How AI, cyber security and digital skills are shaping innovation in small businesses and start-ups

auDA is excited to partner with Women in Innovation South Australia for an engaging panel discussion and networking event in Adelaide.

From AI and automation to cyber security and digital capability, technology is reshaping the way small businesses and start-ups innovate, grow and compete.

Together, we’ll delve into auDA’s Digital Lives of Australians 2025 report, highlight what’s working (and what’s not), and explore the biggest opportunities for small businesses.

The evening will begin with opening remarks from auDA CEO, Bruce Tonkin, before moving into a dynamic panel discussion facilitated by Women in Innovation Board Member, Allison Nikula, featuring:

• Rebecca Papillo – Director, Media and Communications at auDA and auDA’s lead on the Digital Lives of Australians research series
• Lara Spence – Founder & Managing Director of Digivate Health, digital health and AI advisor for small businesses and start-ups
• Tanya Newhouse – Chief Operating Officer at CareApp and former founder of Clevertar, one of Australia’s pioneers in conversational AI.

This event is free for .au members, register now to secure your place.

Bruce Tonkin is the Chief Executive Officer of .au Domain Administration (auDA). Prior to taking on the CEO role, Bruce served as auDA's Chief Operating Officer from 2018 to 2024, where he was responsible for the operations of the .au. Before joining auDA, Bruce was Chief Technology Officer and Chief Strategy Officer at Melbourne IT, and he served on the Board of ICANN for nine years. ICANN is the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers; it manages the global domain name and IP addressing system for the internet. Bruce also has extensive experience taking cloud based services to global markets across the USA, Europe, and Asia for both SMBs and Enterprises.

Rebecca is the Director, Media and Communications at .au Domain Administration (auDA). Rebecca is responsible for auDA’s corporate communications and media. She and her team develop and share news and insights about .au to help Australians build their online presence with a trusted .au website or email address. Rebecca is also the auDA lead on the annual Digital Lives of Australians research series, helping internet users, businesses, industry professionals and policymakers improve the online experiences of Australians. Rebecca has a background in telecommunications and government, with a focus on reputation management and strategic communications.

Lara is the Founder and Managing Director of Digivate Health, a national digital transformation and tech advisory firm based in South Australia. A proud female founder and advocate for women in tech, she is passionate about helping individuals and businesses build capability in digital health, AI, cyber security and modern digital skills. With a background in biochemistry and IP, Lara has spent the past 15+ years working across Africa, the UK, Europe and Australia in senior roles, including leading the health and wellbeing consulting practice at a Big4 firm and managing a national arm of a global market research business.

Tanya is an experienced business leader with a strong record in digital innovation and technology adoption across health, aged care, and community services. She is currently Chief Operating Officer at CareApp, working with providers nationwide to co-design digital solutions that enhance service delivery and strengthen connections between care teams, clients, and families. Previously, Tanya was the founder and CEO of Clevertar, an Australian pioneer in conversational AI for customer engagement and virtual assistance. She is passionate about making advanced technologies both accessible and practical for organisations of all sizes.