This document is an open letter signed by over 100 people from the technology and venture capital industry in Australia. It calls on the editor of the Australian Financial Review to stop an ongoing smear campaign conducted by one of its journalists, Joe Aston, against venture capitalist Elaine Stead. The letter notes that Stead successfully won a defamation case against Aston but he has continued attacking her reputation in columns. The signatories respect Stead as an effective investor and want her to be able to continue her career without harassment.

1. Open letter to Michael Stutchbury, Editor in Chief of the Australian Financial Review
Dear Mr Stutchbury,
The ongoing smear campaign conducted by Joe Aston against Elaine Stead in the AFR over
the past several years has never served any useful purpose for the readership of the AFR or
its advertisers.
Joe Aston comprehensively lost the defamation case brought against him by Elaine Stead
and now he has renewed his campaign with a column dated 25 July 2021 since The
Australian Magazine published a profile piece on Elaine dated 24 July 2021.
We, the undersigned, respect Elaine Stead as an effective, skilled and successful venture
capital investor and now the defamation case has found in her favour, she deserves to go
on with her career without being harassed in our industry’s newspaper of record.
These continued attacks unfairly risk the good reputation of the broader tech venture
capital industry in Australia.
Please exercise the editorial leadership required to put a stop to this.
Yours sincerely,
Those 45 signatories listed alphabetically below.
Name Title Organisation
Rowena Barrett Pro Vice-Chancellor (Entrepreneurship) QUT - QLD University Of Technology
Aaron Birkby Co-founder of Tribe Global Tribe Global
Monica Bradley Director Purposeful capital
Adeline Chu Entrepreneur-in-Residence Remarkable
Topaz Conway Director Cicada Innovations
Sarah Curtis-Fawley Talent Acquisition Lead SBE Australia
Andre Eikmeier Founder CEO Good Empire
Vlad Finn Commercial Director SDGx
Kylie Frazer Partner Flying Fox Ventures
Ian Gardiner Partner Jelix Ventures
Susannah George CEO Urban List
Danny Gilligan Co-Founder Reinventure
Vinko Grgic Director Three-Eyed Consulting

2. Alexandra Grigg Investment Manager SA VC Fund
Giles Gunesekera CEO Global Impact Initiative
Giles Gunesekera CEO Global Impact Initiative
Troy Haines Chair Transformative Technologies AU
Ursula Hogben Lawyer & Founder Armara Pty Ltd
Mel Huddleston ANZ Solution Architecture PMO Manager Amazon Web Services
Peter Huynh Partner & Co-Founder Qualgro Partners
Graham Jackson CEO Fluent Commerce
Alan Jones Partner M8 Ventures
Leanne Kemp CEO, Everledger Everledger
Tom Kenyon General Manager Innovyz Capital
Eden Lawrence - -
Mick Liubinskas Co-founder / Climate Tech Investor Climate Salad
Alfred Lo Co-founder & CCO Harvest B
Cheryl Mack Co-founder Diligr
Mark Monfort Founder NEA
Sarah Moran CEO and cofounder Girl Geek Academy
Phil Morle Partner Main Sequence
Rachael Neumann Founding Partner Flying Fox Ventures
Mike Nicholls Partner Main Sequence
Craig O’Kane COO Everledger
Annie Parker
Global Head Equity, Inclusion & Social
Impact - Microsoft for Startups Microsoft
Emily Rich Partner M8 Ventures
Hugh Stephens General Partner Galileo Ventures
Lisa Tracy
Casual Academic Sustainability & Climate
Change Impact The University of Sydney
Julie Trell Country Lead / Chief Play Officer SheEO
James Tynan Principal Square Peg Capital
Amit Verma Investment Manager NZTE
Joan Westenberg Founder Studio Self
David Whittle CEO Lexer

3. Rachel Yang Partner Giant Leap
Michael Zimmerman Partner Main Sequence
Additional 74 signatories post publication 30-July-2021:
Name Title Organisation
Warwick Anderson CEO OreFox AI Limited
Brook Anthony
Adcock Executive Chairman Adcock Private Equity
Rob Antulov Managing Partner Jacanda Capital
Victor Argaet Principal Davies Collison Cave
Rich Atkinson CTO Airteam Australia
Mike Avey Managing Director Pachira Capital Pty Ltd
Benjamin Barren
General Manager (Ad-Ops & Audiences)- Are
Media Auto are media auto
Mat Beeche PR & Communications Director Deputy
Trena Blair CEO FD Global Connections
Peter Bradd
CEO Beanstalk (founding director Fishburners
and StartupAUS) As above
Philip Brown Private Investor Private Consulting
Susan Bryant Private Wealth Adviser Seeds of Advice
Peter Burge Founder @ Peerhear
Peerhear. A Mental Health
Platform
Tony Burrett Chief Product Officer cofounder and investor Bindimaps
Gavin Carr CTO and co-founder Profound Networks LLC
Mary Elizabeth
Clark Director Source ICT
Ryan Cross Founder Crosshatch Solutions
Dan Da Silva Managing Director
Cycam IB: Enabling New Models
of Competition
Shelin David Founder CFOWorx
Mark Drasutis ex CDO IAG
Lauren DuFall Commercial Development Manager Australian National University
Jan Easton Female Founders Program Leader Advisory Board Centre
Noga Edelstein Director SBE Australia
Aimee Engelmann Founder & CMO Zephana Pty Ltd

4. Justin Falk CEO TalentVine
Annie Flannagan CEO & Founder Better Business Basics
Juli Forrest Director Araleigh Holdings
Juli Forrest Director Araleigh Holdings
Murray Galbraith Founder Half Decent
Yasmin Grigaliunas CEO & Founder World’s Biggest Garage Sale
Madeleine Grummet Investor / Founder
Flying Fox Ventures / Future Amp /
girledworld
Madeleine Grummet Investor Flying Fox Ventures / Founder
Flying Fox Ventures / Future Amp /
girledworld
Gavin Heaton Co-CEO Disruptors Co
Karen Rae
Heilbronn Lee Associate Patent Attorney Shelston IP
Kylie Hickling
Former Director Startup Programs Qld
Government N/a
Matt Hope CEO - Colour Capital Colour Capital
Jason Howard CEO StudyLink
Wesley Huffstutter
Entrepreneur in Residence at QUT;
Co-founder and CEO SecuritySnares
Bridget Johnson Business Development Duxton Capital
Katharine Jordan Superannuation Consultant Prefer not to say
Christine Keeling CEO Long Haul Spa
Nicolle Kelly Executive Director Sport and Innovation
Colin Kinner CEO Startup Onramp
Daizy Maan Entrepreneurship Program Manager Deakin University
Victoria
Macarthur-Stanham Investor Relations Manager Folklore Ventures
Lynne M Mack President Synergy Computer Services Inc.
Ken Mahon Consultant Geant
Remco Marcelis CEO Standard Ledger
Loris Marini Director Data Foundations Pty ltd
Rob McInnes Committee Member Sydney Angels
Gary Morgan Director MPT Innovation Group
Alastair Newman Management Accountant University of Tasmania
Amitty Elaine Peace Business continuity officer Deutsche Börse
Ash Ravikumar Entrepreneurship Development Officer CERN

5. Natasha Redman Founder & Managing Director Casa de Cambio Consulting
Nardia Renney Leadership Coach NardiaJoy Pty Ltd
Scott Rogers Director Open Fund Pty Ltd
Zachary Rook COO Deep
Dave Rosa President and CEO
NeuroOne Medical Technology
Corporation
Justin Ryan Chair Adore Beauty Adore Beauty
Ken Saman Founder & CEO Personify Care
Leonie Sanderson Director People Tech Revolution
Keegan Sard Director Keegan Ventures
Danielle Seymour Partner _SOUTHSTART
Lisa Siganto MD ImpaQt Fund
Zdravka Stepic Partnerships Coordinator Starlight Children's Foundation
Joe Thorp Director Slingsby Taylor Pty Ltd
Peter Tippett Co-CEO Bodymindlife Online
Baden U’Ren Cofounder Unconventional Group
Peter van Bruchem CEO Techboard
Stuart Waite Managing Partner Exit Velocity
Mark White Vice President, Southeast Asia Corum Group
Michelle Williams Manager, Logistics & Monitoring - Outbreaks PIRSA
Rebecca Wilson Chair Alcidion Corporation
Sam Winter Co-Founder Startup Apprentice
Melissa Wood Accountant Beatbox Music