Ashik Ahmed is the Co-Founder, CEO, and CTO of Deputy, a workforce management software platform. Deputy seeks to simplify shift work for hundreds of thousands of customers around the globe. Ashik is a genuine, open, and honest CEO with a multitude of insights on the founder journey.

Lauren Hall is the Founder and CEO of iVvy, a venue and event management software company. Prior to founding iVvy, Lauren worked across a variety of industries including clothing, pharmaceuticals, FMCG, and technology. Lauren is a tenacious founder with an indomitable spirit; her story is one of talent, hustle, resilience, and success.

Topics we discuss:The discussion kicks off with the biggest headline of the fortnight: Square’s $39 billion acquisition of AfterPay. The panel dives into the implications of the deal for the BNPL sector, and banking in general. We also discuss the new innovation hub opening up in the new Salesforce Tower in Sydney, Australia’s first crypto credit card from CoinJar, the new $270 million VC fund from Airwallex, and new raises by IntelligenceBank and Culture Amp.

oined Pegasus as a General Manager in 2007 and became CEO in 2010, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role. Pegasus was recently acquired by U.S. company Avetta; the deal was finalised last week after receiving regulatory approval.

s:Our panel kicks off with a discussion of the recent call from leading Australian tech investors and founders for a plan to end the lockdown crisis and then transitions to talk about funds, raises, and acquisitions from the Australian and New Zealand startup ecosystem. Some major headlines we cover: new funds from ANZ, Tennis Australia, Our Innovation Fund, and Tractor Ventures and raises and exits by Go1, Rokt, Sweat, Invoice2go, and Employment Hero.

James Ferguson is the CEO and co-founder of Immutable, a platform that provides scalable blockchain infrastructure for video games. James is a driven founder with a growth mindset that has led Immutable to build a staff of 100 and raise $20m. James and his brother/co-founder, Robbie Ferguson, have been featured on the ‘Forbes 30 under 30’ list for their impressive work in growing and scaling Immutable.

Topics we discuss:Our panel discusses how border closures and lockdowns are holding back Australian startups, as well as recent raises by Gilmour Space, Fl0, Skedulo, and Currus Biologics. We also touch on Wise’s debut on the London Stock Exchange and Nextdoor’s SPAC.