Alumni Award Recipient: Andrea Gardiner
Pioneering female leadership in venture capital
From professional rock climbing to founding one of Australia's first female-led venture capital firms, Andrea Gardiner’s curiosity-led career has been defined by her courage and passion for making a positive impact on the world.
Each day is uncharted terrain for Andrea Gardiner, Founder and CEO of Jelix Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm dedicated to backing bold technology founders across Australia and New Zealand.
“One day I might be learning about 3D printing, and another day it'll be quantum physics that I'm trying to grapple with,” she says.
Andrea is passionate about helping startups commercialise world-changing ideas and energise the local economy in the process.
“I get to back these amazing founders to change the world, in sometimes some really big ways, to make it better,” she says. “That's what excites me.”
However, the path to a fulfilling career was far from predictable for this pioneer of the Australian venture capital industry.
A world education
Growing up in a small country town, Andrea’s curiosity was insatiable. “I've read avidly since I was a child,” she says. “I just wanted a way to learn about the world.”
That same curiosity led her to study behavioural science at La Trobe University. While describing her younger self as “crippled with shyness”, Andrea’s studies helped transform how she viewed the world, and herself.
“It was really good for my self-confidence,” she says. “I probably would never have done most of the things I'm proud of today, if I hadn’t had that experience at La Trobe.”
After graduating, Andrea returned to her hometown to practise social work, but her trajectory shifted unexpectedly – sparked by a poster of a female rock climber.
Soon she was living in a tent in California, honing her skills on towering cliffs. “It's a bit like a chess game when you're up there, except you make the wrong move, you peel off.”
Courage, strategy and risk mitigation would all prove essential skills in Andrea’s next move. After receiving a scholarship to study law in London, she entered investment banking. Yet this career summit was lacking purpose.
“The whole time that I was working in global debt capital markets law and banking, I always missed feeling that I was doing something intrinsically worthwhile.”
In founding Jelix Ventures, Andrea has harnessed her appetite for risk, analytical skills and value-driven mindset into supporting visionary founders and uplifting others along the way.
Hear from Andrea
Championing women in venture capital
Andrea is a vocal advocate for gender equity in venture capital – where systematic bias continues, despite research demonstrating that female-led businesses often generate stronger returns.
Far less capital being deployed to female founders,” she says. “Much less than would be explained by the ratio of female to male founders.”
In response, Andrea partnered with Dr Michelle Deaker (OneVentures) and Ingrid Maes (W23) to co-found WinVC, a not-for-profit aimed at accelerating women into investment decision-making roles.
“I think it's really important to have women investors out there with a profile that other younger women can see.”
Supporting future founders
Andrea also remains connected to the next generation of La Trobe students. Ever generous with her time and insights, in 2024, she was also a judge at Startup Fest, where emerging founders pitched business ideas developed during the La Trobe University Startup Year program.
“It is exciting to see what they come up with,” says Andrea. “I like investing in people who are passionate about what they're doing.”
Andrea has not only achieved incredible heights in her own career, but she is equally committed to easing the ascent for anyone equally passionate about making the world a better place.
Andrea completed a Bachelor of Behavioural Science (1982) at La Trobe University.