Roger Allen AM

Roger Allen is a very experienced serial technology entrepreneur and investor in start-up and early stage growth companies including several in the social sector in Australia and internationally.

He built Computer Power Group (CPG) from a small start up to a worldwide company in 12 countries which later listed on the ASX. He then co-founded Allen & Buckeridge, a pioneering early stage VC which raised $300m for early stage investing. He is an active private investor in over 20 early stage companies and multiple VC funds in Australia, the USA and Europe.

He is also an investor in social entrepreneurial enterprises especially focused on Indigenous economic development and also on digital health more broadly and in Indigenous communities; applying state of the art technology and best practise Venture Capital disciplines to what has historically been the philanthropic sector.

Roger has served on two Prime Ministers Science and Technology Councils. He was Deputy Chairman of Austrade from 1990-1997. He was also Chair of Advisory Boards to both the NSW and VIC Government on innovation and information technology policy. More recently Roger was on the Board of Supply Nation, the body promoting Indigenous procurement policy. He is an Adjunct Professor in the Business School of University Technology Sydney and lectures occasionally in the School of Entrepreneurship at INSEAD.

He has been awarded the top two lifetime awards in the information technology industry (CSIRO Tony Benson award & Pearcey Medal for lifetime achievement) and was awarded an Order of Australia in 2011 for his services to the information technology sector through leadership roles, venture capital investment and professional development and in recognition of his support of the Indigenous sector.

He has directly funded several businesses working in the Indigenous sector and has developed an innovative business model to help stimulate Indigenous economic development at scale.

Most recently through his Foundation, Indigenous Capital Limited, Roger has been instrumental in the creation and growth of Welcome to Country.

“My primary motivation over the past decade has been to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities gain self-sufficiency and self-determination by starting and growing their own businesses. Welcome to Country is that vehicle”