Brian has been involved in the innovation sector for over 30 years across Australia, Asia, Africa and the Pacific. He founded Impact Innovation Group in 2006 which has grown to a 20 person team providing R&D management, innovation, commercialisation and collaboration services for large multinationals, SME’s, startups, Rural Research and Development Corporations, Cooperative Research Centres, universities, CSIRO and government agencies. With a diverse team of R&D management consultants, the company helps clients across all sectors navigate the complexity of turning R&D into solutions that deliver value and impact.

Brian sits on several boards, advisory boards and committees. This includes his role as Chair of the Innovation Management Standards committee (MB-279) for Standards Australia where he is working with innovation specialists from 55 other countries to develop international innovation management standards.

B.App.Sc. Hons (Rural Management), M.Ec., Dip. Export Management, GAICD

Technical specialties: R&D design, monitoring and evaluation, R&D management, innovation systems, start-up governance & management, business modelling

Sector specialties: Agriculture, Environment, Water, Health & Medical Devices, Construction

Cameron has worked for over 20 years assisting business, ASX-listed companies, research organisations, not-for-profits, social enterprises and global Fortune 500s to take ideas and turn them into products, services and impact. Cameron has assisted with over 100 Industry to Research Collaborations to assist in the commercialisation and translation of research into outcomes and impact. Cameron has a wealth of experience in providing commercialisation and innovation training and consulting in many Australian and international research organisations, as well as in helping these organisations to drive their innovations out into the industry. Cameron is also a master of lean canvas methodologies and has implemented these skills in many projects.

Cameron’s proven experience in delivering innovation training and his experience in commercialisation across Australasia was key in him being part of a small team that created the learning blueprint for training new patent attorneys for IP Australia and the World Intellectual Property Organisation. As an experienced innovation consultant, he has supported the go-to-market strategy of numerous innovations and IP portfolios from research organisations and industries. Cameron has also founded and run start-ups and also created and managed a private equity firm to invest in early-stage innovations. He has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for his clients, and himself, which gives him end to end understanding of commercialisation and innovation.

B.App.Sc. (Aquaculture), Grad.Dip. Commercialisation, Cert IV Project Management, Cert IV Small Business Management

Technical specialities: commercialisation, university-industry collaborations, capital raising, business models and innovation systems

Sector specialities: food & agribusiness/aquaculture, professional services, research sector and not for profits

Karissa’s strength lies within growth and development, building solid relationships with all her clients and creative problem solving though being flexible in a constantly changing environment. Prior to joining Impact Innovation Group, Karissa worked in global organisations providing services in client relationship management, project administration and sales support. Karissa pairs her specialisation in Human Resource Management from the University of Queensland with her ability to manage strategic partnerships to build a strong and credible reputation within the industry and amongst her peers.

Karissa brings a high level of organisation and a comprehensive understanding of clients needs to achieve innovative, quality outcomes.

B. Bus Mgt (Human Resources)

Technical specialities: Business processes, Client Relationship Management, Project Co-ordination

Sector specialities: Human Resources, Administration, Communication, Sales

Nathan’s talent lies in his adaptive approach to problem solving which allows him overcome challenges whilst also building enduring relationships with clients. Nathan has a background in the analysis and development of business information systems which enables him to advise on organisational information requirements and related strategy. He also has comprehensive knowledge of the molecular events explored through the scientific disciplines of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Prior to joining Impact Innovation Group, Nathan spent several years within a global organisation and the Australian telecommunications sector. The experience he’s gained during these years have imbued him with strong operational and client relationship management skills. Using these skills in tandem with his diverse training background, Nathan is pursuing his passion for seeing science and technology in action, driving innovation and positive change within business and the community.

B.Bus. Mgt (Business Information Systems), B.Sc. (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology)

Technical specialities: Biochemistry, Information Systems, Business Process Management and Data Handling

Sector specialities: Information Technology, Telecommunications and Industrial Science

Leanne is the founder and lead trainer of Presence Communications, a specialist corporate training consultancy for the innovation and technology transfer sector as well as government and SME clients. Her training programs focus on helping teams work effectively through better communication. Leanne supports Impact Innovation Group’s marketing of commercialisation services, innovation programs, and client ventures. Her expertise in this sector was honed whilst working for UniQuest, The University of Queensland’s main research commercialisation company. She still works with the University’s researchers in various schools, faculties, centres and institutes to promote their scientific discoveries, many of which have commercial applications. Leanne is a member of Firestation 101, the Ipswich innovation hub, and the board of the Ipswich Chamber of Commerce. Leanne is the lead facilitator and mentor for Impact Innovation’s Ideas to Outcomes Cert IV in Small Business Management, delivered with TAFE Queensland’s Small Business Solutions.

B.A. (Hons), Grad.Dip Communication, Cert IV Small Business Management, Cert IV Training & Assessment, ATCL, Certified True Colors Facilitator

Technical specialities: Communication, Learning & Development, Event Management

Sector specialities: Small Business, Research Centres, Arts, Education, Health

Lewe is a unique innovation and design-thinking professional and international Strategic Management facilitator. He has 30 years’ experience in knowledge production and transfers through both commercial and public-good innovation pathways to market. He started his boundary-spanning career in FMCG operations, planning and research with Unifoods Australia. In 1993 he became Research and Information Services Manager for Australian Meat Technology Pty Ltd, a CSIRO technology start-up and management consulting company. He joined a team that started a new industry-owned innovation and marketing services company – Meat and Livestock Australia Ltd – where he has held several senior executive positions over the past 16 years. Lewe’s solid technical and financial grounding, combined with a strong creative side, enables him to see patterns, pathways, and solutions that others often miss. He works with clients all over Australia providing Strategic Planning & Management, Innovation Consulting, Cross-boundary Collaboration and Research Leadership Development.

B.Sc. (Health & Biological Sciences), Chartered Engineer, Chartered Chemist

Technical specialities: Innovation Systems, Product Development

Sector specialities: Meat & Livestock, Agribusiness, Profit-for-Purpose & Community Organisations

Crighton enjoys helping organisations figure out what they should be doing, and how to do it better. He has been helping them understand, design and develop their strategy, innovation, leadership and culture (SILC) for over fifteen years, building on a decade before this in more technical roles in the software industry. One of his key learnings is that leadership provides the foundation upon which we can develop everything else, starting with identity and purpose. As such, identity leadership provides the foundation for how he works.

Crighton draws from a range of approaches and techniques that are custom-curated for your specific context, such as design thinking/strategy, (complex) systems thinking, computational thinking (especially for digital strategy), strategic foresight, agile/lean approaches, questing, inter-/trans-disciplinary approaches, narrative change, etc… He also designs and facilitates workshops for when there is a need to co-design and develop aspects of SILC with a diverse range of important stakeholders.

PhD (Cross-Cultural Design & Innovation), M.Arts (Humanitarian Development Studies), B.Eng (Hons I – Computer Systems), B.Sc (Physics)

Technical specialities: Digital Strategy & Transformation, Co-Design & Design-Led Innovation, Deep Technology & Science, Leadership & Culture Development

Sector specialities: Digital, Research & Education, Professional Services, Energy & Sustainability

Angus is passionate about supporting Australian business’ to thrive by implementing the best innovation and commercialisation practices. Beginning his career as an academic at the University of Sydney, Angus quickly realised he was most interested in how R&D efforts could be practically applied and commercialised.

With experience leading the Australian egg industry’s R&D program and driving Australia’s food innovation initiatives while working with Food Innovation Australia (FIAL), Angus excels at developing leading-edge strategies that align with business objectives. He also is highly skilled at leveraging investments, stakeholder management and encouraging best practice design-led thinking in external organisations.

Angus has also co-founded six start-up ventures in the biotechnology, services and digital space. His expertise and ability to influence has led to his appointment to a number of government and university economic development and innovation advisory committees and he has become a commercial advisor to a new digital medical platform start-up. He has won a Federal Government Science and Innovation Award for Young Scientists in 2007 and an International Specialised Skills Fellowship in 2011.

B.Sc. (Hons), PhD, MAICD

Technical specialities: Business modelling, Entrepreneurship, Start-up Venture Building, Strategy, Program Management, and Commercialisation of R&D.

Sector specialities: Food and Agriculture, Chemistry, Environment, Biotechnology, Research Sector, and Digital.

Rishi’s expertise is in technology transfer, commercialisation and capital raising of early-stage deep tech opportunities. Prior to working for Impact, Rishi worked for public and private funds in New Zealand focussed on commercialising deep tech IP in the Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A stages. He specialised in Pharmacology before completing a Master’s in Bioscience Enterprise, an interdisciplinary programme delivered at the University of Auckland focussed on the commercialisation of pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical devices.

Over the last 5 years, Rishi has provided commercialisation support to several universities and public research institutes looking to take novel technologies from the lab to the market. In addition, he has evaluated several commercial grant proposals and investment propositions where he has provided strategic commercial advice and recommendations. Besides his ability to offer strategic advice, Rishi is very personable, a strong communicator and has a deep understanding of stakeholder management. Rishi is passionate about growing the number of successful spinout companies within the innovative deep tech space because of its ability to solve the most complex challenges we face today (e.g. disease, food shortage, climate change, etc.)

BSc. Pharmacology and Exercise Science, MSc. Bioscience Enterprise, Venture Fellow at Newton Venture Programme (London Business School)

Technical specialities: Commercialisation Pathways, Technology Transfer, Business Modelling, Capital Raising, Stakeholder Management

Sector specialities: Medical Devices, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical, Deep Technology