Business transformation during challenging times: startups, SMEs and new opportunities

Bringing together industry and RMIT experts, this webinar will discuss the innovations, opportunities and tools helping SMEs grow their businesses and discover what’s next during the pandemic. We’ll unpack how the entrepreneurial ecosystem has changed, business flexibility, accelerated digital adoption and the rise of coworking and collaborative workspaces.

Don't miss this webinar bringing together industry and RMIT experts to discuss the innovations, opportunities and tools helping SMEs grow their businesses and discover what’s next during the pandemic.  

We’ll welcome Joanna Downer, Founder of KITL to unpack how she future-proofed her business and ways in which the entrepreneurial ecosystem has changed over the past six months. RMIT academic experts, Dr Julian Waters-Lynch and Professor Jason Potts, will also join the conversation to discuss to reflect on business flexibility, accelerated digital adoption, and the rise of co-working and collaborative workspaces. 

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Featured guests

Joanna Downer, Founder of KITL

Ms Downer is an advocate for the future of flexible work and the founder and CEO of Kitl, an HR tech platform for career professionals seeking flexible work opportunities. Kitl fills the gap between flexible talent and businesses through an online automated platform which saves time and money for the hirer. Ms Downer is an alumnus of the University of Technology, Sydney.

Dr Julian Waters-Lynch, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Academic, College of Business and Law, RMIT

Dr Waters-Lynch is Director of the Entrepreneurship program, and a lecturer in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Organisational Design in the School of Management at RMIT. His research explores the economic and social effects of emerging technology, and how these changes impact entrepreneurship, organisational design and the changing character of work. Dr Waters-Lynch has also worked as a Strategic Designer, specialising in user experience research, innovation project management and organisational design. Additionally, he has co-founded two enterprises, The Facilitation Starter, specialising in workshop facilitation, design thinking and co-design methodologies and TypeHuman, specialising in the application of blockchains and emerging Web3 technology.

Professor Jason Potts, Director Blockchain Innovation Hub, College of Business and Law, RMIT

Professor Potts specialises in the theoretical development of evolutionary economics using complex systems theory. His current research is on the role of creative industries in innovation-driven economic growth and development. He is also a leading researcher on the economics of blockchains and is currently the Director of RMITs Blockchain Innovation Hub. Professor Potts received his B.Com (Hons, Economics) from the University of Otago, NZ, (1993), and his PhD (Economics), from Lincoln University, New Zealand (1999). His highest cited work (over 700 citations) is his book, The New Evolutionary Microeconomics.

Facilitated by

Professor Martie-Louise Verreynne, Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) College of Business and Law, RMIT

Professor Verreynne is Deputy PVC (Research and Innovation) and a Professor of Innovation at RMIT. She is internationally recognised for her research on innovation, strategy and entrepreneurship in small business, is an associate editor with the Journal of Small Business Management and publishes widely in top tiered journals. Professor Verreynne has been successful at winning ARC Discovery, ARC ITTC and several other Category 1, 2 and 3 grants. She actively works with industry to create research impact and has received several awards in recognition of this work. Professor Verreynne has held roles such as Interim Head of School, Deputy Head of School, Head of Strategy and International Business, and Program Leader for several programs during her tenure at the University of Queensland.

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

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aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.

More information