Shahirah Gardner

Shahirah Gardner has worked in the tech industry since 2010. Shahirah started as an Account Coordinator at Vantage Communications, then moved to Account Executive at LEWIS PR in 2011. In 2014, they began working as a Startup Mentor for The Founder Institute and Launchcode PR, where they served as Founder and Director. In 2015, they became a Startup Mentor for KPMG Energise and in 2016, they joined the Board of Directors for Girls in Tech Australia and became PR Director for the Female Founders Committee at Startup Victoria. In 2020, they joined Rampersand as an Inclusion Advisory Board Member and in 2022, they became a Venture Partner at Skalata Ventures. Most recently, in 2016, they co-founded Finch, a financial technology and data intelligence company.

Shahirah Gardner completed a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs and a Bachelor of Education in Secondary Education: English/ Theatre from Curtin University between 2003 and 2006. In 2012, they earned a Master Diploma in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor from Bridge TEFL. Shahirah also completed a Beginner's Mandarin Course from Keats School, Kunming, China in 2012-2013.