Hi, I'm Justin McMurray.
Harnessing tech for things that matter
I work with teams to build ventures, programs, and platforms that create real impact - from climate-resilient agriculture to global education access to digitising pioneering health programs.Sometimes that means building the venture itself. Sometimes it means building the infrastructure, teams, and systems that help ventures succeed.
Why I Do This
I've spent the last 25 years in technology, and I'm stubbornly optimistic about its potential. I believe that technology has an incredible capacity to enrich our lives and our society.The faster technology speeds up however, the more mindful we need to be about its impact. We need to be intentional and stay focused on the things that actually matter and, most importantly, on the people it affects.I've been fortunate to see how tech innovation works from every angle—inside corporations, agencies, startups, and venture studios. That perspective shapes how my approach: innovation is never a cookie-cutter, and now it is so quick and easy to build things, the question is not so much "can we build this?" but "should we?"Ultimately, technology is just a tool. It's the people behind it and the lives it improves that make the work worth doing.
How I Work
The Team
Nothing matters more than the people. I believe the best ventures emerge when everyone - founders, researchers, investors, partners - come together in a supportive, empathetic collaboration. I became a Mental Health First Aider because I've seen too many brilliant people burn out chasing startup success. Sustainable ventures need sustainable humans and solid support networks.The Infrastructure
I focus on creating the right conditions, philosophies, and systems that can both foster and sustain innovation. That might mean designing a unique venture studio model, coaching a founder through their business model, or creating tooling and ways of working to remove operational friction. The infrastructure around innovative teams matters as much as the idea.The Contribution
I'm driven by the chance to build things that add real value to society. I'm not so much obsessed with the idea that 'technology will save the world', rather that it can make life a little better or system more resilient.
Where I Add Most Value
Based on 25 years across startups, agencies, and venture studios, I tend to be most useful in a few specific areas:Venture architecture: Designing the proposition, team, customer demand, and business model before building the productCommercialisation strategy: Finding pathways from innovation to market, especially for research-backed or impact-first venturesFounder coaching: Helping entrepreneurs navigate the gap between vision and viabilityProgram (and product) design: Building the infrastructure (studios, fellowships, accelerators) or getting my hands dirty, designing, building, and validating a product
Some projects I've been involved in
Supporting resilient food systems
Australia's agrifood sector faces massive climate challenges. I led the launch of the world's first Drought Venture Studio—building the infrastructure to help researchers and entrepreneurs commercialize climate-resilient technology. We've supported 80+ innovators, and we're proving that impact ventures can be both locally relevant and globally scalable.Connecting classrooms globally
We built a platform that let teachers anywhere find partner classrooms for shared video lessons. Simple idea, profound impact: over a million students got to see more of the world without leaving their desk. Technology is at its best when it connects us.Mobilising skilled volunteers
Professional talent and community need often exist in parallel—we built Australia's first platform to connect them. Skilled professionals could offer their expertise to charities that needed it, facilitating millions in pro bono support. Sometimes the most valuable infrastructure is just helping people find each other.Amongst my project work, I've also given talks at Creative Mornings (Bravery and Other Fairytales) and The Do Lectures (What If We Point The Camera Back At The Internet?) and I've written a lot about start-up strategy, founder perils, new product challenges, community disconnection, footholds for aspiring entrepreneurs and more.
Get in touch
I'm always interested in meeting:- Founders building ventures that tackle systemic problems
- Organisations designing innovation infrastructure (studios, accelerators, fellowships)
- Investors and organisations looking to back impact-driven technologyThrough fellowships, advisory work, and coaching, I've helped dozens of founders and organisations navigate the messy journey from idea to viable venture. Whether it's finding the right commercialisation pathway, building the right team structure, or just talking through whether to pivot—sometimes the most valuable thing I can offer is perspective from hard-earned experience.