This month’s Female Founders event will be tackling the challenges of building a business while balancing family and personal commitment. How can we not only succeed but thrive in our personal and professional lives? Is it possible to achieve balance? What does “balance” actually mean? Are there even enough hours in a day? And do we really need to “have it all”!?

Join us for lunch and a panel discussion with Anne-Marie Perret, Tina McIntosh, Bronwyn Orr and Claire Saito as they share their experiences, including the ups and downs of juggling life, business and family.

These inspiring women all have incredible experience in running a business whilst raising their families, and understand firsthand the challenge of finding the right “balance.”

Register now and joins us for an inspirational event over lunch.

 

Meet the panel:

Anne-Marie Perret 

Anne-Marie has had a varied career, applying her skills and capabilities to private and public sector organisations. After nearly 14 years in Big 4 Accounting firms, Anne-Marie decided to go independently, assisting high-growth technology clients with their R&D governance and funding needs.

Anne-Marie is an investor and mentor of innovative early-stage companies. In addition, she is a qualified and experienced board member with a portfolio that includes Director of Skykraft Pty Ltd, director (and former Chair) of Capital Angels, a Director on the Board of Griffin Accelerator Holdings Pty Ltd, a Trustee for the Griffin Accelerator Program as well as a mentor in the Griffin Accelerator Program. She is a former ACT Government’s Renewable Energy Innovation Fund Business Advisory Board member and Program Board Member for the ACT Government’s Small Business Innovation Partnerships.

Anne-Marie became a single mother with two young children while building her corporate career. She focused her efforts on ensuring she was present in both her personal and professional life, a decision she has never regretted, and one she believes helped both her and her career flourish.

Tina McIntosh

Tina founded her business Brain Changer in 2017, introducing a suite of products developed to support self-management of pain recovery using a plasticity approach. In late 2019, the company developed the BOOST Recovery Program, a virtual care clinical program designed to enhance the effectiveness of the original Brain Changer pain recovery self-management tools.

The BOOST Recovery Program is delivered via telehealth across Australia, supporting people in their return to work and other valued activities. BOOST Recovery has achieved significant clinical outcomes based on national benchmarks for pain program performance.

In addition to running the business, Tina helps organise the lives of her two teenage daughters, her elderly parents and her husband. Happily, the company’s mission is to help people thrive in the modern world. To do this, each and every one of its employees, including Tina, is supported to thrive themselves.

Claire Saito 

Claire is a passionate entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in the hairdressing industry. Claire has worked in top-tier salons and global organisations for beauty products in Australia and Japan as a Marketing specialist.

In 2018, Claire started developing her own hair colour with one belief: with expert help, home hair colour can be better. MIIROKO is looking to disrupt the home hair colour market by combining it with expert knowledge from hairdressers. Since their launch, Claire, her partner Yuki, and the team at MIIROKO have shipped over 13,000 colour orders.

On top of running the business, Claire and Yuki have a four-year-old daughter and four-month-old twins.

Dr Bronwyn Orr 

Dr Bronwyn Orr founded the Walk-In Clinic For Animals, Australia’s first urgent care veterinary clinic in Canberra.

The clinic opened in November 2022, one week before Dr. Orr gave birth to her first child. Since then, it has continued to grow rapidly, with expansion into a Sydney location planned for mid-2024.

Dr Orr has juggled raising a young child and growing a small business while leading Australia’s peak body for veterinarians, the Australian Veterinary Association, as its youngest President in history from 2022-2023.

 

Important Information:

· CBRIN events are inclusive in nature and open to all.

· Please arrive at 12.15pm for a 12.30pm start.

· Lunch is included in your ticket and provided by the local female-founded business, The Goods Wholefoods.

· *Please note: this event will be photographed. Some of these photos may be used to promote future Canberra Innovation Network events and programs. If you DO NOT wish to be photographed, please let the photographer know on the day.

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FAQ

What parking is available?

Parking is available at the City West Carpark, located on Allsop Street. There is also limited street parking around the building.

Where are you located?

Find us at Level 5, 1 Moore Street (City Community Health Building) on the corner of Alinga and Moore Street.

How can I find out about more events like this?

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