Taryn Williams and Samantha Martin-Williams join Fishburners board

Fishburners has appointed Taryn Williams and Samantha Martin Williams to the board of the Early-stage startup community hub.

They replace Jacqui Feeney, who leaves to become CEO of Screen Queensland, and Andrew Thornton, whose term has expired.  

Taryn Williams is the founder and CEO of theright.fit and WINK Models, and entrepreneurship thought leader. 

Fishburners CEO Martin Karafilis said her innovative thinking  and passion for fostering talent align perfectly with the organisation’s mission to empower  startups and entrepreneurs.

“We are immensely grateful to Jacqui Feeney and Andrew Thornton for their valuable contributions to Fishburners,” he said.

“As we welcome Taryn Williams and Samantha Martin-Williams to our board of directors, we look forward to the fresh perspectives and expertise they bring.

Fishburners is committed to nurturing innovation and supporting startups, and we are confident that Taryn and  Samantha will play pivotal roles in achieving these goals.”

Martin-Williams has a background in corporate innovation, governance and strategic partnerships and said Fishburners is widely recognised as a leading global startup  community.

“As Australia’s largest and longest-standing early-stage innovation and entrepreneurial hub, it has a strong track record,” she said.

“I am pleased to bring my expertise in  contemporary governance, finance and human capital to complement the Fishburners  community, its management, and Board of Directors, in our collective effort to drive strategic  growth.” 

While rumours of government funding cuts to the Sydney Startup Hub, where Fishburners is based, emerged this week, Karafilis said his organisation remains steadfast in its mission to provide startups with the most impactful  community with resources, education, events, mentorship, and collaborative workspace to help them thrive, reassuring his team this week that it will be business as usual, regardless of any decisions in next Tuesday’s NSW budget. 

“It is an exciting time for Fishburners as we continue to lead the way for entrepreneurship in Australia and deliver on our roadmap,” he said.

“As CEO I am proud to see a dedicated, supportive, and experienced board of directors that can take Fishburners to new heights over the coming years.” 

Also on the Fishburners board are: Rod Bishop, Jessica Walker, David Jones, Bilyana Smith and chair Clive Mayhew.