Blackbird

Ask anyone (and we did): their favourite part of Sunrise? The people. The community. The networking. From future co-founders to fresh perspectives, 1:1 meetings at Sunrise are where big conversations begin. And ICYMI - we make those connections easy. Brella is our Sunrise festival & networking app that takes the awkward guesswork out of networking. Just tell it who you’re keen to meet - investors, collaborators, talent, or people building in the same space - and it’ll do the matchmaking for you: 🧠 Smart AI connects you with the right people 📆 Pre-book 15-minute 1:1 meetings with fellow Travellers 📍 Held onsite at Sunrise in the Global Connections Zone, presented by our friends at HSBC 💬 Chat before, during and after the event 🎟️Haven't got your ticket yet? Last tickets are on sale now - be quick! https://lnkd.in/gQKjFx7Y 🌅 30 April – 1 May | Carriageworks, Sydney

“One Chinese missile cruiser had nearly as many missile cells as Australia’s entire navy combined.” In a gripping moment from this weeks episode of #WildHearts, Vu Tran recounted a recent defence conference—and an unsettling story that didn’t make the headlines. Just weeks ago, a Chinese missile cruiser and accompanying vessels circled Australia. They travelled down the east coast, looped around Tasmania and South Australia, and passed by submarine yards in WA. According to Vu, it wasn’t just a naval tour—it was a demonstration of strategic capability. With a background that spans healthcare, technology, and defence, Vu offers a rare, multi-sector lens on what leadership looks like when geopolitics and innovation collide. Catch the full episode on Wildhearts - simply search the show on all streaming platforms. #Wildhearts #Defence #Geopolitics #Leadership #VuTran #NationalSecurity #Strategy

🌅 This. Is. It. The FULL #Sunrise25 program just dropped - and it’s our biggest one yet. The lineup? Absolutely stacked. The sessions? Bolder, sharper, and straight-up unmissable. The energy? Electric. Miss it? Trust us, you don't want to sit this one out. Adding to an already stacked lineup is: ✨ Alex Zaccaria | Co-founder & CEO at Linktree ✨ Karl von Randow | CTO at Letterboxd ✨ Mason Yates | Principal at Blackbird Ventures ✨ Lauren Meisner | Founder & Director at Centennial World ✨ Mark Tanner | CEO at Qwilr ✨ Johanna Weaver | Co-Founder and Chief Executive Director at Tech Policy Design Institute ✨ Iantha Yu | Director at PicStudio ✨ Kshitija Deshmukh | Co-founder & CEO at FOBOH ✨ Beth Lovell | Co-founder & CPO at FOBOH ✨ Sam Kothari | Co-founder & COO at Everlab ✨ Kevin Jochelson | Founder & Coach at OPSIZE ✨ Amy Firth | Interfaith Minister & Funeral Director at Amy Firth Ministry ✨ Bryony Cole | Founder at Future of Sex ✨ Kara Zervides 🧡 | Co-founder & CEO at Humpday ✨ Susie Kim | Relationship & Intimacy Coach ✨ Taylor Gwyther | CXO at Maple ✨ Patrycja Slawuta | Founder & CEO at UnLab & SelfHackathon ✨ Tishiko King | Grant Manager at Groundswell ✨ Caroline Vu | Chief of Staff at Boundless Earth ✨ Tim Middlemiss | Principal Consultant at Pale Blue Advisory ✨ TIM BURROWES | Publisher at Unmade & Mumbrella Media ✨ Ed Cowan | Investment Team at TDM ✨ Mitch Orr | Chef at Made by Mitch ✨ Steph Darmanin | Founder & CEO at Legacy Life Coaching & Consulting ✨ Alexandra Skiba | Founder at Ali Skiba – Sound Healing, Voice Activation & Breathwork ✨ Madeleine Hanger (Grummet)🚀 | Journalist, Investor, Entrepreneur at ABC / Flying Fox ✨ Stuart McMinn | Founder & CEO at Gawura Cultural Immersions Congrats for making it to the end of that (INSANE) list! Less than 3 weeks to go. If you’re thinking of coming, now’s the time to move. 🎟️ Tickets: https://lnkd.in/gQKjFx7Y 📍 30 April – 1 May | Carriageworks, Sydney

What motivates a founder to shift from building a billion-dollar edtech unicorn to manufacturing missiles? And what happens when your career becomes a response to something deeply personal — the kind of world your kids might grow up in? Vu Tran is a doctor, a co-founder of Go1, and now the co-founder of Black Sky Industries — Australia’s first scalable missile and solid rocket motor manufacturer. In today's episode, Vu opens up about the moral tipping point that drove him into defence, the vulnerability he sees in Australia’s current military setup, and why he believes our future depends on becoming, in his words, “an echidna — small, underestimated, and far too prickly to bite.” 🗣️ This is a conversation about personal mission, national security, and the power of bringing startup speed to one of the slowest-moving industries on the planet. In this conversation, we cover: 🏥 The emotional toll and grounding power of Vu’s continued work as a doctor in Logan 🚀 How Black Sky Industries is tackling lethality and building solid rocket motors at scale 🛡️ What Vu means by “making Australia an echidna” — a defence philosophy grounded in self-reliance and deterrence 💣 Why no one wants to touch “the pointy stuff” — and why Vu’s choosing to anyway 🌍 How Australia’s current reliance on foreign defence suppliers makes us vulnerable — and what needs to change 💡 Lessons Vu took from scaling Go1 into a unicorn — and what he’s left behind at Black Sky 📈 Why defence tech is the next trillion-dollar market opportunity — and why Vu wants more founders to enter the space Listen now on all streaming platforms, or head to the links below 🚀 📣 Listen on Apple: https://lnkd.in/gn2HNu7U 📣 Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/g7zur8wy

“Good doctors sell—not medication, but trust.” 🗣️ On tomorrow's episode of #WildHearts, Vu Tran shared a powerful perspective - the difference between a good doctor and a bad one often comes down to communication, not clinical skill 🚀 Vu draws a compelling parallel between being a doctor and being a great salesperson—not the transactional kind, but someone who can connect, tell a story, and earn buy-in. It’s not about slick techniques—it’s about empathy, narrative, and a deep understanding of both the customer and the product 🤝 Listen to Vu’s full conversation by simply subscribing to #WildHearts on all streaming platforms. Vu will also join us on stage at Sunrise Australia this April! If you are yet to grab yourself some tickets, head to: https://lnkd.in/dRGNvjGK #WildHearts #Leadership #Sales #Communication #VuTran

👀 The full #Sunrise25 program drops at the end of this week... But in case you missed a few gems we’ve already announced, here’s your reminder to start plotting your must-sees (even though, let’s be honest, all sessions at #Sunrise25 are must-sees). Swipe through for a few highlights ⚡ Then buckle up - full program coming in hot. 📍 Sunrise Australia 2025 | 30 April - 1 May | Carriageworks 🎟️ Tickets on sale now → https://lnkd.in/gQKjFx7Y Ben Shewry Jack Dean Patrick Stewart Fullstack Advisory Radium Capital Cam Price Hayley Saddington Dave Murphy Nicholas Ingate Robyn Denholm Brian Goorjian Tim Doyle Lauren Capelin Annabel Rolley Helen Zhang Bronwen Clune

What do you look for when building a startup team from scratch — with no clear playbook and everything on the line? In this week’s episode of #WildHearts, Jesse Creighton reveals the unconventional hiring philosophy that helped fuel their early success: forget specialists, hire generalists with grit, empathy, and the kind of energy you actually want to spend 12-hour days with. Jesse breaks down the three traits that became non-negotiable when building a team that could survive the chaos of startup life — and why those principles still matter today. Listen now on all streaming platforms! 🚀 #WildHeartsPodcast #StartupHiring #Leadership #TeamBuilding #FoundersJourney Heidi Health

300 students. 3 big moments. 1 powerful idea. The future isn’t inherited - it’s imagined, built, and believed into being. This year at #Sunrise25, Blackbird Foundation is handing the mic to the next generation. ✨ Curious high schoolers from across NSW ✨ Open conversations with founders and young creatives ✨ A Foundations story of belief, creativity and what happens when we back young people to shape the world From passion projects to bold dreams - this is where it begins. Come and see what the future looks like when you believe in it. 📍 Sunrise Australia 2025 | 30 April - 1 May | Carriageworks 🎟️ Tickets on sale now → https://lnkd.in/gQKjFx7Y 💫 Theia Gabatan Solomon Inyang Justin L. Amelia Vu Henrietta Amevor Lucy Hay Annabel Hay Tim Doyle

What happens when you pack a carry-on, fly across the world, and try to scale a healthcare startup in one of the world’s toughest markets? In today's episode from our Operator series of #WildHearts, we sit down with Jesse Creighton, Director (US) at Heidi Health 🚀 Jesse shares what it really looked like to launch the company’s American expansion — from hosting awkward dinners with two doctors at a 20-person table to building a high-performing sales team with its own unique culture in New York. In this conversation, we cover: 🗽 What it was like being the first on the ground in New York to launch Heidi in the US 🎯 Why Heidi's initial customer outreach flopped — and what they learned from it 🧠 How freemium became a game-changing growth strategy in healthcare 🛠 Why product-market fit in the US required rethinking sales, support, and compliance 🌎 The role of generalists vs. specialists when building early-stage teams across markets 🎥 How customer obsession and Aussie culture helped shape Heidi’s US team 📈 The two biggest bets that paid off — and why most investors didn’t see them coming This episode is a masterclass in how to scale a startup across borders — blending instinct, experimentation, and a deep belief in product. #WildHearts #Podcast #Leadership #StartupLife #BusinessGrowth

In this weeks episode of #WildHearts, Jesse Creighton, Director (US) at Heidi Health, unpacks the weight and responsibility of being there from day one — and how the habits, good and bad, formed in those early days can shape an entire company’s DNA. It’s a real, honest look at leadership, growth, and the challenge of holding onto your roots while building something new. Subscribe now on all streaming platforms 🚀 #WildHeartsPodcast #CompanyCulture #Leadership #StartupLife #BusinessGrowth Mason Yates