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Catriona Wallace

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Catriona Wallace
Born1965 or 1966 (age 58–59)[1]
Alma materUniversity of New South Wales (PhD)
Occupation(s)Businesswoman, police officer
TelevisionShark Tank

Catriona Wallace (born 1965/1966)[1] is an Australian businesswoman, TV personality, former police officer, identifies as a gender non-binary grandmother (she/they) and is a leader in the Psychedelic Renaissance.[2][3]

She is a specialist in the field of the metaverse, artificial intelligence and the responsible use of technology.[4]

Wallace founded Flamingo AI in 2013 and is also the founder of Responsible Metaverse Alliance which was launched in 2022 to address potential safety and legal issues in the metaverse such as sexual harassment.[4][5]

In March 2023, Wallace was announced as one of the new "Sharks" on Shark Tank on Network 10.[6]

Career

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Wallace joined the New South Wales Police Force at the age of 19, and worked as a police officer in Kings Cross and The Rocks during the 1980s.[1]

After almost four years of police work, Wallace left to complete an undergraduate degree in arts as well as a master's degree and a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) at the University of New South Wales in 2007.[1] Her PhD thesis explored the role of technology as a substitute for leadership.[7]

In 2005, Wallace co-founded award winning company Fifth Quadrant and research organisation ACA Research.[citation needed]

Wallace founded Flamingo AI in 2014.[8] In 2016, it became the second woman-led business ever to list on the Australian Stock Exchange.[8] The company developed chatbots for companies such as Credit Union Australia, Chubb Limited and AMP Limited.[1] Wallace also held the position of the company's chief executive officer until February 2019 prior to the company offloading its assets and its sale to private investors in 2020.[9]

In 2015, Wallace spearheaded a project called The Ventura, a co-working space for female-led start-up businesses under three years old and less than $1 million in revenue.[10] Companies were required to have a woman as its founder, co-founder or chief executive officer.[10]

Wallace won the business and entrepreneur category at The Australian Financial Review Women of Influence Awards in 2018.[11] Wallace was also inducted into the Royal Institution of Australia acknowledging her as one of Australia’s most pre-eminent scientists.

In 2022, Wallace co-authored Checkmate Humanity: The How and Why of Responsible AI.[12]

Wallace is an adjunct professor at the University of New South Wales' Australian Graduate School of Management a chair of Boab AI. She was previously a Director of the Garvan Institute, the Gradient Institute and a co-chair of Sir Richard Branson's The B Team.[13][14][15]

She is a regular contributor to discussions about artificial intelligence.[16][17][18][1]

In March 2023, Wallace was one of five new Australian "Sharks" announced for a new series of the Shark Tank TV series,[19] a role that she originally declined when first approached: “I said, ‘I don’t behave like a shark, so no, I don’t think it’s for me’”[20]

Wallace succeeded the original cast when the program returned in 2023.[19]

Personal life

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Wallace is non-binary.[21]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Redrup, Yolanda (29 January 2019). "How Catriona Wallace, CEO of ASX-listed Flamingo AI, is making bots less sexist". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 25 March 2023. Wallace, 53, is one of Australia's most recognised experts on AI
  2. ^ "Interview with Catriona Wallace". One P. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  3. ^ Hutcheon, Jane (12 April 2018). "Catriona Wallace". One Plus One. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b Lehmann, Megan (17 March 2023). "Meet the woman guarding the metaverse". The Australian. Retrieved 25 March 2023. In 2013, she founded Flamingo AI, one of Australia's first AI companies and an early chatbot developer
  5. ^ Swan, David (21 July 2022). "Aussie-led Responsible Metaverse Alliance to supercharge metaverse safety". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  6. ^ Knox, David (22 March 2023). "Meet the new Shark Tank bosses". TV Tonight. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  7. ^ Wallace, Catriona (2004). Computer technology as a substitute for leadership : an empirical investigation (PhD). University of New South Wales.
  8. ^ a b Ahern, Kylie (11 August 2021). "Catriona Wallace wants you to think about becoming an AI entrepreneur". The Brilliant. Retrieved 25 March 2023. In 2014, she launched Flamingo AI, which developed AI-powered virtual assistants for the financial services sector. In 2016, it became the second woman-led business ever to be listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. Flamingo AI was sold to private investors in 2020.
  9. ^ Ogg, Matt (21 May 2020). "Last dance for Flamingo AI with all assets to be sold". Business News Australia. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  10. ^ a b Swan, David (30 March 2015). "Australia gets first co-working space for start-ups run by women". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  11. ^ Patten, Sally (18 October 2018). "The Australian Financial Review Women of Influence 2018 category winners revealed". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  12. ^ Wallace, Catriona; Vidgen, Richard; Kirshner, Sam; Caetano, Tiberio; Sepasspour, Rumtin; Weatherall, Kimberlee (2022). Checkmate Humanity: The How and Why of Responsible AI. Global Stories. ISBN 978-0648692997.
  13. ^ "Welcome to the Ethical AI Advisory team". Gradient Institute. 6 October 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2023. Dr.
  14. ^ "Reset Australia launches with agenda to counter digital threats to democracy". Reset Australia. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2023. The board's membership includes Dr Catriona Wallace...
  15. ^ "About Us". Responsible Metaverse Alliance. Retrieved 25 March 2023. Dr Wallace is also Adjunct Professor at UNSW... Dr Wallace is the Founder of the Responsible Metaverse Alliance, a Director of the Gradient Institute, Chair of VC fund Boab AI, a Director of medical research centre, the Garvan Institute, and she was the founder of a machine-learning company based out of New York. Catriona is also the Co- Chair of Sir Richard Branson's B Team's AI Coalition.
  16. ^ Adams, Phillip (1 November 2022). "Metaverse: risks versus reality". Late Night Live. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  17. ^ Lauder, Jo (1 March 2023). "Removing nudes from social media, the 'post-romance' era and rockets ruining the ozone". Hack. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  18. ^ Wallace, Catriona (15 October 2021). "Cut through the standard innovation playbook, says Catriona Wallace". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  19. ^ a b Gray, Geordie (22 March 2023). "The Australian millionaires fronting Shark Tank". The Australian. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  20. ^ McManus, Bridget (19 August 2023). "From face cream to undies and insoles, there's AI for that".
  21. ^ "Dr Catriona Wallace on LinkedIn: #sharktankau #diversity #queer #nonbinary #investment". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
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