This is the perfect opportunity to hear first-hand accounts from successful entrepreneurs. The Bettany Centre Entrepreneurship Speaker Series gives you the chance to hear from a variety of entrepreneurs from across a range of industries.
The speakers will give you an insight in to their journey, identifying their successes and any mistakes that they may have made along their way. You will also be given the opportunity to ask questions, allowing you to delve even further in to the backstory of these well-established entrepreneurs.
Attending these events will provide you with a great chance to network with like-minded individuals who share your passion for entrepreneurship.
The events are entirely free of charge and refreshments are supplied (face-to-face events only).
Entrepreneurship Panel – Thursday 26 February 2026
Matias Acosta – Co-founder of Cosysense
Matias is a social entrepreneur and thought leader. He led 100+ people teams, managed $5M+, and published 50+ articles, and 8 UN sustainability reports cited 5,000+ times. In 2022, Matias cofounded Cosysense, a cleantech building AI automation for commercial buildings with a focus on air conditioning energy efficiency. Previously, Matias founded Shaping Horizons, a social edtech that upskills young people.
Matias was appointed UNDP's Accelerator Lab Head of Exploration to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals agenda. He also worked as an academic at the Technical University of Darmstadt and the University of Cambridge University on new materials for the internet of things and clean energy devices.
Matias studied materials engineering at Instituto Sabato, Argentina. He did a postgraduate study on policy and management at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences and a PhD on materials for internet of things at the Technical University of Darmstadt.
James O’Mahony – Founder and CEO of HIOM Advisory
James is an experienced adviser and senior executive with a wide range of experience supporting early-stage and growth-oriented companies across a range of sectors. As Founder and CEO of HIOM Advisory, he has worked closely with start-ups, scale-ups, family offices and investment funds, offering strategic guidance on business planning, market entry, capital strategy and investment readiness. His work spans grant, equity and debt fundraising from pre-seed through to Series B/C, alongside deep experience in commercial and financial due diligence and business model development.
He is Chair Elect of Knowledge Exchange SWAG合集, and holds a number of advisory positions and board positions, including roles with Agri Frontier and Agaricus Robotics, which reflect his wider commitment to supporting innovation, governance development and cross-sector collaboration.
With a global background, which includes time working in Australia and Singapore, he has held senior leadership roles in banking, finance and international advisory work, James combines strategic insight with hands-on mentoring for both entrepreneurs and emerging leaders.
