April 2019 - Daniel O’Connor B.Bus, MBA, CPM, FAICD (Dip), AAMI, AIMM

Daniel is a Management Consultant and Business Coach with 33 years’ experience in innovation. He has been a Company Director of a number of companies, private and public, listed and unlisted, in Australia and overseas.

Daniel has specialised in intellectual property portfolio management and commercialisation, and has expanded to include an on-line global coaching and mentoring program, providing video-based courses, checklists and group coaching help for inventors and R&D teams around the World.

Daniel is in his third year as the Australian member of the UN Task Force on Innovation and Competitiveness and works with business and government leaders around the World on transferring suitable innovation to developing Countries, where patent-holders “gift” their specific geographic rights for little or no reward. The 2019 Task Force project is a coffee-table book on “Innovation from Adversity.”

Daniel has a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) and an MBA (International Business). He has commenced his PhD in International Business (commercialisation modelling) and is a prolific business writer (with more than 20 articles and 2 international books published. Daniel has more than 8,000 LinkedIn members following him and has more than 1,000 members in his special interest group “Kick-Starting Inventions.”

October 2018 - James Trevelyan Mechanical Engineer and Director of Close Comfort Pty Ltd

James Trevelyan practices as a mechatronics and mechanical engineer developing new air conditioning technology, and is a fellow of Engineers Australia. Since 2016, after retiring from academia, he has become a startup entrepreneur, directing Close Comfort Pty Ltd. He is well known internationally for pioneering research on sheep shearing robots (1975-1993), remote access laboratories and robots (1994-2002), landmine clearance methods (1996-2004) and engineering practice (2002-2015).

He was presented with the 1993 Engelberger Science and Technology Award in Tokyo, the world’s pre-eminent award for robotics research, and has twice been presented with the Japan Industrial Robot Association award for best papers at robotics conferences. 
His teaching has also been well recognised with a national and several UWA distinguished teaching awards, and also awards for papers at international conferences on engineering education.

His most recent research has been on engineering practice, to understand how engineering work is actually performed, an aspect of engineering that has not been well researched before. This research helps to explain why services in low-income countries such as safe drinking water usually cost much more than in industrialised countries, helping to explain continuing poverty in many countries. His new book, The Making of an Expert Engineer, provides solutions that could help eliminate most of the poverty we see today.

Although retired, James continues his research on engineering practice and engineering education. He is currently working on drinking water supplies in developing countries, applications of internet of things to provide financially self-sustaining water supply utilities.

Learn more about Close Comfort here.

August 2018 - James Irving of Irving Law

James Irving runs Irving Law, a boutique commercial law firm based in WA, with several Melbourne clients. As a lawyer for over 30 years, James has worked both in the USA and various states in Australia, in private organisations and government agencies. James holds law degrees from the University of Adelaide and the University of Melbourne, and has written a book on international human rights law and several eBooks on legal topics for business owners.

James founded Irving Law in 2011, ably assisted by fully qualified freelance lawyers and law graduates, with all output checked by James prior to going to clients.  The firm offers general legal advice, as well as assisting business owners with contracts (drafting and reviews) and corporate advice. The main work areas are commercial law and estate planning. If you need advice around Small business, Contracts and leases, Company and Franchise agreements, give James a call.

James explained the various business structures available (partnerships, trusts, etc.) and the pros and cons of each, as well as the requirements of Non-Disclosure Agreements and what should and shouldn't be included.

Learn more about Irving Law here.

Members see James' presentation here.

June 2018 - Carly Hardy of Kooda

Kooda is the Nyoongar word for a carrying bag or gathering basket.  Kooda was a start-up company created by Carly Hardy in 2016 with the vision of seeing the diversion of food-wastes from landfill, starting with the kitchens where it is generated, and returning the carbon back into the soil cycle. It also aims to create employment for those unable to hold down time-based, un-flexible working hours.

After obtaining seed-funding from an angel investor in December 2016 Kooda built up its processing capacity in Perth and looking to take on processes being used by international organisations.

Kooda wound up in Jan 2020, as Carly moved back into Medical device manufacturing and spending more time with her family.

February 2018 - Jacqui Cocliff of Specialised Sourcing

Founded in Perth, Western Australia in 2013, Specialised Sourcing was born out of frustration with suppliers charging “mining boom prices” regardless of the consumer and their industry.  With encouragement from a number of equally frustrated industry leaders, the team at Specialised Sourcing decided to use their extensive and collective experience in product design, manufacturing and global sourcing to create a genuine cost effective alternative and so, the story began…

Learn more about Specialised Sourcing here.

Members see Jacquie's talk here.

October 2017 - Matthew Macfarlane 

Matthew is a venture capital investor, IT start-up entrepreneur, Non-executive Director and Chartered Accountant with startup investing, international business development and M&A experience in telecommunications and software companies.  He also has a very long list of achievements to his name, prior to co-finding Perth based Venture Capital fund: Yuuwa Capital in 2007 and commenced operations in November 2009 managing a $40m early stage IT and Biotech focused investment fund. Completed Yuuwa's four IT investments into iCetana (spin-out from Curtin University), Agworld (Agricultural Industry SaaS), Filter Squad (developer of Discovr and Connected.fm) and Dealised (Soda Loyalty in Hong Kong). Angel investor in Perth based startups: Appbot, Offpeak Games, Storekat, Formalytics and BusyBot.

Goals: Help WA tech start-up companies succeed on the global stage. Work with people who enjoy what they are doing. Change the world.

Specialities: Venture Capital, Non-executive Director roles, mergers and acquisitions, valuations, software as a service, project management, IT strategy, Internet, international commercialisation.

Learn more about Matthew here.

Members see Matthew's talk here.

August 2017 - Carel Smit The Patenteur

Carel is a patent attorney and entrepreneur who has founded companies on two continents and served as senior in-house IP counsel at Rio Tinto and Ipernica Limited prior to co-founding Patenteur.  Carel has also worked locally and abroad in private practice, helping clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies, university, and research organisation, through to lone inventors securing patent and trademark rights for their ideas, brands, and innovations, while also helping launch new businesses.  

Carel trained at one of the largest IP practices in the Southern Hemisphere, before eventually working as in-house counsel with companies in Perth, giving him unique insights into the requirements clients have of patent counsel.

 Carel holds BSc (Hons), Msc, and LLB qualifications.

Learn more about Carel and The Patenteur here.

Members see Carel's talk here.

February 2017 - Mike Lancaster- Lambda Insurance Brokers

Subject: Products Liability Insurance

Mike Lancaster has worked in the general insurance industry both as an insurer and as a broker for over 25 years. He has advised many businesses on managing their risks associated with the design, manufacture and commercialisation of products and specifically in the area of Products Liability on which he has extensive experience. Michael’s clients range from small single person businesses to large commercial operations.

Members see Mike's talk here.

August 2016 - Barry Lloyd- Creator of many things

Subject: Funny stories of creations he has been involved in.

Barry Lloyd makes no claim to being an inventor but has been involved in some interesting “creations” over many years, in activities as diverse as the Hotel industry, specialised motor vehicles and electronics.

Born in Sydney in 1934 Barry grew up in Cowra NSW (or failed to grow up, as he says). Aged 20, he lived in Bondi (for surfing reasons) and became involved in motor sport. By being in the right place at the right time went on to drive rally cars for five international car companies including Mercedes Benz. 

Barry has certainly had an amazing life so far with 19 different jobs from working as a sheep dog for a farmer who didn’t like dogs, to putting the pink in Vincents APC powders, to purchasing manager of the largest Hotel chain in the Southern Hemisphere, newspaper reporter, customs clerk, doctors receptionist, social worker and a crazy outback adventurer! He moved to Perth in 1984, to administrate a medical software/ hardware company. 

He has captured some of his maniacal motoring feats in a book he wrote titled "You Can’t Get There from Here" and about 3 years ago he recorded a 12 track CD then composed and recorded a single for his 80th birthday.

Members see Barry's talk here.

Subject: Import and export tips

Ray Hall with his invention of bicycle tyres that can never go flat shared his stories on importing and exporting.

Dec 2015 - Jeff Phillips from DD Grout Plugs 

Subject: Jeff's story and innovation process

Jeff is best known for his invention of the "Terra-Barb" in the mining industry.

Mining Engineer, Business Owner and Inventor. B. Eng (Mining), B. Econs, B. Commerce (Finance), M. AusIMM.

Jeff Phillips has 25 years mining industry experience, and holds a West Australian First Class Mine Manager's Certificate of Competency.  The DD Grout Plugs products were brought to market with the aim of providing simple, effective and easy to use products to improve mining productivity and reduce overall cost. Jeff holds a number of patents and patent applications on the designs.  

Jeff is a Member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (Aus IMM).

More about Jeff and DD Grout Plugs here 

2014 - Prof. Barry Marshal

Subject: Trust your gut & challenge the status quo: An evening with Nobel Laureate Barry Marshall M.D.

The Inventors Association of Australia (WA) Inc, in collaboration with the Innovation Centre of WA had the pleasure of hosting an evening with one of Western Australia's most famous sons, Nobel Laureate Barry Marshall M.D. Barry Marshall shared his inspirational journey from young clinical fellow at the Royal Perth Hospital in WA to standing in the spotlight on the world stage as the joint recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2005. Together with J. Robin Warren, a pathologist from Perth, Barry Marshall M.D. made the remarkable and unexpected discovery that inflammation in the stomach, as well as ulceration of the stomach, is the result of an infection of the stomach caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.

Their tenacious pursuit of a new paradigm for peptic ulcer disease led to their groundbreaking discovery. Join us to hear Barry Marshall M.D. share his story of how innate curiosity, obstinately challenging the status quo and some good old fashioned self-experimenting, led to this scientific breakthrough.

2014 - Rodney Green, Mulpin

Subject: The PCB that doesn’t fear lightning

Rodney Green's 40+ years in the electronics industry have been marked by highly innovative PCB design capabilities, Electronic design skills with many inventions from electronic portable hypodermic needle furnace which was exported to Japan, and generated many new jobs directly, to his well-known international publicised Dirodyne radio architecture. He has written many articles of ground breaking concepts that are being used in the market place. His skills have gained Rodney a well deserved reputation throughout the industry.