Matt Salier has been announced as the new Director of RMIT Activator, providing support for start-ups and entrepreneurial thinking within the RMIT community.

Salier will depart his current role as Director of the Flinders University New Venture Institute (NVI) to join RMIT Activator on 12 August.

The RMIT Activator is a dynamic platform that empowers RMIT students, staff and alumni through collaboration, advice and knowledge to energise existing start-ups and bring new ideas to life.

Executive Director Global Partnerships and Engagement Adam Seedsman said Salier was a perfect fit for the role. 

“With demonstrated runs on the board when it comes to supporting start-ups and developing innovative education programs, we are delighted to welcome Matt to the team,” he said.

“RMIT’s mission is to provide transformative experiences for our students and Matt comes to Activator with a clear understanding of the skills and knowledge they’ll need to build successful careers or turn their enthusiasm and great ideas into established businesses.”

Salier founded the NVI in 2013 and built it into a highly successful incubator, with more than 350 start-ups supported, thousands of students trained in entrepreneurship and innovation skills, as well as significant executive education programs in these areas since its inception. 

The father of three said innovation and entrepreneurship were “important capabilities that needed to be developed and harnessed through education”.

“The potential for future generations is really what drives my passion, and I’m really excited by the new opportunities that Activator will bring,” he said.
 
“It’s clear RMIT is on a substantial growth trajectory, delivering enterprise skills broadly to students and staff, and it was this sector-leading thinking that really attracted me to the role.”

Since launching in 2016, RMIT Activator has provided students and alumni with access to industry experts, mentors and shared working spaces, and the Activator Capital Fund has provided more than $1 million to early-stage ventures across 43 high potential start-ups. 
 
Earlier this year, RMIT also announced the launch of Activator at its Ho Chi Minh City campus, with a long-term vision of establishing a thriving incubator and accelerator program in the region. 
 
“While Activator has the unique opportunity to shape start-ups from a dynamic student base in Melbourne, this uniqueness is really amplified globally thanks to the University’s significant presence in Vietnam, Singapore, and Barcelona,” Salier said.

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