The Neighborhood Collective cofounder and CEO Paz Pisarski admits all of it occurred accidentally, however it’s the most effective accident to ever occur.

On the Startup Day by day Greatest in Tech Awards 2025, Pisarski was named Future Chief of the Yr, sponsored by Techvisa. The award recognises a person our judges imagine has the potential to be an vital voice and advocate for the startup sector.

The opposite finalists have been Shilpa Mohan, head of operations at building procurement software program ProcurePro; Poonam Advani, program supervisor at Press Play Ventures, the pre-accelerator for ladies; and Gwen Masonsong, program supervisor on the Techstars Sydney Accelerator.

The all-female finalists led Natasha Prévot, cofounder of Techvisa to declare “The way forward for management is feminine” earlier than declaring the winner.

Pisarski has turned an concept throughout Melbourne’s lockdowns right into a motion that’s reshaping Australia’s startup ecosystem and the world. 

What began as a 17-person meetup has developed into The Neighborhood Collective, now a world viewers of 16,000, amongst 700-plus communities spanning 18 nations.

Alongside her cofounders, Melia Rayner and Jaala Alex, she created Australia’s first dwell cohort coaching program for neighborhood builders as The Neighborhood Collective, turning what was as soon as seen as “fluffy” work into recognised strategic experience.

Pisarski has additionally awarded 100+ scholarships to underrepresented founders, significantly ladies and people experiencing monetary hardship, funding them herself in an effort to make sure the startup ecosystem displays Australia’s variety.

Constructing a six-figure impression enterprise

From her base in regional Victoria, Pisarski has constructed a six-figure impact-led enterprise, inspiring a brand new technology of founders to suppose past conventional development methods, coaching greater than 280 individuals.

These alumni now maintain management roles at Airtree, Startmate, Blackbird Ventures, The Commons, and Canva and after six sold-out cohorts The Neighborhood Collective has a waitlist of round 900 individuals, hoping to glean insights from audio system equivalent to Seth Godin, Derek Sivers, and Steph Claire Smith.

Chatting with Startup Day by day after profitable the award to the roar of the 200+ plus crowd, Pisarski stated she was grateful to everybody who supported the imaginative and prescient for The Neighborhood Collective. 

“This really is a illustration of everybody who’s ever backed us, been in a program, been an advisor, and simply been in our workforce,” she stated.

“I’d love to simply make neighborhood constructing probably the most impactful enterprise technique for any firm. I need somebody to rent a neighborhood supervisor as in the event that they have been hiring the subsequent gross sales lead. And if I walked on the road and somebody stated, ‘Oh, what do you do?’ And I stated, ‘Oh, I’m a lawyer’. Like, they perceive that. As if I simply stated, ‘I’m a neighborhood supervisor and I really deserve a seat at this desk and I do know that I can ship nice returns, ROI and impression to enterprise’.”

Pisarski confessed that she “by chance began a enterprise that went viral”.

“We observed that there have been individuals who have been constructing the startup neighborhood, however there wasn’t a spot for them to be a member as a substitute of being a supervisor,” she remembers.

“So we ran a meetup at The Commons in Cremorne. It went viral and we had a whole bunch of individuals signing up. And finally I stop my job, registered it as an organization, and right now now we have an viewers of over 17,500 individuals and have educated individuals from Google, Canva and MYOB about learn how to construct a neighborhood.”

How one can be a superb chief

So what does this “future” chief suppose makes a superb one?

“Cease speaking and pay attention. When you’re going to be a superb chief, you don’t make the choices,” Pisarski stated.

“You let different individuals have a voice and simply champion them. I feel this complete journey I’ve had as a founder and constructing a neighborhood has simply been about understanding ‘the place do I have to serve, who wants assist proper now, and the way can I assist them’.”

Whereas Pisarski gained the Future Chief of the Yr on the Greatest in Tech Awards, it’s clear she’s already there, so we requested what’s the most effective piece of recommendation she’s obtained and what she’d go on to others.

“I feel the most effective piece of recommendation I’ve ever been given was from one among my advisors, Kim McGinnes. She stated to me, ‘Paz, it’s important to suppose who, not how’, she remembers.

“So as a substitute of considering, how am I going to construct a enterprise? How am I going to construct this neighborhood? How am I going to do all the pieces by myself? You must suppose, who will help me? Who’s going to be right here, who can I be taught from, and who’s going to affix the motion? 

“As a result of it’s not about me on the finish of the day, and it’s about doing it collectively.”

The Neighborhood Collective cofounder says there’s quite a lot of horrible recommendation provided and an important factor is to imagine in your self and your imaginative and prescient.

“Lots of people go ‘That’s not going to work. You’re higher off staying within the day job. Simply don’t trouble. , it’s not price it’,” she stated.

“I feel you realise that on the finish of the day, I get to dwell my life and I wish to put my greatest foot ahead, so I’m simply going to attempt, and if it doesn’t work, that’s advantageous. Thus far, so good.”