Business Acumen series

Kelly Jamieson founded Edible Blooms with her sister Abbey, which began as a small business start-up in 2005 and has grown to be the winner of Canstar’s 2022 Australian Online Gift Delivery Company award and has recently been shortlisted for the AFR Boss Innovation Awards for 2023 for their InstantGift-it technology.

Kelly and her team are also previous National Telstra Business Award winners. An advocate for women leading in business, Kelly is an SA Telstra Business Woman of the Year recipient, a member of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Winning Women program and co-founder of the Fearless Female movement.

In her spare time, Kelly can be found jumping off the Port Elliot jetty fully clothed, challenging her team to how many chocolates they can eat in a day or busting embarrassing disco moves with her husband and two children.

Paula is an accomplished executive who has worked in both the profit and not-for-profit sectors. Paula brings over 20 years experience in international sales, business development, commercialization, marketing, brand expansion and philanthropy across the FMCG, pharmaceutical and human resource sectors.

She is currently Associate Director at SA’S leading Executive Search and Recruitment firm, EGM Partners and President, Women In Innovation. She is passionate about elevating women, supporting female founders and shining a light on diversity within STEM.

Paula holds a Diploma of Business Administration from Deakin University and a Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons) from UniSA.

Rachel Kidwell is a highly regarded tenancy delivery expert with a profound understanding of the challenges faced by stakeholders in the tenancy delivery process. With her in-depth knowledge and expertise, Rachel has spearheaded digital transformation initiatives for retail property owners and developers on a worldwide scale and has been instrumental in revolutionising the retail tenancy industry. In 2016, she founded TCPinpoint, a pioneering technology platform that has quickly established itself as a global leading player in the market.

Through TCPinpoint, Rachel has empowered organisations to embrace digital transformation and overcome the hurdles encountered during the tenancy delivery process. Her innovative solutions and cutting-edge technologies have streamlined processes and improved overall efficiency for retail property owners and developers worldwide.

Rachel's passion for transforming the industry and her commitment to leveraging technology have made her an influential figure. With her expertise and TCPinpoint's capabilities, organisations can navigate the complexities of tenancy delivery with ease, ultimately driving success in the digital era.

Kathryn is the Director of the Office for Small and Family Business, a division of the Department of State Development. She has over 25 years’ experience in running businesses, strategic planning, marketing, brand strategy and communications and governance. She has run her own marketing and events business, and worked across the federal, state, and local government, not-for-profit and private sectors.

As Director, she leads South Australia's Small Business Strategy 2023-2030 delivering 20 initiatives to small businesses. This includes delivering a number of Small Business Programs which to date has had participation from over 5,500 small business; the $20M Economic Recovery Fund Round Two focusing on energy grants and the Women in Business Program, a $4 million commitment a program designed to give entrepreneurial-minded women every opportunity to pursue their goals, leading to a more diverse and inclusive business community in South Australia.

Onnie Chan is a dynamic leader in the creative technology industry, dedicated to empowering women and fostering inclusivity. With a global academic background, including studies in the UK and a scholarship to Yale University, she later earned a master’s degree in immersive media technologies from the University of Adelaide. Her passion for virtual reality and creative technologies led to the creation of Women in Creative Technologies (WiCT), a not-for-profit organisation that has grown from a university club into a thriving community, hosting events, digital skills workshops, and collaborating with local councils, tech festivals, and women-led businesses.

As the founder and director of WiCT, Onnie has spoken at over 15 panel discussions, advocating for greater representation of women in tech. Her latest initiative, ADA Lab, set to open at the Myer Centre in Adelaide, will be a vibrant digital arts hub encouraging women to explore creative technologies.

Onnie is recognised as one of the University of Adelaide’s outstanding graduates, and she is featured on the “Making History” banner celebrating the university’s 150th anniversary. During her time as the community manager of Game Plus, she was also featured on ABC News to discuss the importance of diversity in the gaming industry. As a Women in Games Ambassador, she is committed to promoting diversity in tech and inspiring the next generation of female innovators.