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Australia’s largest startup community, Fishburners, has appointed chief operating office Majella Campbell as its new CEO to replace Martin Karafilis who will step down at the end of this month after more than two years in the role.
Campbell, whose position as COO since 2023 has been aided by her deep understanding of the startup ecosystem, has been instrumental in fostering innovation and scaling impact-driven programs after almost five years with the organisation.
In accepting the position of CEO, Campbell says the Sydney-based startup community is entering “an exciting new era”.
“We’ve laid the foundation for future growth, and I’m excited to lead the organisation into its next chapter,” she says.
“Our mission remains steadfast - empowering founders with the resources, networks, and support they need to build world-changing companies.”
Fishburners was founded in 2011 by tech entrepreneurs Mike Casey and Pete Davison to create “a vibrant community of like-minded entrepreneurs” to share ideas and learn from each other while employing technology to innovate and develop new products and services.
Since then, the organisation has supported more than 35,000 entrepreneurs and helped raise more than $600 million in investments.
Under Karafilis’ leadership, Fishburners has navigated significant transformation, including stabilisation following the COVID-19 pandemic while launching key initiatives that the organisation says sets the scene for further growth.
“Fishburners has always been about pushing boundaries and supporting founders to succeed,” says Karafilis.
“With the startup ecosystem evolving rapidly, now is the right time for a leadership transition. Majella has been instrumental in shaping Fishburners’ future, and I have no doubt she will continue to drive our mission forward.”
Fishburners says the leadership transition comes at a time of broader shifts within the Australian startup ecosystem, including changes in government initiatives such as the transition of the Sydney Startup Hub from Wynyard to Tech Central later this year.
Tech Central is described as Australia’s largest and most dynamic tech and innovation district, spanning six diverse neighbourhoods in central Sydney, anchored by University of Sydney and UTS, and home to unicorns such as Atlassian and Canva.
“Martin’s leadership has been crucial in taking Fishburners’ role in the startup ecosystem to another level,” says Fishburners’ chair Bilyana Smith.
“As we step into this new phase, Majella’s experience, passion and strategic vision make her the ideal leader to steer Fishburners forward, foster new opportunities and reinforce our impact in the startup ecosystem.”
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