Viki Forrest at Tribe Global Ventures combines 20+ years of Silicon Valley experience with her role as Queensland's Senior Trade & Investment Commissioner, where she has helped attract over AU$1B of investment and guided 200+ Australian and New Zealand tech companies through U.S. market entry. She acts as both venture investor and hands-on market entry specialist, directly participating in international missions and serving as an on-the-ground connector for Australian B2B tech companies scaling into the U.S. and U.K.

• Dedicated to helping Australian and New Zealand startups successfully scale into the United States and global markets. A major focus is on bridging the geographical gap for local companies by helping them refine their messaging to attract American venture capital. For instance, running a four week expert in residence program in Melbourne designed to fast track local growth companies to the US market, leaning on a track record of helping founders raise tens of millions of dollars overseas.
• Passionate about supporting female founders and increasing visibility for women in technology. Regularly highlights events that celebrate female entrepreneurship and champion diverse founding teams. A great example of this is repeatedly promoting a Silicon Valley women in tech festival to the local network and speaking at a dedicated international womens day breakfast event alongside prominent local startup hubs.
• Focused on educating founders about the cultural differences between doing business in local markets versus Silicon Valley. Emphasizes the importance of understanding small versus big market dynamics, building the right connections, and learning the specific communication styles needed to resonate with overseas investors. As an example, sharing articles and advice specifically aimed at helping laid back Australian founders level the playing field with highly competitive American entrepreneurs.