About Me
Hey, I’m Jess! 👋
Earlier this year, my partner Phil and I made a big move—we both quit our full-time jobs (me in tech and venture capital and Phil as a Doctor), packed up our lives, and booked one-way tickets from Sydney to the rest of the world. Why? We decided that we were way too comfortable in our lovely bubble and wanted to see what else was out there. To explore how others lived, thought, worked and experienced life.
For the next 18 months, we’re on a mission to figure out what life looks like when you’re not tied to one place or one job. Spoiler alert: I don’t have it all figured out yet, but isn’t that the fun part?
I work remotely as the Investment Principal at at a Family Office. Before hitting the road, I dabbled in different realms of the Startup Tech world:
Venture Capital
I headed up Programs and Community at Airtree Ventures, one of Australia's largest VC firms, where I launched the Airtree Angel Explorer Program and Angel Investment Syndicate. Through this, I taught people across Australia and New Zealand to become angel investors, and I’m still an active angel myself.
Beyond investing, I founded Pioneers, a community supporting women and non-binary founders, operators, and startup enthusiasts.
Founder
In my early twenties I built a completely unsustainable startup which inevitably resulted in burn out, and a miraculous exit in 2019 to a multinational out of the UK.
I also have a couple of side hustles which allow us to travel: The Neon Lab, where I bring custom neon signs to life, and Una Diamond, a lab-grown diamond business for that I am building async, remotely with 2 wonderful co-founders.
Non Executive Director - Not For Profits
When I’m not investing, building communities, or diving into new projects, I volunteer on the board of Forever Projects, a charity helping women break the cycle of poverty and create a self-sustaining future for themselves and their families in Tanzania.
About Built Different
Built Different is my way of sharing insights from a life lived outside the traditional path. Through my blog, I explore startup ecosystems, portfolio careers, and the art of working and living from anywhere. This journey has taken me from coworking spaces in Vietnam to nerding out at the TSMC museum in Taiwan. I connect with founders, digital nomads, and innovators who are also creating their own paths.
With Built Different, I hope to inspire others to consider new ways of working, traveling, and building a career and life that aligns with their true passions. This space is for anyone curious about making a career across multiple ventures, adapting to diverse cultures, and redefining what “work” looks like. Let’s dive into the stories, insights, and lessons that come from living life a little differently.
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