* 31 July 2025 | Online

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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ABOUT

People fuel startup success.

But scaling the teams, culture, and practices that drive growth is no small feat.

The Startup People Summit is a full-day, online event designed for People professionals building the critical functions and capabilities startups need to scale and thrive.

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.

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1,000+

Startup People
Professionals

35+

Inspiring Speakers
& Experts

Transformative
Day

Schedule

Where today’s People leaders shape tomorrow’s workplaces

Thursday, 31 July 2025 | 09:00am to 04:00pm AEST

TRACK 1

Connect & Recharge

A rhythm-setting track for special moments, community connection, sponsor demos, and guided breathwork. Designed to help you reset, reflect, and recharge throughout this epic event.

8:45 am

–

9:00 am

Welcome

10:30 am

–

11:15 am

Morning Flow State Breathwork

Tap into clarity, creativity, and calm through guided breathwork. Learn to access flow state and optimise your mindset using the power of your breath.

12:30 pm

–

1:00 pm

🥪

2:30 pm

–

3:15 pm

Afternoon Flow State Breathwork

Tap into clarity, creativity, and calm through guided breathwork. Learn to access flow state and optimise your mindset using the power of your breath.

4:00 pm

–

4:15 pm

Closing

TRACK 2

Leading at Scale

Big-picture thinking for startup leaders and people pros navigating growth, strategy, culture, and team performance at speed.

9:00 am

–

9:45 am

Writing policies that don't suck (and achieve business goals too!)

Learn how to write culture-shaping, equity-driven people policies that actually scale—minus the corporate yawns. Smart policy can power people and business success.

9:45 am

–

10:45 am

Lead like a scientist: Run the experiments that move you forward

Adopt a scientific mindset to grow as a leader. Design mini-experiments, build self-awareness, and unlock momentum through intentional, iterative personal development.

10:45 am

–

11:45 am

Maps, missteps, and momentum: Scaling People practices at startup speed

Ditch rigid HR playbooks. Learn how to build adaptable, sustainable people systems that match startup speed—without sacrificing your team’s sanity.

11:45 am

–

12:30 pm

Getting the top team right

Discover what makes a high-functioning leadership team. Align top talent, shape strong dynamics, and drive clarity from the top down as your startup scales.

12:30 pm

–

1:00 pm

🥪

1:00 pm

–

2:00 pm

The People & Culture edge: Building investable companies through people, culture & leadership

This panel uncovers what investors really look for in culture, leadership, and talent. Learn how People leaders can shape internal growth signals that attract capital.

2:00 pm

–

3:00 pm

People science for startups: Building a culture of excellence and engagement

Use organisational psychology to align culture with strategy. Build scalable practices that fuel engagement and retention as your startup grows.

3:00 pm

–

4:00 pm

Culture and AI: The high-stakes leadership play

Don’t let AI adoption erode your culture. Learn how to embed tech while preserving humanity—so teams stay connected as scale accelerates.

TRACK 3

Culture by Design

Tactical, human-centred sessions on building intentional, inclusive, and scalable workplace cultures that actually work.

9:00 am

–

9:45 am

Belonging from the beginning

Learn how to build DEIB into your team early—spot barriers, set meaningful goals, and scale inclusion intentionally from startup to scale-up.

9:45 am

–

10:30 am

Why work isn't working

Challenge outdated work models with a bold new vision centered on creativity, collaboration, and human connection. Expect data, memes, and mindset shifts.

10:30 am

–

11:30 am

Do the work you’re afraid to do and build the culture you keep asking for

Redefine leadership by modelling courage and intention. Ditch the permission-seeking and start shaping culture through presence—not policy.

11:30 am

–

12:00 pm

Change doesn’t have to suck

This panel explores how seasoned People leaders guide teams through constant change—communicating clearly, reducing resistance, and thriving through hypergrowth, recalibration, and everything in between.

12:00 pm

–

12:30 pm

Why it’s ok to roll it back (and why that builds trust)

Learn when to pause or pivot culture initiatives. Rachael shares honest stories of stepping back—and why listening can build more trust than launching.

12:30 pm

–

1:00 pm

🥪

1:00 pm

–

1:45 pm

Build it before you need it: Cultural safety that scales

Turn feedback into safety. Build systems that support speaking up—and equip leaders to listen, respond, and build trust from the ground up.

1:45 pm

–

2:15 pm

The conversations you’re not having

Use stay interviews to uncover what matters most. Get four powerful questions and a framework to guide human-centred decisions that actually resonate.

2:15 pm

–

3:15 pm

From founder fallout to team toxicity: The hidden employee relations landmines in startup

Prevent silent culture killers. Learn from real cases how early HR interventions can stop founder fallouts, legal risks, and sleepless nights before they start.

3:15 pm

–

3:45 pm

What TikTok taught us about scaling culture

Get practical insight on building cultures that endure scale. Honest stories, smart systems, and leadership habits from global People leaders who’ve done it.

TRACK 4

Systems for People Teams

The tools, tech, and frameworks behind every strong People function—built for scale, simplicity, and impact.

9:00 am

–

9:30 am

How to pay people when there’s no playbook: Compensation 101 for growth

Learn a practical, scalable compensation framework that balances fairness, performance, and resources—plus mistakes to avoid and tips for future-proofing your pay strategy.

9:30 am

–

10:00 am

Automate the manual, amplify the human: AI’s real role in startup HR

Discover how AI tools like Slack and ChatGPT can automate time-draining HR tasks, freeing up People teams to focus on meaningful, human-first work.

10:00 am

–

10:45 am

Nailing performance management with a product-led mindset

Design performance systems people actually believe in with a product-led, test-and-learn approach that drives results and improves workplace culture.

10:45 am

–

11:45 am

The heavy lifters: How small people ops teams do big things

Build systems and culture that scale—fast. Georgie shares how to prioritise, streamline, and stay human when resources are low and stakes are high.

11:45 am

–

12:30 pm

People not paperwork

Explore a vision for HR powered by human-first automation. Reclaim time, energy, and impact through tools built by HR, for HR.

12:30 pm

–

1:00 pm

🥪

1:00 pm

–

1:30 pm

F! your Data!... it doesn’t change a thing, we do!

Cut through the DEI noise with bold truths and practical tools. Deepak challenges leaders to ditch checkbox culture and build something real.

1:30 pm

–

2:30 pm

The death of best practices or first principles thinking in action

Break free from outdated HR templates using First Principles Thinking to design scalable, strategic solutions for fast-changing organisational challenges.

2:30 pm

–

3:30 pm

The startup’s guide to building a clear, confident pay position

Craft a clear, actionable pay philosophy rooted in your startup’s values, model, and goals—without jargon or fluff. Walk away with tools you’ll actually use.

TRACK 5

Talent & Growth

Smart hiring, onboarding, development, and performance strategies to help teams grow with purpose and precision.

9:00 am

–

10:00 am

What your Founder or CEO won’t tell you…and how to use that to your advantage

Learn how to decode unspoken expectations from founders, influence from within, and strategically lead—even when no one spells it out for you.

10:00 am

–

10:30 am

Can we really 'fail fast' in HR?

Apply lean startup principles to HR. Test ideas, validate fast, and pivot smart—before wasting time on people initiatives that miss the mark.

10:30 am

–

11:15 am

Employer branding on a budget

Build a compelling, authentic employer brand without big budgets. Cut through noise with real stories that resonate with Gen Z and millennial talent.

11:15 am

–

12:15 pm

The value of outside perspectives for today’s People leaders

This panel explores how external experts help People leaders sharpen strategy, overcome blind spots, and move faster—with real stories from fractional execs and founder advisors.

12:30 pm

–

1:00 pm

🥪

1:00 pm

–

1:45 pm

The biggest mistakes companies make when hiring

Avoid common hiring pitfalls, from overvaluing skills to misusing 'culture fit'—and discover better ways to hire in fast-paced, high-growth teams.

1:45 pm

–

2:15 pm

Building a talent engine that fuels scale

Build a scalable hiring system with value-based assessments, manager empowerment, and a consistent process—because great hiring isn’t magic, it’s engineered.

2:15 pm

–

2:45 pm

The conversations that make or break a manager

Master five crucial conversations that build trust and performance—so you can lead with more courage, clarity, and connection.

2:45 pm

–

3:30 pm

When shit goes down, you’ve gotta step up

A candid look at the messy middle of startup growth—missteps, pivots, and people-first leadership lessons from New Zealand’s boldest scale-ups.

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.

Founder of Give a Damn, Adam helps startups scale People Ops with speed, soul, and mischief.

SESSION:

Maps, missteps, and momentum: Scaling People practices at startup speed

Adam Axon

Bard of People & Possibility at Give a Damn | Shaping the Human Experience of Work

Talent & Employer Brand Manager at Go1, Alexia helps startups scale with human-first hiring and employer brands that speak to real people.

SESSION:

Employer branding on a budget

Alexia Ellmers

Talent & Employer Brand Manager at Go1

Head of People at Aspire, Allen helps startups build cultures of excellence using people science and organisational psychology.

SESSION:

People science for startups: Building a culture of excellence and engagement

Allen Lee

Head of People at Aspire

Chief Culture Officer at Hoogly AI, Anitta helps global teams thrive through bold culture strategy and human-first tech.

SESSION:

What TikTok taught us about scaling culture

Anitta Krishan

Chief Culture Officer at Hoogly AI

Head of People & Culture APJ at HiBob, Anna has led People strategy at The Iconic, Kudosity, Westpac, and Macquarie—blending startup agility with corporate depth to scale inclusive, high-performing teams.

SESSION:

Change doesn’t have to suck

Anna Volkova

Head of People & Culture APJ at HiBob

COO at Hutly, Ashleigh brings people-first thinking and strategic clarity to fast-scaling teams—and the systems they need to thrive.

SESSION:

The value of outside perspectives for today’s People leaders

Ashleigh Loughnan

Chief Operating Officer at Hutly

CEO of The Mathpath, Aubrey helps companies write fair, effective policies and build systems that support responsible, equitable growth.

SESSION:

Writing policies that don't suck (and achieve business goals too!)

Aubrey Blanche-Sarellano

CEO & Principal at The Mathpath

Head of People at Decidr, Bianca helps startups automate the manual and refocus HR teams on what really matters—people.

SESSION:

Automate the manual, amplify the human: AI’s real role in startup HR

Bianca Hill

Head of People & Culture at Decidr.AI

Christian is a work architect and culture strategist, helping founders and Heads of People design systems that replace hustle with intention—and burnout with boldness.

SESSION:

Do the work you’re afraid to do and build the culture you keep asking for

Christian Miran

Work Architect at Thrive Nation

A workplace strategist and Founder, Damon He helps managers design better conversations that build trust, connection, and performance.

SESSION:

The conversations that make or break a manager

Damon Klotz

Founder at Damon Klotz Consulting

A certified Flow State and Breathwork Facilitator, Dave helps teams unlock clarity, creativity, and calm through breathwork grounded in neuroscience and lived business experience.

SESSION:

Morning flow state breathwork

Afternoon flow state breathwork

Dave Murphy

Flow State & Breathwork Facilitator

A strategist by training and Chief of Staff at Airwallex, David helps People teams test ideas early and learn what really works before scaling.

SESSION:

Can we really 'fail fast' in HR?

The value of outside perspectives for today’s People leaders

David Ky

Chief of Staff to the Global Head of People & Talent at Airwallex

Founder of Mission & Rhythm, Deepak builds cultures that work—for people and business.

SESSION:

F! your Data!... it doesn’t change a thing, we do!

Deepak Singh

Founder & Head of People Experiences at Mission & Rhythm

GM of People & Operations at Kic, Emily brings 10+ years of startup People experience, helping teams scale culture with clarity, calm, and heart.

SESSION:

Change doesn’t have to suck

Emily Robinson

GM People & Operations at Kic App

Head of People at Main Sequence, Erika helps founders build the team, structure, and culture that investors notice—and back.

SESSION:

The People & Culture edge: Building investable companies through people, culture & leadership

Erika Enberg

Head of People at Main Sequence

Felicity is a People leader helping teams navigate growth with clarity, resilience, and just the right dose of calm.

SESSION:

Change doesn’t have to suck

Felicity Davis

Director of People Operations at Linktree

Head of People at Float.com, Georgie helps lean People teams do big things—by focusing on what really moves the needle.

SESSION:

The heavy lifters: How small people ops teams do big things

Georgie Roberts

Head of People & Operations at Float.com

Co-Founder of Playgrounded Co, Georgina helps remote teams build trust and connection through culture-first People & Ops practices.

SESSION:

Why work isn't working

Georgina Robilliard

Co-Founder at Playgrounded Co

Founder of The Culture Equation, Hiam helps leaders embed culture intentionally—especially as AI accelerates and change gets messy.

SESSION:

Culture and AI: The high-stakes leadership play

Hiam Sakakini

Founder at The Culture Equation

Head of People at Airtree, Jess helps high-growth startups align talent, culture, and leadership to scale—and secure investment.

SESSION:

The People & Culture edge: Building investable companies through people, culture & leadership

Jess Blomfield

Head of People & Culture at Airtree Ventures

Co-Founder of LiveRem, Jonathan helps startups simplify compensation with data-backed insights and no-fluff frameworks that scale.

SESSION:

How to pay people when there’s no playbook: Compensation 101 for growth

Jonathan Morgan

Co-Founder & CTO at LiveRem

Director of CX & PX at Tixel, Jules leads with empathy and edge, helping teams grow trust and impact through people-first design and leadership.

SESSION:

Change doesn’t have to suck

Jules Duck

Director of CX & PX at Tixel

Founder of Cultivate, Kate helps startups spot red flags early, avoid ER disasters, and build cultures that grow with their people.

SESSION:

From founder fallout to team toxicity: The hidden employee relations landmines in startups

Kate Williams

Founder & Director at Cultivate

Kimberley has scaled startups, survived the chaos, and stayed human through it all. Now she helps others do the same at Sprinklr.

SESSION:

When shit goes down, you’ve gotta step up

Kimberley Gilmour

Co-Founder & CEO at Sprinklr

Co-Founder of Humaneer, Kimberly helps HR reimagine their time with tools built by HR, for HR.

SESSION:

People not paperwork

Kimberly Burns

Co-Founder at Humaneer

Founder of LC2 Consulting and a seasoned HR exec, Laura helps startups build culture and scale with purpose—backed by 20 years in global leadership roles.

SESSION:

What TikTok taught us about scaling culture

Laura Chuck

Founder at LC2 Consulting

CEO of Crewmojo, Mark helps HR teams design performance systems that people actually want to use.

SESSION:

Nailing performance management with a product-led mindset

Mark Lewis

CEO at Crewmojo

Director of FNDN and LinkedIn Top Voice, Matt helps startups build pay strategies that make sense, make hires, and build trust—without the fluff.

SESSION:

The startup’s guide to building a clear, confident pay position

Matt McFarlane

Director at FNDN

CEO of Human Leadership Lab, May helps leaders navigate change by running small experiments that build momentum, clarity, and confidence.

SESSION:

Lead like a scientist: Run the experiments that move you forward

May Samali

Founder & CEO at Human Leadership Lab

With a background in UX and psychology, the BBC's PX strategist, Megan helps HR teams become experience designers—not just administrators.

SESSION:

Maps, missteps, and momentum: Scaling People practices at startup speed

Megan Trotter

Senior People Experience Partner at BBC

A former VP of People, Nic helps People leaders decode what CEOs really want.

SESSION:

What your Founder or CEO won’t tell you…and how to use that to your advantage

The value of outside perspectives for today’s People leaders

Nic Hopkins

Founder & Former VP of People at Up & to the Right

Head of People at MakerX, Rachael helps startups lead with honesty, adapt fast, and build trust by treating culture like a product.

SESSION:

Why it’s ok to roll it back (and why that builds trust)

Rachael Goodenough

Head of People & Culture at MakerX

Chief People & Culture Officer at Sonder, Raechel helps companies scale leadership intentionally and build exec teams that drive results without burning out.

SESSION:

Getting the top team right

Raechel Gavin

Chief People & Culture Officer at Sonder

Head of People at Main Sequence and 5B, Reshmi brings a VC-informed lens to building startup teams, talent, and culture that scale sustainably.

SESSION:

The People & Culture edge: Building investable companies through people, culture & leadership

Reshmi Buthello

Head of People & Culture at Main Sequence + 5B

Co-Founder of Hello Canopy, Sam helps startups scale trust, safety, and response systems that work—long before they hit crisis point.

SESSION:

Build it before you need it: Cultural safety that scales

Sam Garven

Co-Founder & CEO at Hello Canopy

Founder of Humankind and Excellent, Samantha helps leaders create people experiences that drive performance and stay rooted in what matters most.

SESSION:

The conversations you’re not having

Samantha Gadd

Founder / Director at Humankind + Excellent

Director of People Experience at Auror, Siân helps startups scale with inclusion by embedding equity into how they hire and build teams.

SESSION:

Belonging from the beginning

Siân Govind

Director of Talent & People Experience at Auror

Facilitator, Coach, Clown, and Co-Founder of Playgrounded Co, Stefan brings realness and depth to hybrid team culture.

SESSION:

Why work isn't working

Stefan Bramble

Co-Founder at Playgrounded Co

Stefan Welack leads TA Enablement at Xplor Technologies, helping startups build scalable, human-first hiring systems that fuel growth and engagement.

SESSION:

Building a talent engine that fuels scale

Stefan Welack

Global TA Enablement & Employee Experience Lead at Xplor Technologies

Founder of co:grow, and transformation strategist and coach, Susan helps startups replace HR guesswork with scalable, principle-based strategy.

SESSION:

The death of best practices or first principles thinking in action

Susan Chen

Founder & CEO at co:grow

Founder of Series Build, Tova helps startups avoid costly hiring mistakes by building teams that reflect their values and ambition.

SESSION:

The biggest mistakes companies make when hiring

Tova Angsuwat

Founder at Series Build

Powered by brands that are empowering startups

Startup People Summit is made possible with the support of our major sponsors

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An event for People professionals scaling thriving startups.

ABOUT

People fuel startup success.But scaling the teams, culture, and practices that drive growth is no small feat.

Schedule

Where today’s People leaders shape tomorrow’s workplaces

TRACK 1

Connect & Recharge

Welcome

Morning Flow State Breathwork

🥪

Afternoon Flow State Breathwork

Closing

TRACK 2

Leading at Scale

Writing policies that don't suck (and achieve business goals too!)

Lead like a scientist: Run the experiments that move you forward

Maps, missteps, and momentum: Scaling People practices at startup speed

Getting the top team right

🥪

The People & Culture edge: Building investable companies through people, culture & leadership

People science for startups: Building a culture of excellence and engagement

Culture and AI: The high-stakes leadership play

TRACK 3

Culture by Design

Belonging from the beginning

Why work isn't working

Do the work you’re afraid to do and build the culture you keep asking for

Change doesn’t have to suck

Why it’s ok to roll it back (and why that builds trust)

🥪

Build it before you need it: Cultural safety that scales

The conversations you’re not having

From founder fallout to team toxicity: The hidden employee relations landmines in startup

What TikTok taught us about scaling culture

TRACK 4

Systems for People Teams

How to pay people when there’s no playbook: Compensation 101 for growth

Automate the manual, amplify the human: AI’s real role in startup HR

Nailing performance management with a product-led mindset

The heavy lifters: How small people ops teams do big things

People not paperwork

🥪

F! your Data!... it doesn’t change a thing, we do!

The death of best practices or first principles thinking in action

The startup’s guide to building a clear, confident pay position

TRACK 5

Talent & Growth

What your Founder or CEO won’t tell you…and how to use that to your advantage

Can we really 'fail fast' in HR?

Employer branding on a budget

The value of outside perspectives for today’s People leaders

🥪

The biggest mistakes companies make when hiring

Building a talent engine that fuels scale

The conversations that make or break a manager

When shit goes down, you’ve gotta step up

Speakers

Meet the experts shaping startup People practices

Founder of Give a Damn, Adam helps startups scale People Ops with speed, soul, and mischief.

Maps, missteps, and momentum: Scaling People practices at startup speed

Adam Axon

Talent & Employer Brand Manager at Go1, Alexia helps startups scale with human-first hiring and employer brands that speak to real people.

Employer branding on a budget

Alexia Ellmers

Head of People at Aspire, Allen helps startups build cultures of excellence using people science and organisational psychology.

People science for startups: Building a culture of excellence and engagement

Allen Lee

Chief Culture Officer at Hoogly AI, Anitta helps global teams thrive through bold culture strategy and human-first tech.

What TikTok taught us about scaling culture

Anitta Krishan

Head of People & Culture APJ at HiBob, Anna has led People strategy at The Iconic, Kudosity, Westpac, and Macquarie—blending startup agility with corporate depth to scale inclusive, high-performing teams.

Change doesn’t have to suck

Anna Volkova

COO at Hutly, Ashleigh brings people-first thinking and strategic clarity to fast-scaling teams—and the systems they need to thrive.

The value of outside perspectives for today’s People leaders

Ashleigh Loughnan

CEO of The Mathpath, Aubrey helps companies write fair, effective policies and build systems that support responsible, equitable growth.

Writing policies that don't suck (and achieve business goals too!)

Aubrey Blanche-Sarellano

Head of People at Decidr, Bianca helps startups automate the manual and refocus HR teams on what really matters—people.

People fuel startup success.

But scaling the teams, culture, and practices that drive growth is no small feat.