OUR VISION
Australian research and innovation is among the best on the planet. Its potential to make a difference in the world is huge and largely untapped.
What if we could build on breakthrough Australian science and research to address global challenges and propel our transition into a sustainable, just and healthy future?
OUR MISSION
Cruxes Innovation exists to help universities, research organisations, and innovative companies unlock the huge potential of Australian researchers and innovators to make a positive difference in the world. We believe the best way to do this is to work alongside researchers and innovators to build collaborative partnerships between research, industry, community groups, and government to solve complex and wicked problems together.
MEET THE TEAM
Jonathan Lacey
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Research origins: UoM, photonics
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10 years in Silicon Valley
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CEO of Monash spin-out
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CSIRO business development
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CSIRO ON Prime facilitator
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Australian researchers are brilliant! I want to use what I've learned from my research translation failures and successes to help unlock the potential of Australian research to solve big problems, and leave a better world for our children.
Sam Evans
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PhD in Renewable Energy
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Co-founder of deep tech spin-out Diffuse Energy
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Founder of Instar consultancy
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Lecturer and coordinator, Executive MBA, UoN Business School
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Working with researchers from every discipline and career stage energises me. I never tire of helping them experience that lightbulb moment—when the path to creating meaningful impact suddenly becomes clear.
Jane Andrew
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Bachelor of Design, Grad Dip Innovation & Entrepreneurship, PhD Policy Studies
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Founder & Director, CoolBus Creative
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Adjunct Senior Researcher, UniSA (PhD supervision, Co-design)
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20 years in Academia @ UniSA.
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15 years as Director of Match Studio
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Specialising in Interdisciplinary Collaboration Integrating Business and Design.
Working with researchers from diverse knowledge domains, I learn something new every day. I am delighted to have the opportunity to support them in identifying pathways and actions to translate their research into tangible and desirable solutions that address the challenges faced by governments, businesses, communities and individuals.
Emily Chang
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Organisational psychology
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Executive and founder coaching
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CSIRO ON Head of Products, Lead Program Designer
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USyd INCUBATE Resident Entrepreneur
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Sydney School of Entrepreneurship Unit Facilitator
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I love working with amazing minds and uncovering new possibilities with them through the messy customer and market discovery process. There are not many roles that enable you to learn and grow your skillset and expand your worldview everyday.
Rachel Zhou
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Master of Commerce, specialising in Finance and Management
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7 years of experience in management, strategic planning and process optimisation
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I’m committed to creating structures and systems that enable programs to succeed. I take pride in delivering initiatives that are well-organised, on schedule, and grounded in clear communication –ensuring a smooth experience for all involved.
Jo Porter
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Master of Applied Positive Psychology - science of optimal functioning
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Founder & Director, Leading Lighter Consulting
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25 years as a leadership & organisational development and learning professional
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13 years with CSIRO and consults across the Research Sector
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Specialisation: Executive coaching and leadership development in a research context
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Supporting researchers across the Australian innovation system is a deep passion of mine. Bringing my expertise in the human side of what makes researchers successful, whether that’s as a leader or member of a team, building connections and relationships within and across the sector and, at the most fundamental, having great conversations, helps realise the potential in research.
OUR EXPERIENCE
Cruxes Innovation has designed and delivered experiential learning and coaching programs for more than 1,800 Australian university researchers, in all disciplines, at more than 35 Australian universities, since its foundation in early 2020.
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Our programs have evolved from global and Australian best practice: Stanford’s Lean Launchpad, the US National Science Foundation’s i-Corps, Innovate UK’s iCURe, and CSIRO’s ON program.
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Based on over eight years of continuous improvement and co-design with customers and alumni, the Cruxes Innovation program and service suite is a scalable system that helps research organisations build organisation-wide innovation, entrepreneurship, and research translation capabilities and culture.
WHAT MAKES CRUXES INNOVATION DIFFERENT?
Our programs are:
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Field-tested: we’ve helped over 1,800 Australian researchers in the past five years.
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Scalable: they give every researcher in the organisation the capability to initiate engagement with industry, be entrepreneurial, and win impact-focused grants.
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Efficiency-enhancing: they reduce pressure on business development and knowledge transfer professionals so they efficiently identify and focus on high-potential-value projects.
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Industry-supported, via our curated mentor network of senior industry leaders.
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Aligned through our mentors with national priority areas.
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Relevant to all research disciplines and target impact sectors.
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Complementary to universities’ in-house accelerators: our programs are research-focused, and help all impact pathways, not just start-up.
OUR INDUSTRY MENTORS
One of the key differentiators of Cruxes Innovation's Ascend Program is the calibre of the industry mentors we match with each team to accelerate the team's progress towards unlocking the impact potential of their research.
We curate a diverse group of professionals, with senior roles in industry and innovation, who share our passion for helping to build the Australian research impact ecosystem so much that they volunteer their time and their networks to help our teams.
Alberto Balbo
Andrew Davis
Lance Chia
Laxmi Pun
Melissa van der Burgt
Rachel Audigé
Ruth Marshall
Sarvesh Soni
Steve Raine
Alison Wiltshire
Claire Jackson
Laura Kostanski
Leonore Ryan
Michelle Xu
Reema D'Souza
Salvatore Cristiano
Sherman Mak
Vafa Shams
Anne-Maree Taylor
Hugo LeMessurier
Lauren Stafford
Luke Harwood
Peter Batchelor
Rob Ormsby
Samuel Evans
Simon Wilkins
Warren Jennings
Will Schmitt
If you are energised by the impact potential of Australian research and would like to help us build the Australian research impact ecosystem in a mentoring capacity, we would love to chat to you!