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Meet the team

Navii is a community of small business owners, industry and digital experts in a supported learning environment.

Navii is relentlessly committed to helping small business owners stay up-to-date with transformative technology and business opportunities brought by changing markets. We aim to help businesses to leverage these new opportunities in the most time and cost-effective manner.

The Navii platform is built leveraging interconnected free cloud platforms available to anyone, from anywhere, to deliver cost-effective training and the ability for any business, independently of their location, to share best practices without reinventing the wheel.

Julia Retson

Julia is Navii’s digital engineer, creating and connecting Navii’s digital systems across a range of technologies. With her unique background in rocket science, visual effects and teaching, she can build you the most aesthetically pleasing space shuttle and then teach you how to use it in plain English.

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How Navii came about

The Empowering Business to Go Digital program is a key outcome of Australia’s Federal Government’s Small Business Digital Taskforce report. Navii was the outcome of this grant which aims to future-proof small businesses as they navigate the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with new online tools to help them go digital and bounce back stronger than ever. Read Minister Andrew’s media release here.

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Liz Ward

Founder & CEO

Liz Ward - CEO

Liz is a committed advocate for innovation in marketing and distribution and recognised expert in strategy with more than 20 years experience specialising in travel and tourism.

Liz has pioneered many first-time digital transformation initiatives that have had lasting impacts including starting up the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) and being its CEO for over ten years.

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Fabienne Wintle

Founder & CIO

Fabienne Wintle - CIO

Fabienne (Fabie) is a digital strategist who excels in her field of empowering business professionals to make the most of digital technology in their business ventures. 

She is an advocate for digital self-sufficiency and her hands-on approach has enabled thousands of small and large business owners with the tools and knowledge to make a living.

Fabienne’s special blend of digital know-how, business knowledge, training and coaching skills has given her an ability to think outside the box and subsequently,  a sought after consultant, workshop facilitator and speaker in her field.

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Despina Karatzias

Chief Navigator & GM

Despina Karatzias - GM

As Navii's General Manager and Chief Navigator, Despina has incredible business expertise and unsurpassed experience in all aspects of running and growing a successful business.

Despina loves to work with the small to medium business owner or manager who struggles to figure out cost-effective ways to maximise and grow their business through digital, social media, distribution and partnership marketing.

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Claire McCollum

Coach & Strategist

Claire McCollum

As Navii's Coach and Digital Strategist, Claire bring an array of experience to the team. A major part of Claire’s role is to work with clients to develop content marketing strategies, blog updates and social media plans.

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Hannah Conroy

Content Producer

Hannah Conroy

As Navii’s content producer, Hannah works on researching, collating and creating much of our course content, video content and visual content. Her job is to make sure that the courses and tools developed by Navii’s expert team are presented in a way that is digestible and accessible for small businesses. Hannah’s interests include gardening, graphic design and grapes (the fermented kind).

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Emily Barry

Marketing & Project Assistant

Emily Barry

As Navii's Marketing and Project Assistant, Emily focuses on the coordination of all social media channels and the development of marketing assets for clients. When Emily isn't at University she loves to travel and go on extravagant adventures. 

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Julie Proft

Customer Success Executive

Julie Proft

Julie is Navii's Customer Success Executive. In any role she’s had in her career, she always views her customer’s successes as HER successes. Outside of work, Julie is one of those weird people who loves doing half marathons, triathlons and about anything you can throw at her. 

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Julia Retson

Digital Engineer

Julia Retson

Julia is Navii’s digital engineer, creating and connecting Navii’s digital systems across a range of technologies. With her unique background in rocket science, visual effects and teaching, she can build you the most aesthetically pleasing space shuttle and then teach you how to use it in plain English.

Read Bio