With all of the Talent Unleashed Awards Winners from 2016 heading home post their trip to Silicon Valley and San Francisco, they’ve had time to reflect on their incredible journey. With visits to so many significant technology giants, world famous landmarks and meetings with world changing entrepreneurs such as Steve Wozniak its certainly been a once in a lifetime experience.
Below, winners Dr Martin Leurssen, Dr Sheng Chiong Hong and Brian Leedman speak about their time on the 2016 Talent Unleashed Winners trip.
CLEVERTAR | Dr Martin Leurssen
“Receiving the Talent Unleashed prize was a great honour, but little did I know that it would also include a truly sensational trip to Silicon Valley in California. The Valley represents a shining beacon of success in the world of technology and entrepreneurship in general, and its importance to my start-up cannot be overstated.
The trip, expertly organised and accompanied by Talent, offered invaluable insights into the culture and characters that are building our future. Listening to local venture capitalists, start-up accelerators, and domain experts, I had many preconceived notions challenged and new ways of thinking inspired. This has been a unique chance to experience the Valley lifestyle whilst exploring the inner workings of famous and exciting companies such as Google and AirBnb. It culminated in a lunch with the ever brilliant and charming Steve Wozniak, the kind of pioneering mind the world needs more of.
Not only has all of it been eminently enjoyable, but what I have learned and absorbed will most certainly reshape me and my start-up forever. I remain so very grateful to Talent for this once in a lifetime opportunity.”
ODOCS EYE CARE | Dr Sheng Chiong Hong
“The Talent Unleashed Awards has given me and oDocs Eye care a great opportunity to explore and understand the start-up environment in Silicon Valley. The program has connected my company to several potential partners and clients and we are really looking forward to work with over the next few months. Lunch with Steve Wozniak was amazing too, little did I know that we share the same hobby of playing around with raspberry pi and CHIP computer. Talent and its team have made this a memorable trip, returning home with people who I will now call friends for life.”
RESAPP HEALTH | Brian Leedman
“I’d like to thank Talent for the excellent experience I have had both throughout the Awards program and the amazing prize of a bespoke tour of San Francisco and Silicon Valley. The Awards program was extremely well managed and the top judges including Sir Richard Branson and Steve Wozniak reflect the prestige attached to winning our category.
I thoroughly enjoyed the week in the US and experienced a revolution in the manner in which technology companies are changing the way people work – in environments that put the workers first and attract and maintain the best workers. Very different to my own experiences working for big companies in Australia. ResApp Health, being an ASX listed company could well have also thrived in Silicon Valley as a private company and makes me ponder about how our company could have developed differently in Silicon Valley as a private company. Once again, I would like to pass on my thanks the Talent team, in particular Richard, Jon and Kay.”
The entire Talent team are thrilled that beyond being named the best in their category and wining the Talent Unleashed Awards in 2016, all our or winners have all had a life changing, once in a lifetime opportunity.
Talent are committed to the Talent Unleashed Awards and will be announcing more on the 2017 awards soon. Stay tuned to hear first.