Founders and Funders Australia

Stephanie Leung (@misssteph_eatdrinkplay) has spent more than 25 years quietly building one of Melbourne's most recognisable personal brands. You'll know her from her TV work, her 71K-strong Instagram community at Eat Drink Play, and her hosting at some of the city's biggest launches. But she's also is at PR agency Shy Melbournean Media, a regular host for heritage brands like Hennessy and Cartier, and now a talent manager bringing...

In this episode of Founders and Funders, host Ray Yee sits down with Gabriel Bastien-Dietrich, Brand Manager at Nautica Australia. Gabriel shares his journey from the ski slopes north of Montreal to navigating the high-stakes world of international fashion licensing. They dive deep into the mechanics of brand rejuvenation.

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Key Takeaways

In this episode of Founders and Funders, we sit down with Connor Luke Van Brown, a designer who transitioned from the high-octane world of professional cycling to the intricate craft of technical fashion. Connor shares the "aha moment" in a team van—watching a Givenchy show just minutes before a race—that led him to trade his bike for a career in design.

We explore his journey through UTS School of Design, the r...

In this episode of Founders and Funders, Ray speaks with Valentin Zhmodikov, a Melbourne-based fashion and portrait photographer originally from St. Petersburg, Russia.

Valentin shares how photography became both a creative outlet and a professional path, and what it really takes to move from hobbyist to working photographer. He talks openly about self-doubt, rejection, and the uncertainty that comes with creative careers, especiall...

In this episode of Founders and Funders, Ray interviews Vick, a passionate photographer whose hobby turned into a profession. Vick shares his journey from growing up in a small town in Indonesia to becoming an international photographer, working with models and brands, and attending Paris Fashion Week. He discusses the challenges and rewards of his career, the importance of social media in building his brand, and his aspirations fo...

This week on Founders & Funders Australia, Ray sits down with filmmaker and multidisciplinary creative Dale Crawford, founder of Moon Room Films.

Dale grew up in Melbourne surrounded by early computers, robotics, and animation thanks to two programmer parents. From childhood inventions to studying fine arts, screenwriting, and philosophy simultaneously, his early life set the foundation for a career that spans fashion design, in...

This week on Founders and Funders Australia, Ray sits down with sculptor and model Chi, whose life has taken her from childhood in Vietnam to exhibiting at the NGV and building a new life in Australia.

Chi shares how her parents, raised during the Vietnam War with almost no resources, fought to give their daughters an international education. She talks about teaching herself English through Disney Channel, moving to Australia to stu...

When Jude moved from Singapore to Melbourne as a teenager, fashion wasn’t the obvious path. After studying fine arts, serving two years in Singapore’s military, and starting over, he found his creative calling — designing clothes that reflect personality, playfulness, and purpose.

In this episode, Jude shares how he built Design by Jude from scratch — beginning with a single sewing machine, small design marke...

In this episode of Founders and Funders Australia, Ray sits down with Louis — an actor, model, and photographer whose creative journey spans continents and industries. From moving to Australia as a child and navigating cultural shifts, to signing with one of the top acting agencies in the country and walking the runway at Melbourne Fashion Week, Louis shares a story of resilience, belonging, and artistic growth.

Louis opens up...

In this episode of Founders and Funders, host Ray Yee speaks with Karen, founder of The Creative Warehouse. Based in Australia, Karen shares her journey of building a creative business from the ground up, offering insights into entrepreneurship, resilience, and how creativity can fuel business growth.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How Karen transformed her creative passion into a thriving business.
• The challenges of entrepren...

In this episode of Founders and Funders Australia, host Ray Yee sits down with Mitch, the driving force behind The Essential, a supplement brand dedicated to transparency and quality. Mitch shares his journey from aspiring athlete to successful entrepreneur, discussing the challenges of navigating the supplement industry and the importance of integrity in product development. Tune in to learn about the evolution of The Essential, t...

In this episode, we explore the inspiring story of Justin Rooney, who left a successful career in investment banking to co-found Flame Security. Learn about the challenges and triumphs of developing cutting-edge fire safety solutions and the impact of their products on global markets.

Show Notes:

Introduction to Justin Rooney and Flame Security The transition from banking to fire safety innovation Key challenges in developing fire re...

In this episode of Founders and Funders, I sit down with Ray Wang, co-founder and CEO of Luca Plus, to explore his journey from accountant at Nike to fintech founder reshaping B2B payments.

We talk about how Luca Plus is giving small businesses access to flexible supplier credit, the inspiration behind its name, and Ray's commitment to integrity, transpa...

Join us on Founders and Funders Australia as we explore the future of education with Dhruv, the innovative founder of Huddled. In this episode, Dhruv reveals how Huddled’s AI-driven platform—described as "Slack for educators and students"—is transforming the learning experience. By enhancing student engagement, empowering teachers, and fostering inclusive, secure spaces, Huddled is redefining education. From his e...

In this episode of Founders and Funders Australia, host Ray explores the cutting-edge intersection of AI and law with Daniel and Jordan, the founders of LawMe, a platform that’s transforming legal work with AI-powered virtual workers. From their university days to launching a tool that automates drafting, compliance, and research, they share their inspiring startup journey, the pivot from legal research to workflow automation...

What would make you walk away from a stable career? For Jaryd Krause, it was the realization that the life he had built as a plumber wasn’t the one he wanted.

So, he left it all behind. No business experience. No roadmap. Just a desire to create financial freedom. Today, Jaryd runs one of the world’s largest communities for buying and growing online businesses, helping others escape the 9-to-5 grind.

In this episode, we t...

In this episode of Founders and Funders, I chat with Jay Pottenger from EQ Minds. We explore his journey from a successful career in banking to building a thriving mental health and mindfulness business. Jay shares how EQ Minds grew from a deeply personal experience into a company helping thousands improve their mental health and performance worldwide.

We cover:

How Jay transitioned from banking to EQ Minds

Practical strategies for bu...

In this episode of Founders and Funders Australia, I sit down with Helena Turpin, co-founder of GoFigr, an Australian career tech platform helping businesses retain and upskill talent. Helena shares her journey from working in HR at Adecco and Randstad to launching her own startup through the Antler accelerator program.

We dive into the challenges of building a SaaS business, securing early customers, and leveraging AI to drive wor...

James McClure is a Partner at Antler Australia, a global early-stage VC firm. With a background in tech leadership roles at Google, Airbnb, and other innovative companies, James brings a wealth of experience in scaling startups, building teams, and navigating the venture capital landscape.

Key topics:

Breaking barriers in venture capital to support founders globally. James’ Journey: From corporate tech to venture capital. Star...