Our Team members
Scotty Allen
FOUNDER / CEO
Scotty combines his experience as a Product Manager in a number of successful software startups with his education and client learning background to help clients refine product value propositions, develop road maps and MVP plans, and develop Go To Market strategies for Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings and web-based learning products.
Scotty founded Swivol Media, a podcast agency focusing on business and original content podcast series including “Starting Line: The New Founders Podcast“, focusing on telling founder stories from the beginning of the startup journey, and “The Bootstrap: Startups from Scratch”, a show all about the bootstrapped startup experience.
DR JOAN NORTON
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Joan brings a unique blend of academic rigour, entrepreneurial experience, and hands-on investment expertise to The Product Bus. She holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the University of Queensland, and has since built a career at the intersection of innovation, commercialisation, and governance.
Joan has played key roles across some of Australia’s most respected accelerator and investment programs, including UQ’s HYPE Spin Accelerator and iLab, Startupbootcamp (where she has contributed as both a mentor and angel investor), and Swinburne Innovation Studio and Swinburne Ventures Limited, where she has supported founders and helped shape investment decisions.
Her work spans multiple industries, but she has developed a particular niche in sportstech and governance, advising founders and organisations on how to turn emerging ideas into scalable, sustainable ventures. Joan is passionate about founder-first development, helping entrepreneurs build the skills to repeatedly identify valuable problems, test solutions, and grow successful businesses.
NATALIE ELLIS
PRODUCT MENTOR - RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS
Natalie brings a rich background in market research and insights to the digital product space. As a Strategic Product Lead for a major Federal Government health service website, she combines her knowledge of healthcare and public policy to drive meaningful projects. She is passionate about working with early stage start-up Founders to help them find their footing and unleash their ideas and products into the world. She loves seeing and hearing what novel ideas and technologies The Product Bus partners are looking to launch! Her varied experience covers key sectors including healthcare, public policy, finance, FMCG, and SaaS.
PORTIA MCEWAN
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Portia brings a wealth of experience in managing operations and supporting diverse business needs, from corporate environments to small local businesses. As Operations Manager at The Product Bus, she draws on her expertise in project management and executive support to deliver seamless project execution. Portia’s background includes successfully managing teams, overseeing project portfolios, and tailoring support for client-specific needs.
SAMMY PERRYMAN
DIGITAL PRODUCER
Sammy is a media maker passionate about connecting communities.
Experience includes SYN Media (Loud & Queer, SoulFood, Unpack Parliament Podcast), Melbourne’s Living Museum of The West (Sounds & Sites Audio Tour), SIGNAL Screen x Sound