Dr Elena Kelareva In 2017, Elena traded in a decade-long technology career in Melbourne for a fresh start in Warragul, to pursue her passion for bringing digital innovation to regional communities. Hence, GippsTech was born. In the years since, she has grown the company to over a dozen employees, working across digital, web, software, innovation, strategy, creative, consulting, and program delivery. Elena has been the instigator and driving force behind Start-up Gippsland - one of the largest regional start-up programs in Australia; she founded and grew Binary Shift into a leading regional innovation conference; and she co-founded the Herd Coworking Space in Warragul to create a hub for the region's entrepreneurs and innovators. Elena holds a PhD in Computer Science from The Australian National University and has worked for over ten years in large-scale digital product and software development. Prior to starting GippsTech, she spent three and a half years at Google as a Product Manager for the Google Maps Web APIs. In 2018, she was selected as one of three finalists for the Regional Development Victoria Leadership Innovation Award. Elena is also a mentor at the Melbourne Accelerator Program and has helped many start-ups and small businesses develop and execute their digital product concepts. Elena sees GippsTech as an extension of her personal commitment to building communities, foster growth, and create employment opportunities for digital and innovation professionals beyond the cities. GippsTech is a social enterprise, with a commitment to reinvest half of the company's profits back into the community. |
