Fishburners, an Australian startup hub, will host the InnovAItor series, a new initiative designed to harness the power of AI to bridge the gap between startups and corporates.
Created and spearheaded by ex-Seven digital marketing and innovation lead Lucio Ribeiro and Vijay Solanki, and sponsored by M&C Saatchi Group, the series will convene through leaders, innovators, and decision-makers to explore how AI and Gen AI can drive collaboration across the two worlds.
The monthly series will cover critical areas of AI and Gen AI, bringing together experts practitioners in Australia for a live debate, facilitated by a journalist, followed by a live demonstration of how to use Gen AI tools and products.
The inaugural session on 3 October will explore the ethical use of data, models, and governance in Gen AI. It will examine how governance can make or break businesses and address key issues at the intersection of Gen AI, corporate governance, and startup agility.
Speakers Lee Hickin, AI Technology & Policy Lead at Microsoft Asia, and Dr Kendra Vant, former AI leader at Xero and Seek, will lead the discussion. Key topics for the first session will include navigating the complexities of Gen AI innovation, managing the non-deterministic nature of outputs, committing to continuous learning and adaptability, sharing examples of both good and poor practices, and providing guidance on actionable steps to consider.
Speaking on the event, Ribeiro told Mediaweek that there is a current lack of symmetry between planning for AI and executing AI.
“Many people are talking about the theory of AI in marketing but with minimum execution experience. In my last two roles, I worked very closely with entrepreneurs, founders, start-ups, and tech builders. There’s so much to learn from their practicability, but I also realised they miss corporates’ discipline, planning, and experience, so why not bring them together?” he said.
“It’s a win-win; the entrepreneurial folks learn from the corporate experience, and the corporate marketers learn from the audacity and creativity of entrepreneurs. The sessions are practical, educational and a great opportunity for networking. VJ and I are just the facilitators and matchmakers.”
Solanki said: “The InnovAItor series is not just about understanding AI; it’s about putting it into practice in a way that benefits both startups and established businesses. The mission is to use Gen AI to help better connect startups with corporate.”
Future sessions of the InnovAItor series will include topics such as AI & Creativity, exploring the role of AI in content creation and distribution, and AI & Board/Investors, focusing on how AI can inform decision-making at the highest levels of business.