9 - 5 Startup

Today we’re joined by Christian Pallaria — digital transformation leader at AECOM and founder of WisyPlan, the AI platform giving project managers real-time, proactive insights. Christian has led major infrastructure programs across NSW and globally, won the Microsoft AI Hackathon in San Francisco, and has a unique blend of engineering depth and AI innovation. We’ll dive into his journey, how Wisy...

Dominik Fretz is the founder of Harbour Edge Intelligence and a seasoned technologist with a background spanning software engineering, robotics, and enterprise systems. From building underwater robots to leading backend engineering at Milkrun and Credit Suisse, Dominik has spent 20+ years architecting complex systems across Europe, the US, and Australia. Today, he focuses on Human-AI Integration —...

Fashion and AI are colliding—and Iris Phan is at the forefront. As the Founder & CEO of Dressi , an AI-powered personal stylist, Iris is reimagining how women get dressed by blending technology with empathy, confidence, and style. From her roots in Vietnam to building a fashion-tech startup in Sydney, Iris shares her journey of turning an idea into a product that empowers women daily. With a b...

Frank Yoo is a partner at FANDA Consulting Group , where he supports early-stage ventures and investors in Australia’s tech ecosystem. With over 20 years of experience in sales, product, and cybersecurity leadership across APAC, Frank helps founders scale by combining the right mix of technology, go-to-market strategy, and access to capital. In this episode, we talk about what Australian startups...

In this episode, we spotlight Warren Fang , founder of FangLab Games , whose journey took him from finance to indie game development. After years of success in investment research and risk analytics, Warren chose to pivot into building games — blending coding skills, physics research, and creative ambition. He shares how financial discipline helps him structure creative projects, the inspirations...

In this episode, we sit down with Warren Fang , an investment professional with over 7 years across Westpac, Macquarie, and Resolution Life. Experience in LP, Asset management, work with PE, VC From managing $120bn+ portfolios to developing Python-based risk models, Warren has built a career on precision, discipline, and governance. Now as a corporate advisor with UrbanChain Group, he brings that...

Koby Paull is the founder of Laura.ai — your most emotionally intelligent, voice-first AI companion. Laura isn’t just another assistant; she listens, reflects, and feels like a presence in your life. From picking up emotional cues in your tone to remembering your patterns and moods, Laura is designed to feel human, not robotic. Before building Laura, Koby gained experience across IT, systems engin...

Rafael Magalhães has spent over 15 years building and leading in tech — from hands-on coding to managing multi-team engineering groups. He played a key role in scaling a startup to over 500,000 users and achieving unicorn status, while also founding his own consulting firm, ProjectPix. In this episode, Rafael shares his journey from Brazil to Australia, the critical technical decisions behind scal...

This special episode was recorded just before the doors opened at our first-ever 9-5 Startup Networking Event in Sydney. We sat down to talk about the kind of community we want to create — one that brings together founders, students, and professionals in AI, tech, and startups for meaningful connection and collaboration. You’ll hear behind-the-scenes thoughts on why we started 9-5 Startup, what ma...

What does it take to turn code into a compassionate AI companion for mental wellness? In this episode, we sit down with Jonatas Lira , Brazilian-Australian entrepreneur and founder of MindMate AI —a 24/7 mental wellness app that blends AI, psychology, and mobile tech to deliver personalized emotional support. From his software development roots in Recife to launching one of Australia’s most though...

How do you scale a smart city startup across APAC while navigating cultural gaps, government collaboration, and regional investor dynamics? In this episode, we speak with Vitaly Pentegov , founder and CEO of UrbanChain Group , a global AIoT company deploying smart parking and mobility infrastructure in Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, and the U.S. Drawing from a background at Google , SMBC , and years...

Dr. Rich Lane is a seasoned entrepreneur and global technology leader with a career spanning Japan and Australia. From co-founding Start Corporation—Japan’s first free email service—to growing digital teams at area81 in Tokyo, he has led ventures at the forefront of tech innovation. Previously CTO and co-founder at DataOT and One Orange Cow, he now serves as CTO at Online Marketing Gurus, focusing...

Every podcast needs a name — and ours nearly became Shrimp on the GPU. In this kickoff episode, join me and a few mates as we brainstorm the wild, funny, and sometimes questionable ideas that led to 9-5 Startup. This is how it all began — with laughs, late nights, and a mission to reshape how the world sees Aussie tech.