Why do so many good ideas fail to gain traction within organisations, teams and startups? Hosted by the Wade Institute of Entrepreneurship, this thought-provoking panel brings together founders, operators and industry leaders to explore the invisible forces that determine whether ideas succeed or disappear.
From incentives and risk culture to decision-making structures and emerging technologies like AI, the session examines what happens to ideas behind the scenes. Drawing on Wade's latest thought leadership and real-world experience across startups, corporates and small businesses, the discussion moves beyond theory to uncover practical insights for navigating complexity, influencing outcomes and bringing ideas to life.
Designed for students, professionals, founders and leaders, this session reframes entrepreneurship as a capability relevant to everyone, not just those starting companies.
Councillor, Melbourne City Council
Cr Rowse is the portfolio head for Innovation and Education, portfolio deputy for City Economy and Business, and one of Council's representatives on the Design Excellence Advisory Committee, championing the people and projects that shape Melbourne as a city of possibility. Andrew completed a degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Melbourne before specialising in entrepreneurship at the Wade Institute. He went on to lead programs at the Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre, helping researchers and founders turn big ideas into real-world impact.
Chief Operating Officer, Innovation Victoria
Lauren has a successful track record of commercialisation of innovation from her time in the innovation labs of National Australia Bank and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, and brings extensive leadership experience from across the innovation, banking, start-up and government sectors to ensure our processes, systems and procedures meet the needs of the company’s growing and changing operational environment.
Founder & Director, Jumpstart Studio Global
Sangeeta Mulchandani is an award-winning entrepreneurship educator, innovation program designer, and author who has spent the the last decade studying why ideas succeed and why so many don’t. As Founder of Jumpstart Studio Global, she has designed and delivered 20 startup and innovation programs across government, universities, and corporates - working with 1,000+ founders at every stage of the idea-to-venture journey.
Innovation Services Manager, Swinburne Innovation Studio
Milana first encountered the question "why do good ideas die?" early in her career, spending almost a decade inside one of the world's largest multinational companies. That question led her to explore what intrapreneurs and organisations can do about it, through the League of Intrapreneurs and by embarking on a PhD journey. Most recently, she's brought this experience to her work at Swinburne Innovation Studio.
