“There’s a unique energy in a high-potential idea or organisation—a pure spark of what’s possible. My greatest passion lies in capturing that spark and building the robust framework around it, transforming that raw potential into a valuable, scalable venture ready for the world stage.”
ABOUT Zara Crichton
Zara Crichton transforms potential ideas into tangible, valuable, and globally investable assets. For over two decades, she has worked across the innovation ecosystem, building the networks, structuring organisations, and securing investment for bold ideas to succeed on the world stage.
As the founder of Fundalicious, her work has three key focuses. She puts this expertise into practice as the current Festival Director for the Hunter Innovation Festival, a major regional event celebrating technology and creativity. Her core services include:
Venture Architecture: Designing ventures with robust strategic, commercial, and governance frameworks to attract investment and scale.
Organisational Impact: Leading complex turnarounds for established organisations and non-profits to improve agility and long-term sustainability.
Ecosystem Development: Advising governments and universities on the strategic design of thriving innovation ecosystems.
Her approach is shaped by significant leadership experience, culminating in her role as President of the Boston-based Venture Café Global Institute, where she led strategy across a network of 16 international locations. This global position was preceded by deep, hands-on ecosystem development in Sydney, where she served concurrently as the founding Executive Director of Venture Café Sydney and an Executive Director at Macquarie University.
Previously, as General Manager of the Connect Macquarie Park Innovation District, she unified the area's key stakeholders to amplify its credentials as a global innovation hub. Her work is also grounded in world-class governance, with experience as a paid director on over eight international innovation boards and as a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
This expertise in building innovation ecosystems is backed by a substantial corporate career. For over eight years at Macquarie Group, she progressed through a series of senior marketing roles, leading strategy for key wealth management and financial services products. Prior to this, she gained valuable operational experience as an Assistant Operations Manager at Consolidated Press Holdings, managing investor relations for a high profile shareholder.
Zara's unique perspective is also informed by an early career in the creative industries. As a Digital Effects Producer in London and Sydney, she delivered complex projects for major film and advertising clients. This foundation in technology, creativity, and global project delivery underpins her innovative approach today.