Who we've worked with
Leadership Team
The Innovation Cluster team have high level expertise in innovation, business growth, entrepreneurship, investor networks, agriculture and research connections.
Dr Natasha Teakle
Managing Director & Co-Founder
Tash is an experienced researcher, facilitator, grant writer, director and innovation specialist with a passion for sustainable primary industries and new technology. Tash co-founded AgriStart in 2016 and is currently Managing Director for AgriStart/Innovation Cluster, focusing on agtech, sustainable industries, business strategy and regional innovation. Tash has a background as an Agricultural Scientist, with a PhD in Plant Biology and qualifications in university teaching, research commercialisation, leadership and is a graduate of the AICD. She undertakes a range of board and advisory roles, including Chair for Busselton Jetty Inc, Chair of the Project Management Group for food tech facility SIFT WA, NED for South West NRM, Harvestaire and South West Angels. Tash has also been on the judging panel for WA Innovator of the Year Awards for over 6 years. Tash is co-owner of The SET in Vasse, a new co-working space with training room facilities, hot desks, individual offices, podcast and filming equipment for hire.
Claire Marchand-Johns
Communications Manager
Claire manages all marketing and communications for Innovation Cluster, including website design and content management, social media, marketing material design, podcast and video promotion. Claire has experience in website consultancy, graphic design, e-commerce and grant administration.
Calista Shreeve
Project Manager
Calista is the coordinator and socials manager of our coworking hub, The SET Vasse. Her role involves the communication, interaction and networking with guests whilst also assisting with Innovation Cluster programs and events. Since recently beginning university, Calista aids in providing a new perspective of the younger generation through incorporating knowledge gained from her studies.
Ashleigh Roberts
General Manager
Ash has 15+ years' experience in research, innovation, and commercialisation - matching business challenges and requirements with research, talent, and operational and information technology to develop solutions through open and collaborative innovation. Ash has successfully scoped, built teams, and coordinated over 50 rapid prototyping proof of concept digital transformation projects for over 40 different organisations and is undertaking a PhD to investigate stakeholder perceptions of what makes a successful co-innovation project between the scientific, business and government communities. Ash offers research and insights services including survey creation alongside subject matter experts where required, interview framework and protocol development, conducting of quantitative and qualitative analysis, providing of insights based on numerical and thematic analysis, and communicating written and visual insights to internal and external audiences.
Steph Kirchhofer
AgriSpace Manager
Along with being our AgriSpace Manager, Steph is Executive Officer at South West Angels/Regional Ventures WA, a not-for-profit who source and screen innovative, scaleable WA startups for their regionally based investor members. She was previously the Event & Membership Manager at the Dunsborough Yallingup Chamber of Commerce. Prior to moving back to WA, she worked at Goldman Sachs Asset Management for 16 years in London and Singapore in client service, sales & marketing, strategy, and private markets teams. Originally Steph spent 10 years in an export consulting business in both Perth and Melbourne working with small to medium companies. She is a committee member for the Dunsborough Tennis Club and previous organiser of the Dunsborough Street Party.
Expert Advisors
Innovation Cluster has a strong core team and regularly brings in external expertise from our network of affiliates to deliver quality outcomes tailored to our clients’ needs. Over the last 4 years we have utilised more than 50 speakers, mentors and consultants for our various programs.
Melanie Timms
Operations Advisor
Melanie’s skills and experience centre on event production, operations management, project management and relationship building. Since graduating from UWA with a Commerce degree she has worked in the sport, arts, entertainment and event industries, providing services such as operations management, sponsorship, event management, funds sourcing and acquittals, ticketing, marketing, volunteer management, guest liaison and compliance.
Simona Hughes
Lead Financial Advisor
Simona has nearly two decades of experience working with some of the largest companies in the world as well as small start-ups and everything in between. She helps business owners gain more sanity, clarity and freedom in their lives by mentoring them on maximising their opportunities, profit, cash and assets to create sustainable wealth for them and their shareholders.
Alysia Kepert
Ag Education Specialist
Education Program Lead Centre for Engineering Innovation: Agriculture and Ecological Restoration University of Western Australia Rural Women’s Award alumni
Matt Macfarlane
AgriSpace Expert
Matt is an experienced technology investor and company director who chairs organisations including icetana, Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre, and PetRescue. A former venture capitalist and startup founder, he is passionate about backing innovation, technology, and the commercialisation of great ideas.
Sonya Comiskey
AgriSpace Expert
Sonya Comiskey is an Australian agritech advisor and ecosystem builder with deep experience across the agrifood supply chain, helping founders and producers connect on-farm challenges with scalable solutions. As Managing Director of Pine Tree Projects and a 2018 Nuffield Australia Scholar, she works with startups and innovation programs to drive practical, outcomes-focused agtech adoption.
Mohinder Jaimangal
Business Strategy Advisor
Mohinder is a robotics engineer and the founder of Curve Tomorrow. He has experience in developing user-friendly health technologies that address real-world challenges. With over 20 years of experience in the tech industry, Mohinder combines his passion for innovation with a commitment to making a positive impact to the world.
Greg Riebe
Lead Investment Mentor
Greg uses his extensive experience in corporates, SMEs and start- ups to advise founders on how to become investment ready, how to create and capture value, and how to position their ventures to harvest returns for shareholders, investors or stakeholders. In 2020, Greg was recognised as the Australian Angel Investor of the Year and awarded the WA Pearcey Entrepreneur Award.
Lucy Anderton
Farm Business Resilience Facilitator
Experienced Economist with a demonstrated history of working in the government administration industry. Skilled in Sustainable Development, Farms, Rural Development, Facilitation, and Natural Resource Management. Strong finance professional with a Master of Science (MSc) focused in Resource Economics from The University of Western Australia.
Josh Garrett
AgriSpace Expert
Josh is an award-winning investor and entrepreneur, recognised as the 2023 Australian Angel Investor of the Year and co-founder of Eastend Ventures and Southern Angels. With a background in tech commercialisation and innovation programs, he is passionate about supporting startups to grow and scale.
Amy Carter-James
AgriSpace Expert
Amy is an entrepreneur and impact-driven founder who has built ventures focused on social and environmental change, including a multi-award-winning social enterprise in Mozambique that supported more than 60,000 people out of poverty. As Co-Founder of Raaise, she is focused on helping pro-planet founders access capital and scale their impact faster.