The Aunties Founders & Freelancers arrives in Sydney

The Aunties brought their Founders & Freelancers initiative to Sydney for the first time, with the session hosted by our very own Managing Director Sive Buckley taking place at Born Creators HQ and it was a great reminder why forums like this should exist in our cities.

Sive lead the power panel of three fearless founder leaders:

Chiquita King, Founder and Managing Director at Cocogun

Cybele Malinowski, Photographer, Director and Founder at Agender

Emily Taylor, Strategy Founder at Bureau of Everything

Their presence set the tone. The panel anchored the room, then the floor opened up and the conversations kept pace. You could feel the energy in the audience, from new independents to seasoned operators, comparing notes and swapping details.

The flow was simple and effective. People arrived and settled in, the panel framed the night, questions followed, and the room stayed back to talk properly over grazing boards and a glass of wine. Intros turned into real exchanges. Calendars came out. Follow-ups were booked on the spot. It felt like time well spent, not another usual advertising networking event.

That is the strength of Founders & Freelancers. It brings the wonderful independent and founder brains together in a format that values clarity, kindness and usefulness. It keeps the focus on practical momentum, not performance. It reminds you that progress is faster when you can sense-check decisions with peers who understand the same pressures. Sydney’s creative community is energetic and ambitious, and this initiative gives that energy a clear direction.

All credit goes to The Aunties for leading the programme and for bringing it to our city. We were delighted to play a small part as the first Sydney venue and we look forward to what comes next.Sydney is ready for this. The city’s independent scene is energetic and ambitious, but it is easy to feel isolated when you are deep in delivery. A regular forum that values usefulness over performance and connection over comparison makes the path clearer. It helps good people do great work, and it lifts the standard of the industry from the inside out. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the night and kept the conversation going long after the formalities ended. We were delighted to have played a small part as the first venue and we look forward to what is next.