Kylie Little

A seasoned entrepreneur and a familiar face in Australia's startup ecosystem, Kylie has launched, grown and exited iconic Australian publishing and e-Commerce brands, such as Essential Baby, Wayfair (AU) and Kinderling Digital Media; has consulted to and mentored many startup founders; and held leadership roles in Qantas and Fairfax. This blend of founder and executive experience has given her a holistic perspective of how to take a business from an idea to commercial viability and beyond. 

I'm most proud of...

The relationships I've built and the people I'm surrounded by. I'm proud to have raised some awesome kids, built an amazing family, and living a life surrounded by great friends. Equally importantly, I'm honoured to have had the privilege of mentoring incredible founders. I love nothing more than seeing people challenge themselves and grow. 

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

Launching, growing and selling my first start up back in the dot com days was an incredible ride. There was no blueprint for the internet back then and I loved the opportunity to solve and create at every turn. Needless to say, it was incredibly challenging but equal parts exciting and rewarding.

I’ve since had great opportunities to lead startups for investors and support many founders on their own path. All of the experiences have taught me about the power of great relationships and the importance of being willing to keep an open mind, ask questions and change course...and to remember to have fun along the way!

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

The pace of innovation and the urgency to drive change, particularly across climate- and energy-focused sectors, is beyond exciting. In just a few short years we have moved from climate denial to climate action and innovators in the startup space are driving many solutions that will contribute to a better planet for us all. Thank you innovators!

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

Passion, tenacity, vision and determination are absolutely key, but you also need to a very big appetite for risk. You need to be willing to take a leap and trust that you can make it...and that is not always easy to do.    

My words to live by

Back yourself and take the leap. 

" Passion, tenacity, vision and determination are absolutely key, but you also need to a very big appetite for risk. You need to be willing to take a leap and trust that you can make it...and that is not always easy to do. "