The 2026 Merton Lawyers Startup Board Conference Program

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Today, I’m so proud to present the program proper for our 2026 Merton Lawyers Startup Board Conference, to be held at Sydney Opera House on Monday September 7th.

We have 35 speakers for our event, the result of months of work curating and moving puzzle pieces around to create a brilliant program that flows, with highly engaging - and frequently provocative - sessions and topics, all centred around the lived experience of these people in their respective careers.

We’re also so proud to be distributing our Merton Lawyers 2026 Startup Board Handbook as part of the experience: a step-by-step, in-depth guide on best practice for board governance and practice, to all alumni of the 2025 Program and 2026 attendees.

The creation of the Merton Lawyers Startup Board Conference and Handbook stems from the 2023 incubation of our Project Odyssey, which specifically focused on strengthening the capabilities of venture capital (VC) investors and the founders they back.

Since that time, Merton Lawyers has undertaken extensive interviews with Australian and US Venture Capitalists. These discussions explored pain points experienced by investors and portfolio companies. Of the many pain points, Merton Lawyers decided to focus for the first solution challenges particularly around governance challenges, board dynamics, and how boards can be better leveraged to drive growth and value creation.

The Conference was a key outcome of Project Odyssey: a free, invite only program aimed at equipping Venture Capitalists with practical tools and insights to improve board effectiveness and governance across the company lifecycle.

To say we are excited to deliver our Conference is an understatement. With the tremendous support of our Partners in HSBC Innovation Banking & ASX, we’re proud to unveil our full program below, before the big show kicks off.

Thank you once again,

Anthony Curtin, Cofounder Merton Lawyers.

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Project Odyssey

2026 MERTON LAWYERS STARTUP BOARD CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Session 1: The CEO You Have to Become

How founders evolve from operator to CEO - and when personal growth becomes a company's greatest competitive advantage. From executive coaching and self-awareness to letting go, building a team that challenges you, imposter syndrome, founder loneliness, and more. Featuring:

  • DANIEL G. WEISS - Cofounder & Managing Partner, Angeleno Group (Los Angeles, USA)

  • PAUL NAPHTALI - Cofounder & Managing Partner, Rampersand (Melbourne, AUS)

  • SHANNON MARSHALL - Executive Director & Investment Specialist, J.P. Morgan Private Bank (New York, USA)

  • (Moderator) ANTHONY CURTIN - Cofounder, Merton Lawyers (Melbourne, AUS)

Session 2: Boards That Scale You

Governance as the engine of growth: investor due diligence, founder obligations and avoiding those pitfalls. Featuring:

  • ANDREW ROTHERY - Director, Koda Capital (Sydney, AUS)

  • CHARLES CARNEGIE - Managing Director, 21networks (Sydney, AUS)

  • KATE BENNETT ERIKSSON - Partner, CoAct Capital (Melbourne, AUS)

  • PAUL ROTA - Associate, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (Melbourne, AUS)

  • (Moderator) ANTHONY WRIGHT - CEO & Cofounder, Zai Node (Melbourne, AUS)

Session 3: The Business Case for Giving a Damn

Purpose, scale, and what boards get wrong when profit becomes the only metric that matters. Featuring:

  • RADEK SALI - Chairman, Light Warrior Group (Melbourne, AUS)

  • DANIEL VAN BOOM - Business Journalist, Forbes (Sydney, AUS)

Session 4: What It Actually Takes

The Australia–US corridor: a one-on-one between two of the most connected figures in Pacific venture capital. What major tech locations like Silicon Valley and New York really demand of founders, and where the smart money is moving. Featuring:

  • JAMIE MONTGOMERY - Cofounder & Managing Partner, March Capital (Santa Monica, USA)

  • STEVEN MARSHALL AO - President, American Australian Association (New York, USA)

Session 5: The Board Member That Never Sleeps

How boards should oversee AI: the risks, the opportunities, and where fiduciary duty meets frontier technology. Plus, plenty of discussion related to HBO’s Emmy and Golden Globe nominated series Silicon Valley. Featuring:

  • DAVID YOUNG - Partner, Cooley LLP (Santa Monica, USA)

  • JONATHAN DOTAN - Founding Director & Chair, The Starling Lab for Data Integrity, Stanford University (Palo Alto, USA)

Session 6: Trapped at the Cap Table

Secondaries, founder liquidity, employee incentives and what happens when the previously funded can't raise again. Featuring:

  • AMIT VERMA - Senior Manager Listings, ASX (Sydney, AUS)

  • IAN BEATTY - Cofounder, SecondQuarter Ventures (Sydney, AUS)

  • MELISSA WIDNER - CEO, Lighter Capital (Sydney, AUS)

  • TIMOTHY HARRIS - Partner, Morrison & Foerster LLP (Palo Alto, USA)

  • (Moderator) IAN GARDINER - Partner, Jelix Ventures (Sydney, AUS)

Session 7: Beyond Banking

A one-on-one on what it means to be a genuine ecosystem partner - not just a bank for founders. How HSBC Innovation Banking connects founders to investors, customers and capital beyond the transaction. Featuring:

  • ALAN WATTERS - Head of Innovation Banking AU & NZ, HSBC Innovation Banking (Sydney, AUS)

  • ANTHONY CURTIN - Cofounder, Merton Lawyers (Melbourne, AUS)

Session 7: Beyond Banking

Session 9: Governance in a Crisis

From insolvency and founder resilience to peacetime vs wartime leadership: replacing the CEO, mass layoffs, distressed assets, and more. Featuring:

  • ADEM KARAFILI - CEO & Executive Director, Light Warrior Group (Melbourne, AUS)

  • MARTIN FORD - Senior Managing Director, Teneo (Melbourne, AUS)

  • PREETI INCHODY (IYER) - Senior Managing Director Transactions, Ankura (Sydney, AUS)

  • (Moderator) DANIEL BYCROFT - Special Counsel, Merton Lawyers (Gold Coast, AUS)

Session 10: The World Is Waiting

Frontier expansion, the Australia-US corridor, and what it really takes to scale your company beyond Australian shores. Featuring:

  • NATALIE KARAM - Partner, Sidley Austin LLP (San Francisco, USA)

  • SIMON WRIGHT - Managing Partner, InterValley Ventures (Melbourne, AUS)

  • SUSAN STICK - SVP/EGM Legal, Xero (San Francisco, USA)

  • (Moderator) ISAAC HANNA - Senior Associate, Merton Lawyers (Melbourne, AUS)

Session 11: From Zero to Inevitable

The unfiltered story behind building one of Australia's most iconic technology companies - AirTrunk's journey from start-up to $24B+ Blackstone exit, and what's next. Featuring:

  • ROBIN KHUDA - Founder & CEO, AirTrunk (Sydney, AUS)

  • DAVID SWAN - Tech Editor, The Age/Sydney Morning Herald (Melbourne, AUS)

With Our Thanks

Once again, our many thanks to our Merton Lawyers Startup Board Conference Partners - we’re absolutely thrilled to have their involvement and their support:

HSBC Innovation Banking: HSBC's specialist banking proposition for venture-backed companies and the investors who fund them, who operate in multiple regions around the world, with HSBC Innovation Banking Australia & New Zealand launching in market in 2025. HSBC Innovation Banking are the first specialised banking service in this market built specifically for the tech and venture ecosystem.

ASX: Australia's primary securities exchange, overseeing A$3.7 trillion in total market capitalisation across equities, fixed income, commodities and energy. Operating as a market operator, clearing house and payments system facilitator, ASX's activities span the full spectrum of primary and secondary market services - from the raising and allocation of capital flows through to price discovery, central counterparty risk transfer and securities settlement.

ASX also oversees compliance with its operating rules, promotes standards of corporate governance among Australia's listed companies, and plays an active role in educating retail investors.

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Announcing: Our First Speakers for the Merton Lawyers Startup Board Conference 2026