Westpac has today announced the five winners of the inaugural Westpac Female Founder Awards, a national awards program recognising female entrepreneurs building businesses across Australia.
The winners are:
- Female Founder of the Year: Emily Pyke, UndaTech
- Thrive Award: Cassandra Spies, Twisted Healthy Treats
- Trailblazer Awards (joint winners): Leah Kaslar, Djookian, and Jessica Armstrong, Fuca Skincare
- Greater Good Award: Melisha Sirisena, Kids Hearing
The five winners were selected from 15 finalists announced in early August. Open to Westpac customers and non-customers, the awards build on Westpac’s support for women in business, with the bank providing more than $1 billion in lending to over 2,200 women starting or growing a business over the past three years.
“$1 billion in lending isn’t just a number, it’s thousands of businesses now employing people, paying suppliers and growing the local economy,” said Paul Fowler, Westpac Chief Executive, Business & Wealth.
“These five winners represent the ambition, innovation and determination we see every day from women building businesses across Australia. Backing these founders means backing Australian jobs, stronger communities and economic growth across the country.”
PRIZES
Female Founder of the Year winner, Emily Pyke, will receive $30,000 cash, a national advertising campaign valued at $120,000 and the choice of coaching, media training or mentoring.
The category winners will each receive $10,000 cash and their choice of coaching, media training or mentoring. They will also feature in a digital advertising campaign.
“The calibre of this year’s applicants was extraordinary,” said Tamara Bryden, Westpac’s Managing Director of Business Lending.
“This year’s winners show just how broad female-led innovation in Australia really is. Representation on a national stage matters because it recalibrates what the next investor and the next aspiring founder believes is possible.”
MEET THE WINNERS
Founder of the Year Award – Emily Pyke, UndaTech
Emily Pyke is the CEO and Co-Founder of UndaTech, developing fire-resistant and protective undergarments for women in high-risk roles across defence, emergency services, mining and construction. After 13 years in the Royal Australian Navy, Emily saw first-hand the safety gap left by women wearing everyday synthetic undergarments under body armour and protective equipment, in environments where fire, explosions and electrical hazards are a daily risk.
“This recognition means so much to our small but mighty team. UndaTech started because my time in Defence gave me exposure to a wide range of high-risk roles, environments and protective equipment, and I saw the same gap show up across all of them. It is incredibly special to have Westpac recognise the importance of designing protective gear around the people who wear it, and this award helps us keep pushing to get better, safer products to the women who need them,” Emily said.
Trailblazer Award – Jessica Armstrong, Fuca Skincare
Jessica founded Fuca Skincare after going through chemotherapy for breast cancer and finding few products suited to compromised skin. Drawing on her background in product development and marketing, Jessica created a brand focused on gentle, low-tox skincare and representation for women with sensitive skin, not just those living with cancer. A percentage of all proceeds is donated to Breast Cancer Network Australia, while Fuca’s campaigns feature women who have experienced cancer, helping build a face-to-face community centred on around shared experience and support.
“This recognition is a full-circle moment I never could have imagined during the darkest days of my cancer diagnosis. Fuca has always been about more than skincare. It is about helping women going through cancer feel seen, supported and part of something bigger, and this award is a beautiful reminder of why that community matters so much,” Jessica said.
Trailblazer Award – Leah Kaslar, Djookian
Leah co-founded Djookian to help mining and infrastructure businesses decarbonise their projects and fleets, while creating meaningful job pathways for women and Indigenous Australians. The 100% female-run business uses hybrid technology and real-time carbon and load tracking to show customers how lower-emissions equipment can also deliver practical performance and cost benefits.
“We started Djookian because we wanted to make real change in industries where we did not always see people like us represented. This award from Westpac helps show that smart, sustainable ideas can create value for customers while opening doors for more women and Indigenous Australians to build careers in the energy transition,” Leah said.
Thrive Award – Cassandra Spies, Twisted Healthy Treats
Cassandra founded Twisted Healthy Treats after struggling to find delicious desserts she felt good about sharing with her family. The Australian-owned business makes better-for-you frozen treats using 100% Australian dairy, with the products stocked in 85% of school canteens and across national supermarket retailers, including Woolworths, Coles, ALDI and Costco. The business has grown to employ more than 80 people and has recently expanded into international markets, including the USA, Taiwan and China.
“As Australia’s only female-founded frozen dessert brand with our own manufacturing operation, we are incredibly proud of what we have built – from our factory in Ingleburn to products now reaching families across Australia and overseas. Building a business in food manufacturing takes a lot of persistence, so to receive this recognition from Westpac, and to have a banking partner that understands our growth journey, is incredibly meaningful,” Cassandra said.
Greater Good Award – Melisha Sirisena, Kids Hearing
Melisha is a paediatric audiologist and founder of Kids Hearing, a service working to make hearing checks more accessible for children. After years working at Westmead Children’s Hospital and in schools in Singapore, Melisha saw how routine hearing checks could identify issues before they affected a child’s learning, speech or confidence. She started Kids Hearing after a school screening pilot identified children with permanent hearing loss that had gone undetected for years.
“Behind every hearing check is a child and a family who we’ve been able to help get on the right track. To have Westpac recognise Kids Hearing is incredibly encouraging. It shows that what we’re doing matters and helps start important conversations about children’s hearing health and the need for hearing checks to be a routine part of their healthcare, just like dental and vision checks,” Melisha said.
