As Founder of Australian footwear company Rollie Nation, Vince Lebon knows all about carving out a niche in a competitive market. In 12 years, Rollie Nation has expanded to 11 countries and is stocked in over 200 stores around Australia. Vince has brought innovative ideas and thoughtful designs to life with global brands like Adidas, Nike, Asics, the Barbie franchise and more.
Beyond Vince’s distinctive blend of comfort and style, Vince’s success lies in his passion for design collaboration and fostering human connection, as well as his diverse professional and lived experience.
“My diverse experience as a founder, designer, and minority, combined with financial and board governance expertise, provides a unique perspective—something that the startup and scale-up community can sometimes lack,” he says.
Vince’s journey from designer to investor was sparked when two alumni of the VC Catalyst investor program recommended it to him in one week, a coincidence he took as a clear sign. “Upon researching the program and the people involved, it felt like something I had to make time for,” he says. The timing was right in 2023 and Vince jumped in, immersing himself fully and reaping the rewards.
“It was a great learning experience,” Vince says. “There is a huge amount to cover in the program. You quickly work out that it’s much more about people and timing than it is about learning how to read a capitalisation table, and understanding risks or increasing deal flow.”
VC Catalyst helped Vince outline a clear framework for qualifying potential investment opportunities. “It’s allowed me to comfortably say no to opportunities that are not aligned with my thesis and values, which is very satisfying.”
Vince is excited about advancements in productivity tools, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and human-centric design, and is keeping a keen eye on how advancements in AI will lower costs, risks, and barriers to global distribution.
“AI will likely revolutionise the way we live and do business and it gives us an opportunity to design the world we want to live in, which excites me,” he says.
When it comes to making investment decisions, Vince says aligning with the right partners, clearly communicating and qualifying partnerships are very important. “Not all money is equal – this should happen from both sides of the fence,” he adds. And while he’s positive about the impacts of advancing technologies and how it can help all entrepreneurs overcome challenges, he believes that, “at the heart of everything, including business, are people and relationships, even in the era of AI and heightened productivity.”
For those considering our VC Catalyst investor program, Vince has pragmatic advice:
“Make time, put in the work and be patient. The course is very well structured and at times may feel slow or too fast, but it all comes full circle and you walk away with an incredible understanding if you put in the work and trust the process. Also, it’s only the beginning of the journey—be prepared to do the work after the program.”
