By Ali O’Connor, General Manager, Future Female Leaders.
Images shared from West Tech Fest Facebook. 

Yesterday I had the absolute pleasure of attending the sold-out West Tech Women event at the Pan Pacific Perth – and what a vibrant, energising morning it turned out to be. I attended alongside Shannon Hansen from the WA Data Science Innovation Hub, our brilliant partner for the STEM & Innovation Day in the Signature Program, and together we were swept up in a room buzzing with founders, investors, innovators, and emerging leaders.

A meaningful start

The day began over a networking breakfast, with conversations happening just as quickly as the coffee was poured. It was one of those rooms where people arrived as strangers but connected instantly through big ideas, bold ambitions, and a genuine passion for making WA a powerhouse of innovation.

Professor Lindy Fitzgerald from Curtin University shared a standout insight early in the program – that female-led start-ups deliver 35% higher ROI for investors. A reminder, yet again, of what happens when women are backed not just in theory, but in practice. Minister Stephen Dawson also encouraged WA innovators to take on the world – not from somewhere else, but from right here in Perth. I couldn’t agree more.

Kellie Hush: The Art of Authenticity

Then came one of my favourite moments of the morning: Kellie Hush’s keynote, The Art of Authenticity: Leadership for a Modern World.

Kellie’s journey – from Editor-in-Chief at Harper’s BAZAAR Australia, to co-founding The Volte, to now leading Australian Fashion Week 2025 – was laid bare with honesty, humour, and grit. She spoke about triumphs, trade-offs, and the courageous decisions made behind closed doors. Most of all, she spoke about leading with your values and building something that extends beyond yourself.

A few reflections I carried with me:

• Values are a constant in an era of change  – your anchor when everything else shifts.

• Trust is built on the decisions nobody sees.

• Titles may open doors, but authenticity is what keeps them open.

And yes – according to Kellie – The Devil Wears Prada is basically a documentary. I knew it!

Power in perspective

The panel session, Power in Perspective: The Importance of Lived Experience in Decision Making, brought even deeper conversation. Pia Turcinov (FundWA) moderated an exceptional lineup: Kirstin Hunter (Birchal CEO), Roo Harris (Scale Investors), Eva Stewart (Australian Indigenous Group), and Pauline Fetaui (Australian Computer Society).

What struck me was how clearly their stories illustrated the power of lived experience; how meaningful change happens when people who understand the problem are the ones informing the solution. Whether it was investing, governance, entrepreneurship or community impact, each speaker highlighted how representation is not a “nice to have”… it’s a structural necessity.

Leaving energised and ready for action

Everyone walked in looking for inspiration, but we left with actionable insights – yes, including that ‘decade stocktake’ homework, which I’m absolutely adopting – and a renewed commitment to continue lifting the women of WA.

From breakfast to the final panel, West Tech Women delivered exactly what it promised: real conversations, powerful learnings, and the kind of connections that fuel meaningful change.

Events like these remind me why Future Female Leaders exists – to nurture the next generation of authentic, thoughtful, ambitious leaders who will shape the future of our state and beyond. I left feeling inspired, grateful, and more energised than ever for the work ahead.