I’m Ash, I’m Head of Ops at Airtree.

I love systems thinking and working with people to unlock performance. Which is perfect, because I’m responsible for doing just that. Whether that’s thinking about a new product to build internally, to the culture we’re creating, to how we show up and support founders in the ecosystem.

I started my career in events and sponsorship in the entertainment world. I loved it. Specifically working with interesting people and being able to bring new ideas to life. What I was missing though was the pace and ambition of tech. So I moved into the startup world.

Over the past decade I’ve worked in an accelerator, been a founder myself and, most recently a scale up operator. After recently moving back home from London, I wanted to help continue to grow the tech ecosystem here - so I’m stoked to be supporting Airtree for the next 12-months.

Here’s where you’ll find me on the weekend

Out and about or hosting friends. I'm not one for a quiet weekend, so it's usually a mix of exercise, a new restaurant or cafe, a day trip, an exhibit or hosting (front of house exclusively, reserving the cooking for my husband who has serious skills). With a toddler in tow it looks a bit different these days. I have strong opinions on Melbourne's play ground game.

I’m on the lookout for

Community. After recently moving back to Melbourne I would love to meet as many interesting, ambitious people who love getting out and exploring new things, whilst juggling interesting jobs (and/or kids themselves!).

What I nerd out over

‍Founders. Genuinely people who have the passion to start something themselves, take the risk and have the grit to go through the many ups and downs - seriously how cool is that?‍

Advice I’d give to my younger self

‍Increase your chance at luck. Say yes, do the cringe thing, try something new and put yourself in as many situations as possible. You’ll be amazed what happens!