Our Team
Anna Pino
Chief Executive Officer
Anna has spent the past 20 years involved with business development at various levels. Her interests in small and start up companies stems from growing up in a small business family and having spent many years dealing first hand with the ‘challenges’ that face these businesses.
Anna’s expertise ranges the full gamut of business issues from financial planning control and analysis, market definition and import/export strategies, human resource management through to stock control and purchasing structures. Anna’s approach is to be ‘hands on’ at all times.
Anna’s experience has seen her undertake varying roles including:
- Establishing and assisting in the running a number of small business in their ‘start up’ stages;
- Establishing R&D assessments for both public and private clients;
- Providing ‘hands on’ business advice and advice to SME’s and corporate clients;
- Spinning out ‘ideas’ and organizations from Research Institutions ;
- Successfully preparing companies for external investment;
- Developing intellectual property based products for business.
- Successfully restructuring and managing a medium sized speciality allied health business.
Anna started her career working as a Psychologist and found that relating the principles to the business environment to be her greatest interest. Anna has completed a number of additional studies including a Graduate Diploma in Computing (specialising in systems analysis and information systems) and a Master of Commerce in which her dissertation focused on the issues associated with capital raising for small business in Australia.
Cindy Reese Mitchell
Commercialisation Manager
Since migrating to Australia from the USA, Cindy has worked as a GM for a growth technology training company, a BDM for an IT Systems Integrator and Investment Manager for an early-stage venture capital fund and incubator.
Cindy has a passion for the scientific method-- having been involved in graduate level research in microbiology, chemistry and medical entomology.
Dealing with cutting edge and emergent technologies, she finds an opportunity to apply her unique experience in business development and passion for science.
At Lighthouse, Cindy is responsible for providing strategic business advice to new tech-enabled businesses. Her areas of particular expertise are around helping get businesses ‘investor-ready’, sales and marketing.
Su Hodge
Client Manager
Su Hodge's career spans two continents with the arts and creative industries a strong focus of work and interests. Her professional history in Australia includes the marketing and administration of the Crafts Council in New South Wales, arts marketing consortium leadership as Director of Canberra Arts Marketing and Arts Marketing Consultant and Marketing Manager of Arts Tasmania where she was a major contributor to industry development and innovative state government programs supported by Commonwealth funding.
She has researched and authored numerous articles on arts marketing and audience development and arts marketing resource publications including miles ahead: arts marketing that works in regional Australia and Getting Art There: An Artist's Marketing Manual. She has been invited to speak at conferences and contributed to course development and presentations for a pilot Executive Certificate in Arts and Cultural Marketing for the University of Technology, Sydney, Faculty of Business in 1999.
Her involvement in enterprise development reflects her determination to contribute to innovative ways to support growth in creative practices and sectors. At Lighthouse, she is responsible for the management of the ACT Microcredit Program, Brilliant Idea.
Lyn Robbins
Finance and Administration Manager
Lyn has spent several years working as a finance/administration manager in small business and has gained accounting and taxation experience through her work as an assistant accountant in a small chartered accounting practice. Lyn is a member of the National Institute of Accountants.
Lyn’s role with Lighthouse is to look after the finances and the day-to-day administration.
Lauren Mitchell
Office Trainee
Lauren joined Lighthouse through the Australian Apprentice program. She is the office receptionist and also assists with coordinating events. She is currently studying a Certificate III in Business Administration at CIT. Lauren's main interests are in marketing and graphic design. Through working with Lighthouse, Lauren hopes to gain an insight into how business works.