HEXPO 2025

This September we’re plating up a high-flavour, high-energy gathering of Melbourne’s boldest entrepreneurs, foodies, creatives, and changemakers. - designed for chefs of change: educators, founders, small biz owners, creatives, and culinary dreamers.

We are cooking up an experience that's Michelin-star worthy.

• Connect: Mingle with a smorgasbord of brilliant minds—founders, creatives, rising leaders and changemakers ready to stir the pot with you from all over Australia.
• Inspire: HEXPO2025 will allow you to feast on fresh perspectives and spicy stories that will fire up your imagination, challenge your thinking, and awaken your appetite for change.
• Action: Be prepared for interactive sessions and walk away with a full plate of tools, next steps, and the confidence to cook up real impact in your world.
  With over 25+ legendary speakers, 14+ keynotes and sessions, and 350+ attendees—this is not just another event. It’s a full-course extravaganza for the mind, body and soul.
  Bon appétit, innovators. 🍴

Info: Come in, grab a coffee, snap some pics, explore the space, and mingle with fellow attendees before the festival begins. Your journey into bold ideas starts here.

Info: Festival of Ideas, where bold thinkers, innovators, and changemakers collide. Find your seat, acknowledge the country and welcome our attendees into the space.

Info: Mitch Hughes knows first-hand what it means to be hungry. Hungry for success, impact, capital and change – and he's not alone. In a world that had Gen Z founders looking for scraps around the VC table, Mitch launched Next Gen Ventures – Australia's first venture capital fund for students, by students. Don't miss this freshly baked opening session!

Info: From viral food videos to shaping where Melbourne eats — meet the creators who turned cravings into careers. This session breaks down how one of Melbourne's content queen @melbfoodieee grew a cult following of over 530k+ followers on Instagram and TikTok, built trust with food lovers, and turned recommendations into real-world influence. Hungry for growth? Start here.

Info: How to score a seat at the hottest place in town — this early-careers panel serves up the journey from student life to landing roles at top-tier, mouthwatering companies. Hear how our panellists scored their seat at the table, navigated imposter syndrome, and seasoned their careers with passion, persistence, and a pinch of luck.

Info: Just like a great menu, every founder brings their own flavour. Pitch à la Carte is our showcase of fresh startup ideas from Generation Next. It's bite-sized, bold, and served straight from the source. From appetisers of early concepts to fully plated visions, this is your chance to sample what's coming across ASEAN, Australia & Timor-Leste.

Info: Time to whisk yourself away for a breather! Whether you're kneading a snack or just want to stir up some conversation, this break is your jam. Lettuce relax before we toast to the next session!

Info: This isn’t your average generational talk. Beyond the Kids Menu explores how founders, leaders, and learners can collaborate across age gaps to build career magic — with a side of empathy. From Gen Z interns to Boomer board members, how do we serve up mutual respect and shared success? Grab a seat — we’re ordering off the grown-up menu now.

Info: From backyard batches to a booming brand, Sam has been popping off since he was 10. Join us as the owner of Sam's Popcorn spills how he grew a side hustle into a household name one kernel at a time. This is an all-flavour keynote on bold branding, sweet wins, salty setbacks, and the hustle it takes to scale your passion into something truly poppin’.

Info: From street stalls to supermarket shelves, this one’s a world tour. Flavours Without Borders celebrates the diverse founders bringing their culture to your kitchen — and your cap table. Learn how they turned recipes into empires, all while navigating visas, validation, and vegemite. A rich, emotional, and inspiring session with soul food vibes.

Info: One mic. One mouth. Ten spicy questions. In this podcast-style showdown, a bold startup leader fields fire from our host while chowing down on increasingly hot snacks. Equal parts insight and entertainment — like Hot Ones, but with venture talk and less crying (we think)

Info: Take a bite out of the day, chew on new ideas, and dish out great convo.

Info: From Top of Funnel to sizzling success, this hands-on workshop is for rising leaders ready to master growth strategies, amplify influence, and transform fleeting attention into meaningful, long-term impact that drives measurable business growth and momentum.

Info: Will your 2030 breakfast include bugs, lab-grown bacon, or AI-recommended smoothies? Snack to the Future is your front-row seat to the weird, wild, and wildly necessary world of food innovation. This session explores the technologies shaping how — and what — we’ll eat next. It’s crunchy. It’s juicy. It’s utterly unmissable.

Info: No PR polish. No “I woke up at 5am” humblebrags. Just four badass women founder panellists on a couch, pouring the hot truth. This is the behind-the-scenes gossip of startup life — the anxiety, the pivots, the burnouts, and the breakthroughs. BYO mug, 'cause the tea will be scalding.

Info: To meat or not to meat? That is the question. In this spicy live debate, chefs, scientists, and startups go head-to-head over food’s most controversial future. Expect hot opinions, sharp forks, and zero filter. Who will win? You decide.

Info: Time to whisk yourself away for a breather! Whether you're kneading a snack or just want to stir up some conversation, this break is your jam. Lettuce relax before we toast to the next session!

Info: From MasterChef fame to building her own pastry kitchen — join Jessica Liemantara, the self-taught pastry chef who first captured hearts at 18. In this intimate session, Jess reflects on her journey beyond the TV spotlight, sharing how she’s turned passion into something lasting. A candid conversation about resilience, reinvention, and what’s next for one of Australia’s brightest pastry talents.

Info: From Korean hangover cure to a fast-growing startup, Bae Juice is redefining what it means to go global. Join one of the co-founders as he shares the real talk on hustle, hype, and how to build a brand that truly hangs on.

Info: Every great startup has that thing — the not-so-obvious ingredient that takes it from good to unforgettable. In this saucy spotlight, HEX lifts the lid on its secret recipe for regional expansion, TNE success, and student-powered growth across APAC. You’ll get a peek behind the prep bench — and maybe even steal a few tips for your own startup kitchen.

Info: Get a takeaway box of ideas, connections, and big dreams—and go feast on the future you’ll create.

Info: Wrap up the week with a bang at our HEXPO After Party — a night of bold beats and brilliant minds. It’s your chance to celebrate connections made, ideas sparked, and the magic of the HEX community. Come for the vibes, stay for the surprises!

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