Who are the mentors?

To find out more about the experts and mentors see the 'who's listening' tab or feature grid below.


How do I book a 1:1 session?

You can book a 1:1 session with a mentor by clicking on their calendly link and selecting one of the available timeslots. These sessions are designed to assist your understanding of the issues and considerations of the competition before completing your submission.


How do I get in touch?

If you have a general question about the competition, you can ask us using the forum below.

Provide a short summary of your question.

You have 150 characters left

Provide detailed information relating to your question.

You have 500 characters left

Select a respondent from the list that you would most like to answer your question.

Note: The demographic details you share will assist the City of Melbourne to better understand your response. Refer to the Privacy Statement to learn more about how we use and protect this information. Please ensure that you do not provide any other information in your survey response that could identify you or others.

Moderation Policy

These are the people that are listening and responding to your questions.

Gemma Baxter

Pilot and Trial Coordinator, Smart City Incubator

Specialty areas for questions:

  • Design and design research
  • Service and systems design
  • Communication design
  • Innovation and trialling new technologies

Learn more: LinkedIn

​Heather Sherlock

Knowledge Bank Lead, City of Melbourne

Specialty areas for questions:

  • Qualitative research and data analysis
  • Demography and understanding populations
  • Data communication & storytelling
  • Life as an international student

Learn more: LinkedIin

​Roberto Daniele

Senior Programmer StartSpace + Founder & Director Changemakers’ Lab

Specialty areas for questions:

  • Social Impact/ Social Enterprises
  • Business Models
  • Marketing
  • Community building

Learn more: LinkedIn

​Domenic Saporito

Founder & Director InternMatch & MentorMatch

Specialty areas for questions:

  • Early-stage venture validation
  • Pitching
  • Leveraging Technology
  • Capital Raising

Learn more: LinkedIn

​Dickie Currer

Head of Partnerships, Startup Australia

Specialty areas for questions:

  • Strategic Partnerships
  • Building a Community/Ecosystem
  • Funding options for Startups
  • Go to Market strategies

Learn more: LinkedIn

​Kennie Kurniawan

Future Founders Program Manager, Start Space

Specialty areas for questions:

  • International students insights
  • Marketing strategy
  • Market research
  • Idea validation

Learn more: LinkedIn

​Rei Chin

Neighbourhood Partner, City of Melbourne

Specialty areas for questions:

  • Community development (facilitating community connection and empowering people to lead their own change)
  • Project development, management and evaluation
  • Community engagement practices

Learn more: LinkedIn

​Vishek Batra

Engineering Maintenace Officer at Victorian Chemicals

Specialty areas for questions:

  • Product development (prototyping to manufacturing)
  • Project Management
  • Networking & people management
  • IP and patents

Learn more: LinkedIn

​Prachi Tyagi

Digital Content Specialist, IDP Australia

Specialty areas for questions:

  • Personal Branding
  • Content Strategy
  • Marketing
  • Brand Building

Learn more: LinkedIn

​Layana Franco

Startup founder & Marketing manager, Swap-a-Porter

Specialty areas for questions:

  • Design thinking + UX/UI design
  • Market research + Validation of solutions/ideas
  • Social and environmental impact
  • Pitching

Learn more: LinkedIn

​Emily O’Callaghan

Recruitment Operations Manager, University of Melbourne

Specialty areas for questions:

  • Partnerships/ Stakeholder relations
  • External relations
  • Project Management / Governance
  • International Education / Student Experience

Learn more: LinkedIn

​Rory McNeice

Velocity Program Manager

Specialty areas for questions:

  • Customer Discovery
  • Value Proposition

Learn more: LinkedIn

​Anita Van Rooyen

Founder and Chief Confidence Hacker at Confidence Hackers

Specialty areas for questions:

  • Founder mindset
  • Confidence
  • Pitch confidence

Learn more: LinkedIn

​Usman Iftikhar

Co-founder and CEO Catalysr

Specialty areas for questions:

  • Building a team & culture
  • Pitching & Storytelling
  • Fundraising

Learn more: LinkedIn

​Hope Dolino

Work Experience Guru / International Education Specialist

Specialty areas for questions:

  • Community Engagement and Capacity Building
  • Events / Program Management
  • Work Integrated Learning / Internships / Careers
  • Volunteering, Networking, Mentoring

Learn more: LinkedIn

​Kara Barnett

Senior Policy Officer Inclusion and Diversityat City of Melbourne

Specialty areas for questions:

  • Community Development
  • Stakeholder Engagement
  • Project Management
  • Local Government

Learn more: LinkedIn

​Belle Lim

Founder & CEO, Future Forte; Analyst, Deloitte Access Economics

Specialty areas for questions:

  • International student experience & international education
  • Social impact initiatives
  • Data collection & analysis
  • Community building

Learn more: LinkedIn

​Nas Mohamud

Neighbourhood Partner – Carlton and Parkville, City of Melbourne

Specialty areas for questions:

  • Community Development and Engagement
  • Program and Stakeholder Management
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Advocacy and networking

Learn more: LinkedIn

Elijah D’Souza

Founding Director, Uncommon Collective

Specialty areas for questions:

  • Alternative culturally accessible employment pathways for creatives, changemakers, and leaders
  • Culturally accessible community building
  • Selling without selling through curiosity and empathy
  • Helping internationals make money for what they love

Learn more: LinkedIn

{{ question.username }} asked

{{question.description}}

{{ answer.respondent.name }}
| Edited

Answer this question

Select the respondent who will be marked as answering the question

Provide the answer to the question. Answer can be saved as draft and published when complete.

No questions found

Mentors and experts

  • Gemma Baxter

    Pilot and Trial Coordinator, Smart City Incubator, City of Melbourne

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • Design and design research
    • Service and systems design
    • Communication design
    • Innovation and trialling new technologies

    Calendly 

  • Heather Sherlock

    Knowledge Bank Lead, City of Melbourne

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • Qualitative research and data analysis
    • Demography and understanding populations
    • Data communication & storytelling
    • Life as an international student

    Calendly 

  • Roberto Daniele

    Senior Programmer, StartSpace + Founder & Director, Changemakers’ Lab

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • Social Impact/ Social Enterprises
    • Business Models
    • Marketing
    • Community building

    Calendly 

  • Domenic Saporito

    Founder & Director, InternMatch & MentorMatch

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • Early-stage venture validation
    • Pitching
    • Leveraging Technology
    • Capital Raising

    Calendly 

  • Dickie Currer

    Head of Partnerships, Startup Australia

    Specialty areas for questions:
    • Strategic Partnerships
    • Building a Community/Ecosystem
    • Funding options for Startups
    • Go to Market strategies

    Calendly 

  • Kennie Kurniawan

    Future Founders Program Manager, Start Space

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • International students insights
    • Marketing strategy
    • Market research
    • Idea validation

    Calendly 

  • Rei Chin

    Neighbourhood Partner, City of Melbourne

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • Community development (facilitating community connection and empowering people to lead their own change)
    • Project development, management and evaluation
    • Community engagement practices

    Calendly 

  • Vishek Batra

    Engineering Maintenace Officer, Victorian Chemicals

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • Product development (prototyping to manufacturing)
    • Project Management
    • Networking & people management
    • IP and patents

    Calendly 

  • Prachi Tyagi

    Digital Content Specialist, IDP Australia

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • Personal Branding
    • Content Strategy
    • Marketing
    • Brand Building

    Calendly 

  • Layana Franco

    Startup founder & Marketing manager, Swap-a-Porter

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • Design thinking + UX/UI design
    • Market research + Validation of solutions/ideas
    • Social and environmental impact
    • Pitching

    Calendly 

  • Emily O’Callaghan

    Recruitment Operations Manager, University of Melbourne

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • Partnerships/ Stakeholder relations
    • External relations
    • Project Management / Governance
    • International Education / Student Experience

    Calendly 

  • Rory McNeice

    Velocity Program Manager, Melbourne Accelerator Program

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • Customer Discovery
    • Value Proposition

    Calendly 

  • Anita Van Rooyen

    Founder and Chief Confidence Hacker, Confidence Hackers

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • Founder mindset
    • Confidence
    • Pitch confidence

    Calendly 

  • Usman Iftikhar

    Co-founder and CEO, Catalysr

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • Building a team & culture
    • Pitching & Storytelling
    • Fundraising

    Calendly 

  • Hope Dolino

    Work Experience Guru / International Education Specialist

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • Community Engagement and Capacity Building
    • Events / Program Management
    • Work Integrated Learning / Internships / Careers
    • Volunteering, Networking, Mentoring

    Calendly 

  • Kara Barnett

    Senior Policy Officer Inclusion and Diversity, City of Melbourne

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • Community Development
    • Stakeholder Engagement
    • Project Management
    • Local Government

    Calendly 

  • Belle Lim

    Founder & CEO, Future Forte; Analyst, Deloitte Access Economics

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • International student experience & international education
    • Social impact initiatives
    • Data collection & analysis
    • Community building

    Calendly 

  • Nas Mohamud

    Neighbourhood Partner – Carlton and Parkville, City of Melbourne

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • Community Development and Engagement
    • Program and Stakeholder Management
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Advocacy and networking

    Calendly 

  • Elijah D’Souza

    Founding Director, Uncommon Collective

    Specialty areas for questions:

    • Alternative culturally accessible employment pathways for creatives, changemakers, and leaders
    • Culturally accessible community building
    • Selling without selling through curiosity and empathy
    • Helping internationals make money for what they love

    Calendly 

Open Innovation Competition