We’ll wrap up with a Q&A session where you can engage directly with our panelists. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate, connect, and learn from some of the top tech leaders in our community. We can’t wait to see you there! **Agenda (time in Melbourne/AEST)** * 5:30pm Networking * 6:00pm Welcome & EOY Wrapup * 6:15pm Panel + Q&A * 7:00pm Networking * 7:30pm Close **This will be a HYBRID event:** **Zoom link -** will be shared with confirmed attendees 1hr before event starts.

End of Year Wrap Up : AI Roadmap, Recruiter Panel & Drinks

**Welcome to the Melbourne Biz Apps User Group — End Of Year Wrap Up!** 🎉 We're wrapping up the year with two sessions designed for every Biz Apps practitioner in Melbourne — whether you're focused on the technology, your career, or both. **🎤 Beyond the Release Wave: Navigating the AI at Work Roadmap** *Presented by Andrew Rogers — CE / BC Team Lead* The platform is changing. So is the market around it. Andrew will walk us through the latest Biz Apps developments and what they actually mean for how we work and where the industry is heading. If you want to cut through the noise and understand what really matters from the latest release wave — this is the session for you. **🎙️ Recruiter Panel: The Biz Apps Job Market in 2026** What skills are actually in demand right now? What does it take to stand out in your next career move? And what are recruiters really looking at when they review a Biz Apps profile? Our recruiter panel will cover all of this and more — straight talk, no fluff. **🍺 Drinks & Networking** It's our final event of the year — so we're making a proper night of it. If you'd like to join us for drinks after the event (self-funded) at a pub, please fill **[this](https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/nx6qdi2q4v)**[ ](https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/nx6qdi2q4v)form so we can book a venue accordingly. **This event is for you if you:** * Work in Power Platform, Dynamics 365, or anywhere across the Biz Apps ecosystem * Want to understand where the platform is heading in 2027 * Are thinking about your next career move * Just want to connect with your Melbourne Biz Apps community before the year wraps up All experience levels welcome. See you there! 🙌 📅 12 November 2026 \| 5:30–7:30pm AEDT \| Melbourne CBD

Mental Health Foundation bipolar support group

Startup Pitch & Themed Networking Melbourne | Unlock Your Idea

Join founders, investors and tech talent at this curated **startup networking event in Melbourne.** Meet ambitious builders, exchange ideas and discover new opportunities in a dynamic community environment. **RSVP: [Use this link](https://luma.com/n5wg2yi1)** **Please note that RSVP is managed via luma to control attendee lists — don’t ignore it to avoid issues with on-site payment.** You've been running the idea past AI. AI has never once told you it wouldn't work. Tonight you get a room that will. Five founders, five minutes each, The Duke of Wellington in Melbourne. Friday. **Three reasons people come back:** * You get a table, not a lap of the room. You pick a topic the room voted on and stay there for the hour, instead of wandering with a drink looking for a gap in somebody else's conversation. * You get a stage short enough to be honest. Five minutes each, no slides read out loud, then the room asks questions. The questions are the good part. * You get the hour after. The stage ends, nobody's performing any more, and the floor stays open. That's the hour people actually remember. **Your ticket is also a login:** Most events end when you walk out. This one hands you a link: your profile, who else is coming before you get there, a group chat for this specific Friday, and a recap afterwards of who you actually met. Then you land in the Melbourne space and stay there. That's where the second conversation happens, the one you meant to have before the room got loud. Free with your ticket, on the web or in Telegram: [ascentvalley.com/community](https://ascentvalley.com/community) **Is this your room?** Yes, if you're building something, anywhere from the first line of code to Series A. Or you run a function at a company that's scaling, write the code, do the hiring, or you're still deciding whether to start. Probably not, if what you're picturing is a room full of investors. How that actually works is further down, and it's better than the picture. Want the stage? [Apply ](https://ascentvalley.com/pitch)at Five founders an evening, and we answer everybody, including the people we don't pick. Applying is free, but you do need a ticket, because we check the order number. Never pitched before? Five minutes is short enough that it's over before the nerves have finished arriving. **What we don't promise, and what we do instead** We don't promise an investor will be in the room on any given Friday. Angels and people who work at funds come, some Fridays several of them, and we won't tell you in advance who's coming, because we don't know. **We don't run a judging panel, hand out a prize, or keep a leaderboard.** Here's what doesn't depend on who walks in that night. Your application to the stage becomes your profile in our startup directory, and a person reads it, not a scoring script. Once you're verified, that profile sits in front of the funds and angels in our network, and they ask for the introduction themselves when your company matches what they're actually looking for. You choose whether you're in the weekly digest and you can leave it any time. We never sell your details, we don't take equity, we don't take a cut of your round, and we don't give investment advice. Which means the room on Friday isn't the whole opportunity. It's the part you can see: [ascentvalley.com/pitch](https://ascentvalley.com/pitch) Why it's worth a Friday * Watching somebody explain their company in five minutes teaches you more about explaining yours than another evening alone with the deck. * You'll hear the question you've been quietly avoiding get asked out loud to somebody else, and you get to watch how they handle it. * That skill travels. It works on a first date, in a performance review, and at the dinner where somebody asks what you do and you've got twenty seconds before their eyes move on. So bring the friend who keeps saying they have an idea. Five minutes on that stage is the shortest distance between having an idea and finding out what a room full of strangers thinks of it.

Presenting - How, full interactive engagement

Smashing! Try something new Thursday Discover your unique speaking style and learn how to make it your greatest strength. Explore practical ways to engage your audience through your voice, gestures, eye contact and power questions. **Be yourself, connect with your audience, and make every presentation memorable!** Why is Smashing different to other speaking clubs? Interactive reality workshops- Tonight get involved and have some fun. Just two member's thoughts, "The fun/laughs factor is definitely a point of difference. We keep it moving with high standards so it’s a nice balance. Too strict makes it tense and boring, too loose and we can lose the energy/commercial feel. SmashSpeak's vibe's in the sweet spot." "At other clubs I used to listen to long speeches and lectures, here we get so many chances to talk every meeting, that we have to improve" **Free parking** close: O'Connell and Cobden streets **IMPORTANT: Be on time, as doors close when the show starts** “Proudly Australian" – Free-flowing teamwork, greater good focus, sharing the stage, etc Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth St (Opposite Queen Vic Market) Level 1, PURPLE Room (End of corridor) More to come

Spring 2026 Meet Up

We are hosting a "Super Night" on Tuesday, 10th November 2026. We will hear from: **Warwick Rudd and Ginger Grant will present remotely on how to Build Generative AI Solutions with SQL Server 2025** SQL Server 2025 introduces native support for vector storage and AI-driven query capabilities, fundamentally changing how generative AI solutions can be built within the database engine. Rather than exporting data to external platforms or introducing complex data movement pipelines, organisations can now design and operationalise AI workloads directly where their data already resides. In this session, you will learn how to leverage SQL Server 2025’s built-in vector architecture to store embeddings, perform similarity searches, and power retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) scenarios using your enterprise data. We will walk through the new T-SQL AI syntax that allows you to integrate large language models into standard query workflows, enabling tasks such as semantic search, summarisation, and contextual question answering without leaving the SQL environment. You will see how to configure and connect to the AI model of your choice, including how to define model endpoints, control where models are hosted, and manage inference execution within SQL Server. The session focuses on practical implementation, showing how to design production-ready patterns that combine relational data with vector-based intelligence while maintaining governance, security, and performance. By the end of this session, you will understand how to build, deploy, and scale generative AI solutions natively in SQL Server 2025, eliminating unnecessary architecture complexity and bringing AI directly to your data platform. **Plus one other speaker with details to come.** **Come and share pizza, great conversation and free learning.** Schedule: 5.30-6.00 Pizza and Networking 6.00-7.30 Interactive sessions

VC Networking: Pitch Day — Melbourne

**Nomad Global Hub** brings together builders, founders, and tech professionals for a night of curated networking and high-impact startup pitches. **Community Pass spots are limited — reserve yours before they're gone.** **RSVP: [Reserve your spot](https://luma.com/tc9459dw)** With a track record of **235+ events** across **23 global cities** worldwide, we have welcomed over **5,000 attendees** and featured **1,200+ startup pitches** on our stages. We intentionally keep our meetups intimate because the best partnerships happen in focused, high-quality conversations, not in loud, overcrowded halls. **What to Expect** * **Live Tech Startup Pitches**: Watch selected early-stage founders present AI & Tech projects followed by sharp audience Q&A. * **High-Quality Networking:** Connect with a hand-picked audience of founders, investors, engineers, and tech leaders who value substance over small talk. * **Global Exposure:** Join a community that bridges **23 tech hubs worldwide**, providing you with a network that extends far beyond a single city. **Who Should Join** * Founders & Co-Founders looking for peers, feedback, investors and collaborators. * Tech Professionals & Builders seeking a high-quality community. * Ambitious Individuals ready to dive into the AI & Startup ecosystem. **For Investors** Active investors and VC partners are welcome to join the event and scout for early-stage talent, meet other investors, and see what teams are building. To access the startup database, please fill out the **[Investor Application Form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScUkSdbmDb_tchKrZNf2A4c6HjrPLd87Ub3W-5WPfOgsszI9Q/viewform)** and ensure you have purchased a ticket. **For Pitching Startups** Selected startups gain live stage time and visibility within our global network among our database of investors. Purchase a Speaker Ticket to pitch, submit your **[Pitch Deck](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScZ1fGVQ-br2hQQnSsq7zz5XCAEvN5FfaYfJ7VSppMkujV8YQ/viewform)** and ensure it is accessible for viewers. **Nomad Global Hub \| 235\+ Events \| 23 Cities** *Note: To support our venue partner, we kindly encourage every guest to purchase at least one drink at the bar during the event.*

AI & Tech Networking Event in Melbourne by Ascent Valley

Join founders, investors and tech talent at this curated **startup networking event in Melbourne.** Meet ambitious builders, exchange ideas and discover new opportunities in a dynamic community environment. **RSVP: [Use this link](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ai-tech-networking-event-in-melbourne-by-ascent-valley-tickets-1999727725458?aff=oddtdtcreator)** **Please note that RSVP is managed via Eventbrite to control attendee lists — don’t ignore it to avoid issues with on-site payment.** **🚀 Meet investors, founders, AI experts, operators, and immigrant entrepreneurs building the next generation of global companies.** * Share your project and get feedback. * Connect with capital. * Expand your network. * This is where conversations turn into partnerships. * Use our participant mini app to keep every contact and insight from the event — nothing gets lost. 👥 Who You’ll Meet • Startup Founders • Angel Investors & VC firms • AI Experts • Entrepreneurs from Europe, Asia & the UK • Marketers, Sales leaders & Business Advisors • Builders & Game Changers Startup Pitch Session Selected founders take the stage for a focused 5-minute presentation in front of active investors and tech leaders. Each startup receives: ⚡ Professional evaluation ⚡ Investor feedback ⚡ Visibility inside our global ecosystem **Why You Can’t Miss It** • Meet Tech & Business professionals, founders, and active investors • Gain real feedback from venture capitalists and angel investors • Discover new opportunities in AI, Tech & early-stage startups • Build meaningful connections in a global entrepreneurial community If you’re serious about startups — you should be in the room. 📈 Want to Pitch? Send your deck to: 📧 events@ascentvalley.club or fill [form](https://ascentvalley.com/pitch) Limited spots. Curated selection. 🏆 The startup recognized as “Most Investment-Worthy” will be featured across our social media and included in our investor newsletter. **🌟 About Ascent Valley** [Ascent Valley ](https://ascentvalley.com/infrastructure)is a global ecosystem connecting founders, innovators, and investors. We believe great ideas shouldn’t stay hidden — they deserve to be heard, challenged, and supported by the right people. Our mission is to create environments where ambitious builders connect, collaborate, and grow together.

Shipping with AI - Live in-person event

Hi folks, Exciting news. The UX Book Club is sponsoring an awesome live in-person event, happening in Melbourne Australia on 11 November. The event is an AI meetup. RSVP quick! Details below. // OVERVIEW The Shipping with AI meetup (formerly UX Design in SaaS) has partnered with the [Outlook AI Conference 2026](https://theoutlook.io/events/outlook-ai) to bring you an in-person evening as part of the conference activities. Shipping with AI is a meetup for designers, product managers and engineers who want to move past the hype and learn how AI is actually being used to build and ship real products. No theory-heavy keynotes. Just demos, real workflows and practical tips you can take back to your team the next day. // WHAT IS HAPPENING Our three speakers come at AI from different angles: delivery in regulated industries, engineering and AI agents, and design quality. They'll each share how their teams are shipping with AI right now. That includes the tools, the workflows, what's working, and what they've learned the hard way. Expect presentations, live demos, Q&A, drinks, food, games, prizes and plenty of time to network. // WHEN 6:00pm – 8:30pm, Wednesday 11th November // WHERE Nintex Offices, Level 14, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 // WHY COME ALONG * See it, don't just hear about it. Live demos of real AI workflows, not slides about the future. * Practical takeaways. Tips and tricks you can try with your team straight away. * Three perspectives in one night. Delivery, engineering and design, so you get the full picture of what it takes to ship with AI. * Ask the hard questions. How do you keep AI output on-brand? How do you bring AI into regulated businesses safely? How do you give coding agents the right context? * Meet your people. Connect with Melbourne designers, PMs and engineers working through the same challenges. * It's free, and there's food, drinks and prizes. // OUR SPEAKERS ANASTAS MANOJLOVSKI – Technical Director, Whitefox Cloud Consulting Anastas has spent 20 years where customers, sales and engineering meet. He specialises in turning messy problems into solutions that actually get delivered. At Whitefox he leads sales and delivery for clients in financial services, insurance, health and logistics, and oversees 25+ engineers across Australia and offshore. His work includes governed Claude adoption with human review and audit trails for financial advice provider Padua, and AI road-defect detection models running in production. Before Whitefox, he spent nine years at Whispir, including five as AU/NZ Head of Solution Architecture. Anastas brings a grounded view on getting AI into regulated businesses without creating new risk. TOM PETERSON – Co-Founder, ctxpipe.ai Tom is a builder who orchestrates local and cloud AI models to get things done, fast. He is co-founder of ctxpipe.ai, an open-source, Git-backed context layer for coding agents and software factories. He is also Head of Product at TRU Rec AI, building computer vision analytics with open-source models. With 15 years in tech across project management, business analysis, design, product and founding, Tom is passionate about developer experience and building tools that make engineers' lives easier. Previously, he co-founded Appear, an API discovery and automation tool. HAMISH O'NEILL – Founder, UI Rules Hamish is a multi-award-winning design leader with more than two decades in digital product design across retail, telecommunications, finance and digital marketplaces. He is the founder of UI Rules, a governance layer that serves brand and design system rules to AI coding tools like Cursor, Claude Code and v0, keeping AI-generated interfaces on-brand. Previously, Hamish was Head of Design Systems at Carsales, where he led the team behind the Torq design system. Before that he was Design Chapter Lead and Design Lead for the Brand & Design System at ANZ. // OUTLOOK AI CONFERENCE The [Outlook AI Conference 2026](https://theoutlook.io/events/outlook-ai) is on Thursday 12th November in Melbourne and is not to be missed. [Tickets are on sale now](https://theoutlook.io/events/outlook-ai#block-tickets-62bf87ad-1efc-4e26-91e6-cd62d9c8affb). // SPONSORS A big thank you to Nintex and the UX Book Club, our amazing sponsors, for making this event happen.