The former Blackbird investor is bringing together a Special Forces veteran, a Paralympic champion and executive coaches for EDGE, a Sydney event focused on the skills founders need as their businesses grow.
“VCs expect founders to scale from idea to IPO, and yet there’s not a single tech event that focuses on the most important skill required to get there: leadership,” Jenkins said.
The one-day event, run by Ampere on Tuesday, November 24, is aimed at founders, senior operators and investors, with the curated attendance capped at 150.
Jenkins’ approach draws on her sporting career, having been ranked number one in Australia and in the world’s top 10 across trampolining, CrossFit and beach volleyball.
“We figured that the best leaders in the world aren’t always in tech,” she said.
“So we looked at the people who explicitly train this skill set in others: Special Forces, elite sport, executive coaches, and we even stole the psychological science behind what makes a good leader from research proven in the NBA.”
Speakers include former Special Forces commander Chris Marr, cofounder of employee wellbeing platform Sonder and healthcare startup ThinkMD, and Ellie Cole, Australia’s most decorated female Paralympian, with 17 medals.
Former HubSpot APAC leader Dave Shepherd and Human Leadership Lab founder May Samali will demonstrate executive coaching, with attendees able to volunteer.
Jenkins will explore research into the psychological traits of unicorn founders and the parallels with NBA players.
The program also covers leading across cultures, alongside a practical challenge designed to test participants’ leadership skills.
Organisers say the audience will span pre-seed founders through to leaders of companies generating more than $100 million in revenue, alongside senior startup executives and venture capital partners.
EDGE runs at Sydney’s Establishment Ballroom, with the program running from 9am to 7pm. Tickets include food and non-alcoholic drinks.
Applications and further event details are available through the EDGE registration page.
