Associate Professor Leah Heiss is the Eva and Marc Besen International Research Chair in Design at Monash University, Co-chair of the Victorian Heart Institute New Technologies Grand Challenge, Chair of the Victorian Premier’s Design Awards and Designer in Residence with the Australian National Fabrication Facility.

She is a leader in co-designing health technologies, services and systems including for global health, transfusion medicine, acute care, hearing loss and mental health and addiction. Leah’s design work is part of the Museums Victoria and Powerhouse collections, has been exhibited globally to more than 800,000 people, and has been recognised with Australia’s peak design awards including 11 Good Design Awards, the 2022 Australian Women in Design Award and CSIRO’s Design Innovation Award.

Leah has collaborated with the World Health Organization since 2022, convening the inputs of 15 countries to co-design the ‘WHO Design Principles and Tools to support use and impact of WHO Guidelines’, aimed at improving global uptake and implementation of WHO guidelines.

Her current work focuses on improving immunoglobulin uptake and use through the OPTIMAL CRE and co-designing a Living Evidence Architecture for South East Asia and the Western Pacific, engaging the inputs of clinicians and policy makers from 10 countries.

Assoc. Prof Tanya Petrovich is the Business Innovation Manager at Dementia Australia, where she leads the development of pioneering technologies that transform dementia care education. With a background in Genetics from the University of Melbourne, Tanya brings together scientific knowledge, creative thinking, and a passion for improving the lives of people living with dementia.
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Since joining Dementia Australia in 2008, Tanya has been instrumental in driving the organisation’s innovative education initiatives. As Business Development Manager, she established Consulting Services within the Centre for Dementia Learning, and forging key partnerships with institutions such as Deakin University and Swinburne University to advance research and evaluation in dementia education.
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In her current role, Tanya leads a multidisciplinary team applying emerging technologies to create engaging, evidence-based learning experiences. She spearheaded the launch of the Virtual Dementia Experience in 2013—the first virtual reality tool used in dementia care education—followed by a series of award-winning innovations including EDIE, Ask Annie, and TED, an artificially intelligent avatar that simulates living with dementia. These programs have been recognised nationally and internationally for their impact on workforce capability and empathy in care practice. Her leadership continues to position Dementia Australia as a global leader in dementia education and innovation, championing the use of technology to enhance understanding, support carers, and improve quality of life for people living with dementia.

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Dean M Karantonis graduated with the BE (Hons) degree in computer engineering and the MBiomedE degree in biomedical engineering from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia. He completed a PhD degree with the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering at UNSW in collaboration with industry partner Ventracor, with the research focussed on simulation and control of an implantable rotary blood pump to optimise blood flow and outcomes for heart failure patients.

He was part of initial Implant Systems research team at NICTA responsible for developing the world’s first closed-loop neuromodulation system, and had been focused on engineering an implantable version of and commercialising this system as part of Saluda Medical, where he has played a seminal role as part of the founding team.

Dr Karantonis has held several roles at Saluda Medical, and now serves as SVP Therapy Development, where he leads programs to commercialise innovations aimed at improving chronic pain therapy delivery and efficacy, and leveraging Saluda’s neural sensing capability in a variety of neuromodulation targets.

He has authored numerous journal papers and conference proceedings, co-authored a book chapter on physiological measurement, is a co¬inventor of numerous patents, and is an IEEE member.

Amanda is Victoria's Lead Scientist, a role that aligns and connects Victoria’s science, technology and innovation capability with business needs and with government’s economic development activities.

Amanda is Chair of mRNA Victoria's Scientific Advisory Group; Chair of the Victorian Quantum Technology Network; and a non-executive Director of Agriculture Victoria Services Pty Ltd.  

Amanda has led the development of industry and science and innovation policy in Victoria since joining the Victorian Public Service in 2002 as the inaugural Director of Biotechnology. During this time, she has delivered major policy reforms, a range of programs and global partnerships, and landmark initiatives including the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre.

Amanda is experienced in clinical trials, regulatory affairs, business development and licensing through prior roles with international pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Dr Ben Condon is Clinical Director at Heidi Health, leading clinical governance, government relations and research across Australia and New Zealand.

Previously, he practiced in surgical and critical care roles before moving into digital health, where he led clinical quality initiatives at Eucalyptus and launched its preventative health clinic, Compound.

Ben is passionate about leveraging innovation and system reform to expand access to high-quality care at scale.

Elaine Stead is a member of the investment team at Main Sequence, with a focus on the “Humanity Scale Healthcare” challenge. With a background spanning science, entrepreneurship, and venture capital, she's known for her enduring roles in innovation and has an investment track record that extends to over 80 startups across Australia, the United States and Southeast Asia.  

Previously, Elaine served as the Director of New Ventures and Entrepreneurship at the Australian National University (ANU), leading the startup and equity investment strategy of knowledge translation. She has also been a founder of venture businesses, including Blue Sky VC, Human VC and Tribe Global Ventures.

Elaine has advised state governments on innovation policy, directed innovation initiatives, and served on boards in Australia and the US. She's coached startup founders nationwide and contributed to a variety of publications. In all avenues, Elaine prioritises human-centricity, emphasising authentic connections, vulnerability, and compassion. She advocates for values-driven innovation and a desire to make better that which can be.

Elaine holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry (Stem Cell Biology) and a B.Sc.in Biochemistry and Microbiology, both from the University of Adelaide.

Steve is the Managing Director of Tenmile and Chair of the Investment Committee. Tenmile is an Australian life science venture capital company owned by Tattarang, one of Australia’s largest private companies.

Steve’s professional experience spans research, philanthropy, strategy consulting, M&A, and operating global businesses in fields as diverse as ecology, digital health, and precision oncology.  He is relentlessly passionate about the power of new technology to positively impact human health and mitigate our climate impacts.

Prior to his current role, Steve managed a global business, led M&A and established a new informatics and real-world data business for the world’s largest biotech, Roche-Genentech based in the USA.  He remains a senior strategic advisor to Minderoo Foundation where he has led large initiatives focused on COVID-19, Cancer, and Ocean Conservation amongst others. He holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Biology and a Ph.D. in Population Biology from the University of Sydney.

Jacqui Savage is a globally recognised medtech entrepreneur and innovation leader with deep expertise in the commercialization, manufacturing, and global distribution of transformative medical technologies. She has successfully launched and scaled multiple medical devices across international markets, including founding two health-tech companies, MedCorp and Mioplay. Her work spans the full innovation lifecycle—integrating clinical insight, regulatory strategy, and advanced manufacturing to deliver products that improve patient outcomes and reshape healthcare delivery.

Recognised for her contributions and leadership, Jacqui’s accolades include the 2016 Telstra Business Woman’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, NASA’s Top 100 Global Engineering Innovations, the BioMelbourne Network Emerging Women in Leadership Award, and being named one of the Top 20 MedTech Innovators in Asia Pacific in 2021.

Known for combining commercial rigour with visionary thinking, she brings a systems-level view to healthcare innovation. Jacqui also serves as Deputy Chancellor of La Trobe University and is a Director of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where she champions the intersection of innovation, education, and industry to drive meaningful change across the healthcare ecosystem.

Rachel is a partner at Giant Leap. Giant Leap invests in founders solving our most pressing global problems at scale across climate, health and people and has invested in over 30 companies to date.

Rachel is also on the Advisory Board for the Victorian Government’s Equity Investment Attraction Fund and formerly the Chair of the Startup Network, a non-profit, grassroots organisation supporting founders through their startup journey.

She has a background in management consulting and corporate finance, and previously co-founded a non-profit organisation to raise funds and awareness for MotorNeurone Disease