We were excited to be back on board as a sponsoring partner for the second annual Lord Mayor’s Business Forum, hosted by the City of Parramatta at Parramatta Town Hall. There’s a massive amount of momentum building across Western Sydney right now, and being in the room with local business owners, government leaders, and city stakeholders made one thing clear: the region is positioned to be a massive economic engine.
If you couldn’t make it on the day, we’ve pulled together a quick summary of the discussions and ideas that stood out from the day.
The forum centred around three core pillars: Productivity, Place, and People. As Lord Mayor Councillor Martin Zaiter noted in his opening address, Parramatta is already one of Australia’s largest economies with a Gross Regional Product of $30.97 billion. The ultimate goal of these discussions is unlocking the strategic opportunities needed to create 150,000 new jobs across the LGA by 2050.
Here’s how the panels broke down those three core themes throughout the day:
The first panel discussion asked a straightforward question: Is your business ready to capitalise on future investments? Facilitated by Professor Azadeh Dastyari from Western Sydney University, the panel featured NSW 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues, Alex Shapilsky from Cicada Innovations, and Matthew Trigg from the Public Transport Association Australia New Zealand.
The conversation focused heavily on cross-sector collaboration – specifically, how government, private industry, and deep-tech innovation ecosystems need to intersect. The major takeaway was that local growth isn’t a distant prospect; it’s happening right now, and businesses need the agility to scale and adapt as these investments land.
The second session shifted focus to how physical infrastructure and urban planning directly influence long-term economic outcomes.
Led by Jennifer Concato (Executive Director of City Planning & Design at the City of Parramatta), the panel included Neisha D’Souza (CEO of the Sydney Olympic Park Authority), Helen Hamilton-James from KPMG, and Adrian Hack from Hill PDA Consulting.
The speakers focused on how large-scale city-shaping initiatives and masterplanning drive generational change. It wasn’t just about individual transport or housing developments, but about how strategic alignment between these projects ensures that Parramatta grows sustainably as a connected commercial hub.
The final panel of the day turned the spotlight onto the region’s workforce, exploring how local businesses can adapt to remain resilient.
Facilitated by Federico Moreno from the Sparrowly Group, the discussion featured youth advocate Jahin Tanvir (CEO of the Australian School of Entrepreneurship), Don Wright from Western Sydney University Launch Pad, and Shuoyan Zhu from the Western Sydney Startup Hub.
The panel emphasised that skills development and workforce expectations are shifting rapidly. A big focus was placed on supporting startups and small businesses through the current AI transition, ensuring that new opportunities remain inclusive, accessible, and practical for multicultural and diverse communities across the region.
As part of the day, our Director Elias Atie took the stage for a short session titled: “What should you be asking your CTO about future readiness?”
It focused on something we’re hearing more and more from business leaders – they know their technology needs to evolve, but aren’t always sure what to ask or where to start.
Elias stepped through three key areas organisations should be thinking about:
The goal was to help leaders feel more confident having those conversations internally – and ask the right questions before problems arise.
If you’re not sure where to start, feel free to get in touch with our team for a practical chat about your current setup and future plans.
Being part of the Lord Mayor’s Business Forum again as a sponsoring partner was a privilege. It is incredibly exciting to be an active part of a city making such great moves forward – one that genuinely supports its growing business community and looks after its diverse workforce. We love the energy driving this region right now and look forward to growing right alongside our community.
If you ever want a second set of eyes on your technology roadmap to ensure it actually aligns with your growth plans, feel free to get in touch with us for a chat.
Got questions, ideas, or just want to chat? We'd love to hear from you! Reach out to us anytime, and we'll get back to you with all the help and information you need.
