16 November 2017 in Perth WA, Australia Event website
Join us at our Department of Communities sponsored Jobs of the Future Breakfast event where we will hear from Keynote Josh Richards – Mars One Astronaut Candidate followed by a panel discussion with some of Perth’s most innovative women in tech!
Physicist, Explosives Engineer, Soldier, Comedian, Astronaut Candidate – one thing Josh Richards can never be accused of is being boring. In the last decade he’s picked up booby traps with the Australian Army, slogged through mud with British Commandos, been science adviser to the richest artist in the world, and performed comedy wearing a giant koala suit to confused audiences around the world. Josh found his true calling in September 2012 when he discovered the Mars One project. Selected from over 200,000 initial applicants, he’s currently one of 100 astronaut candidates short-listed for a one-way mission to colonize Mars. Now an in-demand professional speaker, Josh’s storytelling makes for compelling & entertaining corporate keynote presentations on leadership, small-team dynamics, and the challenges of life in space that are certain to leave any audience with plenty to think about.
Josh will be facilitating an interactive panel discussion on Job of the Future with the following incredible innovators:
Vee Pendergrast - CEO, Stirfire Studios After sixteen years in mobile telecommunications, Vee Pendergrast made the leap in 2016 to pursue a fulltime career in videogame and VR development. She had co-founded Stirfire Studios in 2010 and has gradually grown the business to the bustling studio it is now and was instrumental in the launch of its titles Freedom Fall, and Symphony of the Machine. Named as one of MCV Pacific’s Top 30 Women in Games in 2017, Vee brought the company to its attempt at an IPO in July 2017, which is a rarity for Australian videogame companies. Vee’s ambition is to keep the company producing qualities titles and growing their portfolio of internal IPs and services work.
Janet Barnes - Director, Telstra Country Wide Central West A contemporary leader, Janet’s experiences are derived from a diverse industry portfolio encompassing senior leadership positions within Pharmaceutical, Retail, FMCG, Banking & Financial Services and more recently the Telecommunications/Technology industry.
Graduating with an Executive Masters of Business Administration (EMBA) from The University of Western Australia (UWA), Janet is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), a member of the Judging Panel for the Telstra Business Women’s Awards and Telstra Business Awards and an Advisory Council Member and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management WA (FAIM).
Gry Stene - Founder, Kinchip Systems Gry is a technologist, orchestrator and mentor with 30 years in the software industry and a lifelong interest in the crossover between health, education and technology. Specialised in interoperability and integration across people, systems and cultures in a global setting, Gry is passionate about bringing the best people and systems together to deliver meaningful solutions, helping people reach their potential and have an impact.
Melissa Houghton (Ettinger) - Graduate Program Manager, Bankwest Melissa has a background in Tech and still calls herself a Software Engineer. She started working at Bankwest as a Software Engineering Grad, finished the two-year rotational program and moved directly into managing the Graduate program. Prior to that, Melissa worked at a Software Solutions start-up in San Diego, California while completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science. She is passionate about Graduates, technology, learning and giving back - Melissa also volunteers for NFP programs like CoderDojo
