Fabio Carnevali

He has extensive experience with overcoming the challenges inherent in growing a new venture. An ex-founder himself, he has supported founders in developing their core engineering & IT products whilst at Rapido - an R&D consulting unit within the University of Technology Sydney. This experience has afforded Fabio invaluable insights in supporting founders execute on their growth strategies. Prior to starting his own company, Fabio worked in tax, audit and CFO advisory for ASX listed companies.

I'm most proud of...

Building and selling my own company that is still in operation today. It was by far and away the most difficult but rewarding experience of my life.

It really taught me two things:

• If you want to create something of great value, it’s going to take an unquantifiable amount of energy and persistence.
• Everyone in a business is equal and has something of value to contribute. We are all working towards a common goal irrespective of experience or title, and as such, as leaders, it is our responsibility to create a safe space where new ideas can be shared and critiqued openly.

The most valuable lesson I've learned was...

The advent of COVID-19 taught me my biggest lesson in that despite how inflexible large organisations are often perceived, ultimately, they can quickly adapt to new threats or changing market conditions, provided the incentive is great enough.

In the startup ecosystem, I'm most passionate about...

Without question, I am most excited about more of the incredible climatetech solutions coming out of our local universities. I’ve experienced firsthand some of the astounding innovations our researchers are developing every year and feel that it is our responsibility as a business community to help commercialise these discoveries to change our world for the better.

I believe the most important thing for founders in today's environment is...

I think founders need to be reminded that they hold the balance of power when attracting a new investor. If their business has true growth potential, then that has value. Ultimately, it’s your responsibility to demonstrate that value to a broad range of investors until finally, someone sees your vision for a better tomorrow.

My words to live by

The world was built by people no smarter than you or I.

"If you want to create something of great value, it’s going to take an unquantifiable amount of energy and persistence."