Making it in Melbourne: Conversations with Migrant Entrepreneurs

People are already turning to AI for therapy, companionship and mental health support. But AI tools will only actually help if mental health expertise is built in from the start — not called in when things go wrong. That's what brought together Asami Koike, founder of culturally-responsive mental health support network Shapes and Sounds, and Yifei Wang, founder of AI firm AIBUILD. In this episode,...

Irene Tsang had everything the corporate world says you should want — and she walked away from all of it to move to Melbourne as a solo parent with two young kids. During COVID, she watched women bear the heaviest load in their professional and personal lives, so she started coaching, then building. The result is Lift Women, Australia's first crowdfunding platform dedicated to women founders.  In...

What if discomfort was your biggest professional asset? Alvin Hermanto, founder of digital product advisory firm Relab, has spent his career deliberately putting himself in uncomfortable positions — being the odd one out, taking the harder road, pushing past the easy lanes. This way, when he sits down with clients, he knows exactly what they're facing.  In this episode, Alvin talks about building...

Baby in one arm, business in the other. This is how Sri Venkatesan started Next XR Group during COVID lockdown in Melbourne.  She had no local clients and no external funding, and she was finding it hard at first to get Australian clients. This is why her first project for Next XR was in Egypt. Then, a breakthrough: her first Australian client came through a mother's group.  Today, NextXR has 50+...

You could have a lot of talent and experience but still be ignored — because your experience might not be seen as relevant, or just because your name or your cultural background might not be something that a recruiter is familiar with.  Nick La, for example, couldn't get a job when he returned to Melbourne from Hong Kong. Too qualified, they said. Not enough local experience. So to help others, he...

Can a wombat and other Australian animals help fix your mental health?  Michelle Chen ended up in Melbourne because a bus ticket was cheaper than a flight. But then she went to Games Week in Melbourne and decided to stay. Now she's the co-founder of Mental Jam, turning her PhD research into games, including Bobarista, a video game where you play a wombat barista helping Australian animals through...

What happens when traditional career paths don’t quite fit? Diletta Legowo, founder of Small and Scale, shares her journey from creative beginnings to building a social innovation consultancy that helps governments, NGOs, and think tanks design better solutions. In this episode, host Jeanette Cheah and Diletta discuss the challenges of finding meaningful work after university, debunking the myth o...

How do you build a business that thrives between two worlds? Hung Huynh, founder of Intelligence 4 Start, shares his journey from Vietnam to Switzerland, France, and finally Melbourne—where he’s helping businesses expand between Australia and Vietnam. Host Jeanette Cheah dives into Hung’s experience of cultural adaptation, the power of speaking the culture (not just the language), and how he overc...

What does it take to walk away from a comfortable corporate career to start your own business? Sangeeta Mulchandani, founder of Jumpstart Studios, shares her path from banking to entrepreneurship, helping others make the transition from employment to business ownership.  Host Jeanette Cheah and Sangeeta explore the mindset shifts required for success, why startup and small business entrepreneurshi...

What does it take to move from an international student to the CEO of an AI company? Yifei Wang, founder of AI Build, shares his journey from Shanghai to Melbourne, building a successful tech company and becoming a leader in the AI space. Host Jeanette Cheah and Yifei explore the challenges and triumphs of building a network in a new country, the importance of hackathons and community, and how a s...

What does it take to change the conversation around mental health in Asian communities? In this episode, host Jeanette Cheah sits down with Asami Koike, founder of Shapes and Sounds, a social enterprise dedicated to destigmatising mental health for Asian Australians. Born in Japan and living most of her life in Australia, Asami shares her journey from music therapist to accidental entrepreneur, th...

The Making it in Melbourne podcast series brings you conversations with Melbourne migrant entrepreneurs who are reshaping our city’s business landscape.  In this series, five Melbourne (Australia) startup founders share how their cultural backgrounds have shaped their entrepreneurial journeys, offering insights, lessons, and tips for aspiring entrepreneurs.