Dave Saunders
Dave Saunders is a technology strategist and the founder of Paxitel, a leading Australian IT Managed Service Provider.
With a career dedicated to simplifying complex technology, Dave specialises in helping small businesses leverage digital tools to drive operational efficiency and sustainable growth.
As a local resident and an active member of the Nillumbik business community, Dave is a participant in BNI Eltham, where he holds the IT Service and Support position. He has a proven track record of guiding business owners through the complexities of cloud services, advanced security, and modern communication systems, ensuring their infrastructure is both robust and scalable.
Build Your AI Toolkit: Automate, Simplify and Scale
Monday 25 May 2026
12pm–2pm
Nillumbik Shire Council Offices, Greensborough
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Justine Malone
Justine Malone is a trained and published graphic designer, photographer, facilitator, speaker and podcast host with over seventeen years of experience building brands from the ground up.
She began her career working on global accounts including Brooks, Helly Hansen, AFL and SpecSavers, designing performance footwear, art directing national campaigns and helping brands secure retail presence in David Jones, Coles, Woolworths, Priceline, Boots UK and Walmart US.
Through MaloneCo Studio, she now partners with both emerging and established businesses to refine, strengthen and future proof their visual identity, bringing high level strategic insight and bold creative direction to founders ready to elevate their brand.
Branding for Small Business: Build Consistency, Confidence and Clarity
Tuesday 26 May 2026
9.30am–11.30am
Living & Learning Nillumbik, Eltham
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Sonja Pfitz
Sonja Pfitz brings three decades of commercial finance and business advisory expertise and is the Director of Pfitz Financial.
A veteran in the financial services industry, she has held executive roles in major financial organisations and has been recognised with multiple industry awards.
Sonja's expertise spans working with businesses of all sizes from startups finding their feet to established operations across a range of industries. She’s passionate about understanding the heart of a business, not just the numbers, and helping owners turn their plans into reality.
As an educator, author, and active public speaker, Sonja brings a thorough yet encouraging approach, fostering curiosity and making complex financial topics accessible and practical.
Cash Flow Confidence: Debt, Growth and the Decisions That Protect Your Business
Wednesday 27 May 2026
10am–12pm
Diamond Valley Library, Greensborough
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Matt Jones
Matt Jones is a creative strategist and co-founder of Four Pillars Gin, one of Australia’s most successful craft brands. Starting as a small founder-led business, Four Pillars grew into a globally recognised brand through clear strategy, strong storytelling and disciplined execution.
Matt’s career spans economics, politics and global brand strategy, but his real-world experience building and scaling a business is what resonates most with owner operators. Today, through his creative growth partnership Think Story Experience, he works with leaders and founders to connect purpose, customer experience and commercial reality in ways that drive sustainable growth.
Building Businesses That Last - featuring a Produced in Nillumbik showcase
Thursday 28 May 2026, 5.30pm–7.30pm
Eltham Community and Reception Centre
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David Robertson
David Robertson joined Bendigo Bank 24 years ago as Head of Financial Markets, and today is the group’s Chief Economist and Head of Economic and Markets Research.
He has previously worked in a range of senior roles in Treasury for the State Bank of NSW, First Chicago and Commonwealth Bank.
David’s regular economic commentaries draw on decades of economic research, and his unique and fresh style of delivery has garnered a loyal following for his regular YouTube segments.
Business Support Roadshow: Advice, Insight and the Economic Outlook
Tuesday 2 June 2026, 12pm–2pm
Hurstbridge Community Hub
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Volkan Ozturk
Volkan Ozturk believes that being a "small" business shouldn't mean having "small" results.
A resident of Wattle Glen for over 22 years, Volkan understands the unique hustle of local home-based and small-business entrepreneurs because he lives it every day. He bridges the gap between high-level strategy and the practical reality of running a local business.
With a career spanning senior leadership roles and a seat on the Advisory Board at RMIT’s School of Economics, Finance, and Marketing, Volkan brings corporate-grade precision to the local stage.
For the past seven years, he has specialised in helping sole traders and medium-sized enterprises transform their businesses through sales maximisation, customer-centric marketing, optimised people, operational and tech-savvy AI solutions.
The Growth Equation: Traffic, Conversion and Revenue
Wednesday 3 June 2026, 1pm–2pm
Nillumbik Youth Hub, Diamond Creek
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Nina Buckley
Nina Buckley is a strategic brand and digital architect who transforms brands from mere visual identity into clear, authoritative positioning built for the AI era. Her specialty lies in translating complex commercial strategy into structured, conversational digital ecosystems that AI platforms can interpret, trust and recommend. By aligning positioning, messaging, search visibility and platform consistency, she ensures brands are not simply online — but understood.
With over 30 years’ experience across global retail, publishing and marketing, grounded in business management, sociology and economics, Nina brings a rare combination of commercial intelligence, economic understanding, and human insight to modern brand strategy — helping businesses build visibility systems designed for long-term authority, not short-term traffic.
Be the Business AI Recommends: SEO, AI and Modern Search Explained
Thursday 4 June 2026, 5.30–7.30pm
healthAbility, Eltham
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Snezana Pezzin
Snezana (Snez) Pezzin is a personal trainer, nutrition coach and healthy lifestyle educator with over 25 years’ experience supporting people to build sustainable strength, energy and wellbeing. She has been running Sentience Personal Training in Diamond Creek since 2008, following the establishment of her home-based personal training business in 2004. Snez is also the host of Wellbeing Wednesdays with Snez on 88.6 Plenty Valley FM, where she shares simple, evidence-informed strategies to help listeners take better care of their health.
Alongside running her business and raising a family, Snez has navigated significant life and business challenges, giving her a grounded, real-world perspective on resilience. She is passionate about helping business owners and professionals understand how looking after their health can improve confidence, decision-making and long-term sustainability in both work and life.
Build Capacity, Not Burnout: Health, Energy and Confidence in Business
Friday 5 June 2026, 12–2pm
Living & Learning Nillumbik, Eltham
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