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Discover the board members.
Neil Saligrama is the Founder & CEO of Compare & Connect, one of Australia’s leading connection and comparison platforms, and Founder of 1Bill, a bill management app helping Australians save time and money. Since 2014, he has scaled Compare & Connect to over 200 staff, raised $20 million in investment, and expanded into energy, broadband, and insurance. He also serves as CEO of YourPorter and previously led Thought World, an integrated marketing and call‑centre business.
Neil holds a Master’s in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from RMIT University and a Bachelor’s in Electrical, Electronics & Communications Engineering from BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore. A member of the Young Presidents’ Organisation, he is recognised for his ability to scale businesses in competitive markets through collaborative and strategic leadership.
Dr. Namita Gupta is an Implant and Cosmetic Surgeon, entrepreneur, and educator with over 20 years in dentistry. She is Co‑founder of Restocq and RestocqPay, platforms modernising dental procurement and operations, and has built multiple successful practices including Dental Sanctuary, Newcastle Dental Care, and Coastal Dental. She also teaches at the University of Sydney and The Implant Institute.
Dr. Namita earned a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Dentistry (Oral Implants, Distinction) and a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (Honours) from the University of Sydney. Alongside her ventures, she serves on the board of the Desai Foundation, reflecting her commitment to advancing dentistry through innovation, education, and conscious leadership.
Nandan Thakar is the Co‑founder & CEO of SureWorx, a SaaS platform for construction and infrastructure projects, and Co‑founder of Optimizer365, an AI‑powered cloud optimisation platform. He also leads Digitly, a digital transformation services firm, and has held senior roles including General Manager at Empired Ltd and Head of Innovation & Digital Capability at Nomura Research Institute.
With over two decades in enterprise technology, Nandan brings expertise in cloud optimisation, digital transformation, and large‑scale IT leadership. He holds a Master of Science in Network Systems from Swinburne University, a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical from Birla Vishvakarma Mahavidyalaya, and completed Executive Education at Harvard Business School. His vision is to simplify complexity and drive efficiency across industries through technology.
Elena Moran spent many years in the corporate sector before transitioning to work with startups and small businesses, helping to run, scale and optimise operations. She has been deeply involved in the startup ecosystem, working closely with founders as part of a venture studio and currently contributes to operations within a tech startup.
Elena holds a Master of Applied Linguistics and an MBA from the University of Queensland, combining a strong foundation in strategic leadership and management with extensive practical experience. She is passionate about innovation, entrepreneurship and helping purpose-driven ventures succeed and achieve lasting impact.
Discover the council of trustees.
Sheela is the Founder & CEO of Aurora Early Education based in Melbourne and brings a unique mindful and dedicated approach to early childhood development.
She graduated with an Honours Bachelor Degree in Commerce, Finance and Advanced Accounting, has over 25 years experience in the Corporate, Financial and Business Advisory sectors, as CFO, Commercial Finance Director and other senior management positions in blue chip organisations around the world such as Time Warner, IBM and HCL Technology.
Her unique spiritual and committed approach to early childhood development and her dedication shows in Aurora’s premium quality education and care. She transitioned into owning and running her own Early Childhood service after being inspired by her own experiences as a parent.
Saurabh is an experienced technology entrepreneur. He has co- founded six business ventures since 2000, of which four (eClinic, SamplesPlus, PalCare & Healthnotes) were bought out by some of the largest healthcare businesses in Australia. He is currently involved with two ventures – Imageryworks (pioneering authentic mind-body practices in the mainstream of global healthcare), vyatra (virtual educational experiences).
His book “My Wednesdays – From Death to Life” was published by Wilkinson Publishing in 2019. It combines stories of his twelve years as a volunteer for a community palliative care organisation, with teachings from some of the world’s great spiritual traditions on how to live well, and indeed die well.
Rajiv Dhar is a founding Charter Member of TiE Melbourne and continues to serve as one of its long standing contributors since the chapter’s establishment in 2003. He holds an engineering degree from IIT Kanpur and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. His career began with a multinational engineering firm before he helped build a greenfield US joint venture in India and later led African operations for a Hong Kong trading company, ultimately becoming its Chief Executive. After moving to Australia, he headed sales, marketing and the software division of a high technology engineering company and later shifted his focus to strategic board roles, business development and international growth. He is also a Foundation Director of IIMPACT Australia.
Rajiv brings extensive experience in global expansion, acquisitions, business creation and stakeholder engagement. His achievements include guiding a Hong Kong based group into the healthcare BPO sector through a US acquisition and India start up, supporting the globalisation of companies across Asia, and progressing several joint venture initiatives in India and Sri Lanka with major international partners. He is recognised for helping organisations scale internationally, particularly in Asia, and for providing strategic insight to leaders seeking sustainable global growth.
