Jo Burston

As one of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs, Jo Burston is committed to mentoring young corporate leaders to navigate the start-up sector. She is regularly consulted for her business expertise on a range of prominent topics, including on gender equality in the corporate environment.

Jo is the founder and CEO of Job Capital. Within five years, she grew the company from nothing to $40M with a team of 12. She is also the co-founder and director of Phronesis Academy, as well as the founder of the entrepreneurial movement Inspiring Rare Birds where she has built a tight-knit community of female entrepreneurs.

A leading authority on entrepreneurship, Jo is an active mentor for fast-growth entrepreneurs. She is passionate about encouraging ambitious young Australians to create their own jobs by better understanding themselves and their dreams.

She is a prolific writer, having shared her entrepreneurial journey across several published books, including Australia's 50 Influential Women Entrepreneurs (Rare Birds) and #IFSHECANICAN. Her most recent book, Brilliant BusinessKids, was published in 2016 as a comic book to showcase the real-life stories of twelve children who have started their own successful businesses.

Jo continues to contribute her expertise as an ambassador for a range of organisations, including as a global ambassador for Microsoft and Xero, as well as a regional Oceania ambassador for the UN-recognised Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. She also sits on the advisory board for the University of Sydney Business School, University of Sydney Innovation and Entrepreneur Advisory Group, Launch VIC, and Women’s Network.

As a keynote speaker, Jo is known for her impactful and inspiring speaking style. She has extensive experience with speaking engagements. Recently, she was invited by Microsoft to address 45,000 delegates at its Worldwide Partner Conference in Toronto. Previously, she has also taught a summer course on entrepreneurship with Oxford University.