)
91. James O’Neill (39)
Wildjar
Sydney
James O'Neill, who co-founded WildJar with Alberto Capponi, has built the white label Software as a Service (SaaS) marketing platform from the ground up as a profitable enterprise from day one in 2016, helping clients make better sense of their inbound phone leads.
Wildjar’s sophisticated call tracking and call intelligence solution is used by more than 14,000 businesses across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the UK, and most recently the USA, helping them measure phone leads and optimise marketing.
With a focus on artificial intelligence innovation, WildJar recently introduced advanced features like emotion and sentiment analysis to improve customer experiences.
“We rebranded our Call Intelligence power-up to WildJar AI in March 2024,” O’Neill explains.
“Call Intelligence has been a power-up of ours since 2017, however, the last two years we have seen phenomenal increases to call recording transcription accuracy, especially from phone calls.
“This has helped us and our clients significantly with better call summaries, and using AI to identify trends, sentiment and overall call quality scoring.”
O’Neill says this improved offering has led to better retention rates and higher net revenue retention (NRR).
“Not only do we help clients understand which marketing channels make their phone ring, we can now tell them exactly what is said during the call, so they can have better, more meaningful conversations.
“Did you know phone leads are 10-15 times more likely to convert into a sale?”
92. Ethan Donati (30)
My Million Dollar Funnels
Melbourne
Ethan Donati’s entrepreneurial journey began as a response to personal challenges, transforming his social anxiety into a strength by building a marketing empire.
With an aversion to being in an office and surrounded by people all day, he started his own digital marketing agency My Million Dollar Funnels, specialising in sales funnels, search engine optimisation (SEO), ads and websites.
“However, it got too easy,” Donati explains.
“Ninety-nine per cent of marketing agencies can just hide behind a screen and do the same thing. I wanted to push myself personally.”
So Donati asked himself what was the scariest possible thing he could do, and the answer was public speaking.
“So I then transitioned into educating people about marketing and selling my marketing services by being a speaker all over the world,” he says.
Donati produces some of Australia’s largest personal development events, sharing stages with the likes of Gary Vaynerchuk, David Goggins, Mark Bouris, Nedd Brockman, Naomi Simson, Janine Allis, Robert Kiyosaki and more.
“My marketing agency is one of the fastest-growing and we have a huge education arm that no other marketing firm in this country operates,” he says.
“I have worked with and marketed for the best and provided marketing knowledge and inspiration all over the country.”
93. Joel Prokic (36), Matthew Nikolai (39) and Jason Smit (34)
G1 Asset Management
Gold Coast
When a large organisation or government department needs to upgrade its computers, a logistical nightmare can easily ensue with questions of how and where to dispose of the old ones, ensuring their data is removed in accordance with the law while also making sure they are recycled.
Joel Prokic, Matthew Nikolai and Jason Smit were running an IT e-commerce retail store before founding G1 Asset Management as a solution to this problem, offering e-waste services nationwide.
The value recovered from the e-waste allowed the company to build cash flow and fund expansion, to the point where G1 now holds a significant market share in the government and enterprise sectors for secure data destruction, e-waste recycling and IT lifecycle management services.
From its initial base in Queensland, the company grew to service NSW and the ACT, and in the second half of 2024 it completed its eastern seaboard expansion with the opening of a Melbourne facility.
“The Melbourne facility is a central hub for our Victorian operations and greatly improves our service delivery to our Melbourne and regional Victorian customers, as well as our national customers with multiple sites across the eastern seaboard,” says Smit.
“We will be aggressively marketing and growing our Victorian market share over the next few years with the goal to further cement our position as a national provider of ITAD (IT asset disposition) services.”
On other fronts, G1 Asset Management achieved R2 certification in FY24, which it describes as the “gold standard” in sustainable e-waste recycling.
In that same year, the company donated more than 200 laptops to Indigenous communities through its Tech to Country program, which to date has donated over 1,100 laptops to 20-plus different Indigenous organisations throughout Australia.
“All donated assets are tested, installed with genuine Windows 11 and Microsoft Office, packaged and provided to recipient Indigenous community organisations for distribution to the community,” says Prokic.
“All laptops are provided at no charge to the recipients, and we provide a one-year warranty on all devices.”
94. Stephen Pastor (37)
Kings of Neon
NSW Central Coast
From a diverse career background that started with real estate, followed by a lengthy retail stint with jewellery chain Michael Hill before mixing it up as a DJ, Stephen Pastor literally had a light bulb moment.
He noticed a gap in the events market for customisable neon signs that could “bring a pop of colour and personality to any space”, and his experience in business-to-business sales helped him quickly get his idea up and running.
“Kings of Neon began as a bootstrapped start-up, rapidly growing into a global leader in custom LED neon signage,” Pastor explains.
“From landing our first large customer, Twitter, to working on high-profile projects for Janet Jackson, Blink 182, Sonic, Cannes [Film Festival], and Red Bull, we've built a reputation for innovation and quality.
“Our journey has been marked by strategic partnerships and notable endorsements, such as providing signs for all racing teams for the F1 in Las Vegas.”
Whilst the company has attracted many high-profile customers, Pastor says it caters to a wide range of clients from event planners to businesses to individuals looking to enhance their spaces with LED neon lighting.
“From business logos and event decor to home accents, we offer a diverse selection of designs and custom options,” he says.
“Our commitment to quality, creativity, and exceptional customer service sets us apart, making us a go-to choice for those seeking standout neon solutions.”
95. Bruce Sitole (38)
365 Mechanix
Sydney
Since 2019 Bruce Sitole has built one of the top Microsoft solutions partners in Australia with his business 365 Mechanix, including its automated accounts receivable (AR) system 365 Collect and data-based loan-decisioning tool 365 Finsight.
The founder was inspired to start the business after gaining valuable experience at various consulting firms and on the customer side of technology solutions, where he observed inefficiencies and areas for improvement, particularly in the Microsoft ecosystem.
“365 Mechanix caters to businesses seeking to optimise their processes, improve efficiency and leverage cutting-edge technology,” he says.
“By providing tailored solutions using Microsoft's ecosystem, 365 Mechanix empowers organisations to achieve data-driven growth and maintain a competitive edge in their industries.”
Financial services is still the predominant target sector for the company, but it also works with clients in healthcare, utilities, the public sector, nonprofits, and more.
96. Ro Taylor-Griffiths (37) and Patty Roberts (35)
The Tides Creative Production
Brisbane
Drawing on their deep knowledge of events agencies in Sydney and London, arts festivals veterans Patty Roberts and Ro Taylor-Griffiths entered the water at low tide with their business that “curates experiences” for major partners like AWS, Atlassian, TikTok and Blackbird Ventures.
Both were wanting more from the events industry, and when it was decimated by the pandemic they used the opportunity as a catalyst to found The Tides Creative Production in 2020.
Driven by a “hunger to do great work with great people", their company produces around 70-plus projects annually as a collaborative partner in strategic planning, creative development, project management and live production..
“In our individual career journeys we had found success with clients drawing from the passion and love for events work and the industry that had been forged during our time working in the arts and festival landscape," says Roberts.
“This provided a breadth of experience and made us resourceful, creative, passionate and eager to deliver on promises.”
Taylor-Griffiths adds that like a changing tide, the company’s services adapt to clients’ specific requirements, serving as an extension of marketing and project teams to deliver unique, engaging content and experiences.
97. Nathan Yun (35) and Rex Zhang (36)
Paire
Melbourne
Founded by a pair of friends selling pairs of socks along with activewear, clothing, and underwear, Paire has swiftly emerged as a leader in fabric technology and sustainable fashion essentials.
Nathan Yun and Rex Zhang, driven by a disdain for fast fashion and a desire to create products that last longer and are better for the environment, established Paire in late 2020 based on the idea of “fighting consumerism with consumerism.”
“The true cost behind luxury fashion is distorted values, classism and a waste of resources. Consumers have long forgotten the core purpose of clothes is to feel comfortable on your skin,” Yun explains.
“And today, they also need to be sustainable. Unfortunately, most brands today are greenwashing to fit in with the new market trend. There are very few brands out there that are actually innovating and developing new materials to minimise fashion waste.”
Paire utilises materials such as merino wool, organic cotton and recycled silk in its offerings, with all its apparel designed in Melbourne.
Towards the tail end of 2024, the company marked its international debut after securing a deal with stockists to be in 15 stores across Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
“This is a huge step for Paire. We are really excited to bring our products to an international audience. Being a proud Australian brand, we always wanted to share our great products with more people across the world,” Yun said at the time.
Related story: Paire makes a stand against fast fashion with international debut in Singapore, Malaysia
98. Ali Terai (38)
Future Golf
Melbourne
More than 30,000 members have bought into Ali Terai’s vision to “transform the game of golf” by building the world’s largest community of younger, underrepresented and non-traditional golfers.
He considers his company to be like an "Airbnb of golf", connecting partners such as golf clubs, courses, simulators and coaches with members.
There are now more than 150 partner golf courses around the country on the platform, and for the past year the group has partnered commercially with Australia’s biggest golf retailer, Drummond Golf.
The company also has long-term deals with equipment company TaylorMade and Genesis Automotive.
“I started Future Golf because I wanted to create something meaningful that was driven by passion and solved a problem I was experiencing,” Terai says of the business he set up in 2014.
“I recognised that younger people weren't playing golf and the sport needed a more flexible, accessible and inclusive alternative to remove the barriers and intimidation associated with golf that would lead to greater diversity within our sport.”
He says 92 per cent of members are aged between 25 and 39, forming a national collective of “passionate and engaged golfers who interact digitally and on-course".
“Our core offering is a flexible and value-packed membership with a large selection of golf benefits,” Terai adds.
99. Nathan Dench (32), Jesse Dymond (38), Alastair Blenkin (33), Tim Rogers (33) and Tom Newby (31)
ProcurePro
Brisbane
In its mission to save construction professionals one billion hours in tedious admin, fast-growing procurement software scale-up ProcurePro has achieved a 30 per cent market penetration in Australia since its launch in 2021 and now has $50 billion in project value on the platform.
This represents a 20 per cent growth in the past seven months, and ProcurePro’s staffing has increased by the same percentage as more builders turn to its solutions that consolidate numerous fragmented procurement processes that have been traditionally managed via a hotchpotch of Excel, Word and thousands of emails.
More than a year has passed since the company raised $6.15 million to fuel growth in the UK, where co-founder and CEO Alastair Blenkin relocated and helped achieve 11 customer sign-ons in the new market from a clientele base that started with zero.
The majority of ProcurePro’s founder team – Blenkin, Tom Newby, Nathan Dench and Jesse Dymond – started their entrepreneurial journey together with an AI-powered contract-management software for commercial landlords called Hyra iQ, but when the business model was put under strain from COVID-19 they pivoted their focus.
Attention was turned to a "huge gap" for more streamlined solutions in commercial construction, and they brought on Blenkin's longtime friend and construction management expert Tim Rogers as a co-founder to start ProcurePro.
The company claims to have saved its customers 440,000 hours in administration time, which is double what it was in early 2024, and it has seen a 73 per cent increase in customers since 2023.
100. Jacob Ritchie (32)
Two Birds Studio, Poly Studios
Gold Coast
Jacob Ritchie’s marketing journey began with social media management for Gold Coast cafes, which evolved into Two Birds Social, a full-service marketing agency, and Poly Studios, a creative space for podcasting and video production.
With nine years in the industry, the founder has navigated the challenges of scaling a business while maintaining a strong work-life balance.
His focus on flexible staffing and nurturing creativity has led to the agency’s growth across Sydney and Melbourne, while Poly Studios has become a leading podcasting hub in South-East Queensland.
“Poly Studios was launched and birthed out of my love for podcasts,” he says.
“Realising how much I personally loved them, I set out to create a studio on the Gold Coast that locals could create out of and have a space we could assist others in,” Ritchie says.
As his craft demands, Ritchie is active on social media where he frequently displays visually-rich foodie content, as well as multimedia from clients in other industries.
Ritchie adds that hotels have recently represented around 60 per cent of Two Birds’ work throughout Australia, and took the company overseas to shoot during the European summer in Bulgaria.
His agency Two Birds has its strengths in content creation, social media management, social media advertising management, campaign generation and lead generation.
)
