2024 Australia Sports Innovation Week showcases ‘Women-Led Design’

2024 Australia Sports Innovation Week includes ‘Women-Led Design’ showcase event

The Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) has announced that this year’s  Australia Sports Innovation Week will include a showcase event - ‘Women-Led Design’ - spotlighting leading women who are helping to shape the future of sports innovation in Australia. 

The event will take place on Wednesday, 23rd October 2024, from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM at Launchpad, located at 132 Cremorne Street, Cremorne VIC 3121.

ASTN’s ‘Women-Led Design’ will celebrate the creativity, innovation and leadership of eight women founders who are transforming the sports landscape. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with founders to hear about their startup journey, their businesses, as well as learn about their challenges and learnings in an interactive and engaging environment. 

The founders participating in the showcase represent a broad range of industries including apparel, wellness, sporting goods, youth sports, digital, entertainment, health and fitness, data analytics and more.   

Presenting their businesses will be: Suzie Betts, Boob Armour; Maria Baker, Nobody’s Princess; Kirsty Richardson, GravityFit; Saara Jamieson, Cool Beans Underwear; Marie Penny, Project Flock; Natalie Moore, Own Your Health Collective & MenoVest; Michelle Walshe, CoachMate; Victoria Zorin, Nola Technologies.    

Amy Crosland, Chief Operating Officer, ASTN advised “these women represent the extraordinary level of talent and skill we have here in Australia. These founders are not only propelling Australian sports onto the global stage, but also helping to drive greater diversity and inclusion within the sector.

“It’s inspiring to hear from these women about their start up journeys and how they entered into sports, as many of them transitioned from diverse industries.

"By providing a platform for these women, we aim to highlight their business success, and the diverse range of sports technologies they represent, as well as inspire the next generation of women leaders in sportstech.

“This event is perfect for aspiring entrepreneurs, industry professionals and anyone with an interest in the intersection of design, innovation and sports.”

ASTN’s ‘Women-Led Design’ is open to the public. To register visit www.astn.com.au/industry-events/women-led-design-masterclass-2024   

‘Women-Led Design’ showcase event
Date: Wednesday 23rd October 2024
Time: 10.00am-12.30pm
Venue: Launchpad
Address: 132 Cremorne Street, Cremorne VIC 3121

Learn more at www.astn.com.au 

More information on the founders and businesses being showcased 

Suzie Betts, Founder, Boob Armour
Suzie Betts is the creator of Boob Armour, an Australian startup designed to protect and empower females in their pursuit of physical activity. Through careful design and innovation, Boob Armour provides the necessary support, comfort, and protection to enable females to participate in sports, occupations, and other physical activities with confidence and peace of mind. By combining functionality, style, and safety, Boob Armour allows females to push their limits and embrace their full potential.  

Maria Baker, Nobody’s Princess 
Maria Baker is the Founder of Nobody’s Princess – an innovative brand specialising in women’s snow outerwear designed for all body types. From over 15 years of creative design and marketing within some of Australia’s most well-known brands, to empowering female snow-goers, Maria Baker founded Nobody's Princess to blend technical performance with confidence-boosting apparel. Her entrepreneurial journey has led to retail distribution internationally, as well as recognition as a finalist as Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Melbourne.   

Kirsty Richardson, GravityFit 
Kirsty Richardson is the owner of GravityFit, providing clever, science-based exercise and rehabilitation tools that strengthen the deep muscles you need to live, heal and perform at your peak. Based on 30 years of research and adopted by leading physios, sports coaches and professional athletes, GravityFit comprises Education and Training, Exercise Tools, and online apps for assessment, measurement and exercise prescription.  

Saara Jamieson, Chief Executive, Cool Beans Underwear
Cool Beans Underwear is making its entry into the sports tech market after receiving strong validation in the fertility industry. Founder Saara Jamieson, named a finalist for both Innovator and Disrupter of the Year, aims to reverse the decline in men’s health by focusing on testosterone and sperm health with the world’s first and only testicular cooling medical device. Having already been named a finalist for the ANZ Sports Technology Awards in the Sports Performance and Coaching category, Cool Beans is primed to make an impact, not only optimising sperm health but also enhancing testosterone production to help athletes improve both their physical and mental performance.   

Marie Penny, Project Flock 
Marie Penny is the Co-Founder of Project Flock, a Melbourne based start-up that created the world’s first ‘bio-motion’ rear bike light, which directs light onto the rider’s legs to make them easier to see and more readily identifiable as a person. The Flock Light leverages the human brain’s cognitive ability to recognise human movement very quickly, so riders can be seen up to 5.5 times faster than a standard red light.  

Natalie Moore, Own Your Health Collective & MenoVest 
Natalie Moore is the Co-Founder of Own Your Health Collective and MenoVest. MenoVest is the world’s only menopause simulator, allowing people to experience disruptive physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms, associated with menopause. Natalie is helping to transform women’s journeys through life’s phases into empowering and enlightening experiences. Natalie recognises that women often navigate these transitions silently and at times feel overwhelmed by the challenges they bring. Natalie is dedicated to supporting women through these pivotal life stages, helping them embrace their physiology and thrive with whole health and wellbeing.   

Michelle Walshe, CoachMate
Michelle Walshe is the Founder of CoachMate – a platform that provides volunteers with ‘what to coach’ and ‘how to coach’, so they can help kids stay active and thrive. Michelle’s mission is to enrich the sporting experiences for kids, so they stay in the game. CoachMate partners with National Sports Organisations to help deliver their game. CoachMate was honoured in 2023 with Australia New Zealand Sport Tech Awards for 'Coaching and Sports Performance' and was recently shortlisted for the prestigious 2024 Leaders in Sports Awards for 'Tech Breakthrough'.  

Victoria Zorin, Nola Technologies
Victoria Zorin is the CEO and Co-Founder of Nola Technologies, a Crowd Analytics Platform that transforms a venue's existing CCTV systems into actionable insights on the visitor journey. Nola empowers stadiums, theme parks and retailers to optimise operations, elevate customer experiences, and enhance crowd safety. Victoria was recognised in Forbes's 30 Under 30 list for B2B enterprise technology in 2023.