Rohan Silva

Rohan Silva is chair of Founders Factory Australia and co-founder of Second Home, specialising in building innovation ecosystems that connect government, business and entrepreneurship. As Senior Policy Adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron, he transformed East London's Tech City from 200 to over 2,000 digital companies, pioneered the UK's Entrepreneur Visa, and shaped landmark policies including tax breaks for angel investment and the government's open data agenda. Now based in Australia, he chairs the 2026 Orwell Prize for Political Writing, serves as visiting professor at the Royal College of Art, and remains a research affiliate at MIT. Rohan equips audiences with practical frameworks for fostering collaboration across sectors, showing leaders how thoughtfully designed environments and policies unlock creative potential and drive sustainable economic growth in their organisations and cities.

Between 2010 and 2013, Rohan Silva sat at the heart of UK government policy, transforming East London's Tech City from 200 digital companies to over 2,000 whilst pioneering the Entrepreneur Visa and writing the Conservative Party's Technology Manifesto. His influence extended far beyond attracting Google to Shoreditch: he commissioned the Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property, created tax breaks for angel investment, and established the UK's world-leading framework for IT procurement through open standards, open source software and open data. After leaving Downing Street, he channelled this expertise into Second Home, a social enterprise he co-founded to support creativity and entrepreneurship through thoughtfully designed workspaces in London and Lisbon. Now based in Fremantle, Australia, he chairs Founders Factory Australia, backing climate-tech and nature-tech startups whilst demonstrating how the principles that built Tech City can catalyse innovation ecosystems globally.

Rohan's credibility stems from successfully bridging policy influence, entrepreneurial execution and academic rigour. As visiting professor at the Royal College of Art and research affiliate at MIT, he maintains deep connections across disciplines that inform his practical work. His role as chair of the 2026 Orwell Prize for Political Writing reflects his continued engagement with how ideas shape society, whilst his leadership at Founders Factory Australia places him at the forefront of emerging innovation sectors. From his earlier work as Entrepreneur in Residence at Index Ventures and trustee of Entrepreneur First to his current focus on accelerating ventures in multiple sclerosis care, mining technology and soil rehabilitation through microbiomes, he consistently demonstrates an ability to identify where technology, policy and human need intersect. His documentary work examining middle-class job displacement and healthcare data innovation further underscores his commitment to understanding technology's broader societal implications, ensuring his insights remain grounded in real-world challenges.

Rohan equips audiences with practical frameworks for building innovation ecosystems that deliver measurable results. Drawing from his experience scaling Tech City, establishing Second Home across multiple cities, and now developing Australia's startup landscape, he shows leaders how to foster collaboration between government, business and entrepreneurs in ways that drive sustainable economic growth. His speeches illuminate the evolving relationship between public policy and technology, offering organisations actionable strategies to navigate regulatory environments whilst maintaining competitive advantage. Whether addressing how cities can attract creative talent, how businesses can partner effectively with government, or how leaders can design spaces and policies that unlock human potential, Rohan provides clear frameworks audiences can implement immediately. His work demonstrates that innovation thrives not through isolated genius but through carefully cultivated environments where diverse talents connect, collaborate and create lasting value for their organisations and communities.