EDGE 2025: Reaching a new generation of IT buyers 

Former Facebook Australia leader and AI business pioneer, Stephen Scheeler will keynote EDGE 2025: The Channel FutureScape, exploring the significant impact of AI and the new generation of tech buyers.

Leveraging his unique industry experience and wealth of knowledge, Scheeler will dissect how to successfully monetise and build an AI practice while also uncovering generational differences as Gen-Z and Millennials are quickly finding themselves in the buying hotseat. 

He will also share his knowledge, lessons learnt, and challenges faced in building his own AI business.

At the age of 45, Stephen Scheeler was the oldest employee at Facebook, which at the time of his tenure, the average age of his comrades were 23. 

As the leader for its Australian operations from 2011 to 2017, Scheeler earned a nickname among his cohort “Ol’ man Scheeler (OMS)’ and suddenly went from being the young gun in the room, to the oldest person at the table. 

“I loved my time at Facebook, but I was confronted with challenges and rethinking, how do I relate to and build credibility with and lead in an organisation where age and experience was almost seen as a negative inside of Facebook in those days,” he said. 

This experience has led Scheeler to being an expert in generational demographics. He says one thing in working with and selling to the new generation of buyers, is the concept of ‘self-interest’.

“This is the idea that when I get a job or I have a career or I buy a product, and it’s about what it does for me and what it says about me and how it fits into my notion of myself, or my journey in life,” Scheeler said. 

Since Facebook, Scheeler has been heavily involved in the start-up scene and is currently the CEO of Omniscient AI, which aims to revolutionise healthcare through AI. Omniscient builds brain models using AI to help improve brain-related treatments, particularly during brain surgery.  Find out more about EDGE 2025: The Channel FutureScape here.

“When I first set up this business, I was not deep in the world of neurosurgery. Brain surgeons are dealing with the most complex thing in the universe. I thought they spent hours preparing and reviewing information. In reality, they need answers fast. So, you need to build AI that fits in with how people already do their work and then makes them better at it. That is one of the biggest challenges,” he said.

“In some professions, the tolerance for mistakes, errors and hallucinations is very low, particularly in heavily regulated industries like healthcare and financial services. Humans have to be involved in not just making sure AI is useful, but making sure it’s safe and making the right, ethical decisions.”

Taking place from 27 to 30 July 2025 at the five-star RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast, EDGE 2025 is the only A/NZ channel conference that provides decision-makers with the right forum to learn and network and achieve profitable outcomes.

Content will be underpinned by EDGE Research, housing in-depth end-user and partner analysis across Australia and New Zealand, uniquely delivered in partnership with Mark Iles and Tech Research Asia.

Spearheaded by EDGE Ambassador and founder Susan Searle, ARN and Reseller News has involved an outstanding Brains Trust to advise on best directions for the EDGE 2025 partner experience. 

This highly credentialed line-up includes: TRA’s Mark Iles, Channel Guru’s Brad Clarke; The TSP Advisory’s James Davis, Channel Dynamics’ Moheb Moses, 360 Consulting’s Ryan Spillane, Transcends’ Ashleigh Vogstad and Partner Elevate’s Desmond Russell.

Partners attending EDGE 2025 will be surrounded by rich content and strategic networking, focusing on the technologies and business trends that are front of mind for customers looking into spending plans, pain points and outcomes.

Content will be delivered via ‘Ted’ style talks and hands-on workshops and discussion forums. The ever-important networking will be partners to expert vendors and distributors as well as partner to partner collaboration.

Partners such as MSPs, MSSPs, consultants, VARs and SIs can register their interest for EDGE 2025: The Channel FutureScape here.