Excited about technologies but don’t really understand what Blockchain is all about?

Join our key note speaker Leanne Kemp, CEO of Everledger and Queensland Chief Entrepreneur in an exciting evening taking us through the journey of Blockchain. During the subsequent panel discussion, you will then discover actual case studies and how entrepreneurs are implementing blockchain technology across different industries.

Our speakers include:

- The Honourable Kate Jones MP

Kate Jones is the Minister for Innovation, Tourism Industry Development and the Commonwealth Games in the Queensland Government. Kate is committed to building innovation in Queensland by attracting new investment, growing entrepreneurialism across the state and supporting local starts up to scale up and think global. She is also a proud champion for Queensland’s tourism industry and oversaw the successful delivery of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Queensland’s largest ever event. She has previously served as the Minister for Education, Minister for Environment, Minister for Climate Change and Natural Resource Management and Minister for Small Business in previous Queensland Governments. When Kate was first sworn-in in 2009, she was the youngest ever Queensland Government Minister. Kate is a graduate of the Queensland University of Technology and holds a Masters in Environmental Law from Australian National University.

- Leanne Kemp, Founder and CEO of Everledger (keynote)

Everledger is a leading emerging technology enterprise that tracks the provenance of high-value assets on a global digital ledger in an authenticated immutable manner. 
Leanne has won many awards, including the 2018 Advance Australia Award and the Innovator of the Year 2018 at the Women in IT Awards (London). Leanne is also an IBM Champion for 2018, as well as an appointed member of the World Economic Forum’s Blockchain Council, Co-Chair for the World Trade Board's Sustainable Trade Action Group, while also being on the IBM Blockchain Platform Board of Advisors.

- Richard Romanowski, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Planet Ark Power. 

In the past Richard has run his own management consulting business as well as having senior executive experience leading change and commercialisation in various organizations both in Australia and Canada. He is passionate about green, clean technology and is now applying his experience to helping Planet Ark Power succeed in helping to create a clean energy world.

- Michelle Ash, Chair of the Global Mining Guidelines Group and former Chief Innovation Officer at Barrick Gold Corporation (via METS ignited)

In her last role Michelle was as Chief Innovation Officer at Barrick. In her role, she oversaw the company's Innovation program, looking both at how innovation can drive productivity in the existing business as well as how it can be harnessed to deliver alternative business models. Michelle joined Barrick in January 2016 and brought with her more than 20 years of experience in the mining and manufacturing sectors with a focus on business improvement and change management. Michelle was named to the 2016 list of "100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining" by Women in Mining UK.

- Chris Pienaar, Vertical Market Manager Perishables at Schenker Australia.

Chris is passionate about new technologies and is very keen to embrace blockchain and IOT to help enhance procedures and help move product so it reaches its destination in the best possible condition.  He was recently involved in a project where blockchain technology was used to move wine from South Australia to China

- Paul Cooper, Chairman of the Board, Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC)

Paul has 25 years’ manufacturing industry experience as owner and Executive Chair of Rinstrum, an industrial electronics manufacturing company. Rinstrum is based in Brisbane and actively exports to global markets with subsidiaries in the United States, Germany, India and Sri Lanka.Paul was appointed to the Board in 2015 and is now tasked with overseeing the implementation of AMGC’s strategy and its alignment with the overall Growth Centre Initiative.

- David Fox, General Manager, LA Services

David began his working life as an apprentice fitter machinist in 1988. Over the next 10 years, he completed his TAFE trade then an engineering certificate & diploma, his role then moved into machine design and CAD / CAM modelling. In 2001 he transitioned to fabrication projects working for several smaller jobbing shop businesses, over this period he also undertook a Bachelor or Education part-time at UTS.

Moving to LA Services in 2006 as a Project Manager, he became involved in larger projects supplying custom engineered equipment for oil & gas majors in Australia, these experiences highlighted the impacts and opportunities such manufacturing had on LA Services business. In 2012 David return to UTS undertaking a Master of Engineering by research part time focusing on project management in the SME engineered-to-order space. In 2016 his role fully transitioned into management responsibilities and the planning of LA Services future.

- Darren Younger, Chief Growth Officer of the Lakeba Group and Head of Lakeba Future Hub. 

Recognised early in his career as an innovator and technology entrepreneur, Darren’s role as Chief Growth Officer for Lakeba is to drive the vision and momentum of Lakeba’s Future Hub, a forward looking division of Lakeba with a focus on emerging technologies including Blockchain, AI, Machine Learning and Quantum Computing.