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Entrepreneurs in Residence

Our entrepreneurs-in-residence inspire and guide teams that have embarked on a process of commercialisation.

Curtin’s inaugural entrepreneur-in-residence was Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur Bill Tai. Bill helped us establish the annual West Tech Fest and enabled fledgling local businesses – including Canva and Power Ledger – connect with global markets.

Previous entrepreneurs-in-residence include Perth success story Olivia Humphrey, a well-known Perth entrepreneur who founded video streaming platform Kanopy, and the role is currently filled by Marvin Liao, a former Yahoo executive and ex-500 Startups Partner.

Marvin Liao

Marvin Liao

Marvin Liao is an investor and partner at Diaspora VC based in Silicon Valley. He was formerly a Partner at Venture Capital Fund 500 Startups, running the SF based accelerator program as well as investing in Seed stage start ups.

He has invested in and worked with over 450 pre-seed and seed stage startup companies with a particular interest in Digital Media, Enterprise SAAS, Marketplace, Mobile, Internet of Things & Fintech startups.

A 10.5 year veteran of Yahoo! Inc., Marvin has held executive roles in the various departments of Sales, Business Development, Ad Operations and Marketing. He has extensive experience across Asia, Europe, Latin America and the United States in his career at the company.

A longtime fan, participant, and an observer of the digital revolution occurring across the world, he is interested in opportunities with top growth companies large and small with a focus on driving monetisation and expanding into new international markets.

Entrepreneur Experts

Curtin University has invested in engaging industry leading experts to support and mentor startup founders and entrepreneurs connected to the institution. The following entrepreneur experts each represent a variety of industries, startup experience, and can provide unique insights for our entrepreneur community on how to build and scale great companies.

One-on-one mentorship sessions are available to book with each of our experts now. If you are a Curtin Entrepreneurs member and interested in booking a mentoring session, reach out to entrepreneurship@curtin.edu.au for more information.

Helga Mikkelsen

Helga Mikkelsen

Helga Mikkelsen is the WA-based Investment Manager at Brandon Capital, managing Australia and New Zealand’s largest life science investment fund. She holds degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology and completed her PhD in microbiology at the University of Cambridge. Helga co-founded Respirion Pharmaceuticals and is a Board Observer at OncoRes Medical, CatalYm, and Azura Ophthalmics.

Les Delaforce

Les Delaforce

Les is the Head of Indigenous Entrepreneurship at Minderoo Foundation – Generation One, a Venture Partner at Melt Ventures, and a board director of StartupWA. He has a background in tech and innovation, building and growing the Indigenous startup sector. Les has participated in leadership programs and his work has been recognised by Westpac 200 Businesses of Tomorrow, as a 40Under40 Award winner and as a member of the WA Premier’s Jobs Taskforce.

Louise Daw

Louise Daw

Louise Daw (GAICD, BComm) is a Curtin graduate and entrepreneur. She won EY’s Entrepreneur of the year in 2017. Louise is a software industry expert with experience in capital raising, commercialization, ESG compliance, risk management, and planning. She is currently Innovation & Strategy Advisor at Hexagon, Non-Executive Director at INX Software, and mentors several local start-ups as Springboard ambassador for WA.

Simon Anderson

Simon Anderson

Simon, a Perth native and Curtin University alumnus, is a passionate entrepreneur with expertise in product design and customer experience. He founded Notis Inc and Swayz, and has managed an education SaaS start-up in the USA and worked in tech recruitment consulting in Perth. Simon’s analytical mindset ensures he identifies overlooked solutions and provides exceptional outcomes.

Isis Nair

Isis Nair

Ex-Googler Isis Nair is a senior product leader with 20 years of experience scaling startups, who assists leaders in creating successful products while avoiding burnout. She prioritizes customer value and well-being and has worked for high-growth tech companies, mentored entrepreneurs, and lived in various countries.

Rob Nathan

Rob Nathan

Rob, CEO and Founder of Australian Tenders, has over 30 years of tech experience. In 2019, he was awarded the Pearcey WA Entrepreneur of the Year Incite Award. Rob is passionate about supporting emerging WA startups and is a founding member of the West Tech Investor Network. He has invested in over 20 WA startups and founded the Freo Startup Fest. He holds a Bachelor’s in Telecommunications Engineering from Curtin University and an MBA from the University of Western Australia.