ChatGPT said: Taryn Williams Is Building the Future of Influence, One Disruptive Idea at a Time

From Model to Mogul

Taryn kicked off her career in front of the camera, but she quickly realised she was meant to run the show. At 21, she launched WINK Models, a commercial modelling agency that’s now one of the country’s most successful. It’s not a side hustle either she still owns it.

But building one solid business wasn’t enough.

In 2016, she created theright.fit a marketplace where brands could book models, influencers, makeup artists, photographers, you name it. No middlemen. No nonsense. Just direct connections and real results. Backed by big VC money from Airtree Ventures and other strategic players, the platform took off fast. By 2023, she’d scaled and exited both WINK and theright.fit to international buyers.

Her Latest Play: #Gifted

Now she’s back with something new and smarter.

Taryn co-founded #Gifted with James Dumay, a guy who was there in the early days of Canva and Atlassian. It’s a Shopify plug-in that helps brands manage influencer gifting campaigns at scale. No fluff, no wasted product, no tracking chaos.

The plug-in’s already being used by some of Australia’s biggest names Accor Hotels, PE Nation, Estee Lauder and Panasonic are just a few. It’s lean, effective, and set to go global.

Not Just a Founder A Force

Taryn’s not just building companies. She’s also a respected voice in the business and tech scenes. She’s served on boards like Next25 and Digital and Technology Collective. She advises up-and-coming businesses like All G Foods and even Lamborghini FAB. She’s hosted shows for Vodafone Business and spoken at major events like Vivid Sydney, Mumbrella and Business Chicks.

On top of all that, she’s worked as an influencer herself for brands like HP, La Prairie and Max Factor where she starred in a global campaign alongside Petra Nemcova.

Recognition Comes Standard

Taryn’s got a long list of awards under her belt. Mumbrella Award for Innovation, B&T’s Women in Media Power List three years running, SmartCompany 30 Under 30, B&T Hot 30, you name it. She’s been a finalist for Female Entrepreneur of the Year and AIM Young Entrepreneur of the Year too.

Why She Matters

Taryn’s the real deal. She blends grit with polish, vision with execution. She’s proven you can build tech that scales and still keep your finger on the culture. Whether it’s helping brands nail influencer campaigns or building platforms from the ground up, she does it with clarity, confidence and zero fluff.

In a country full of entrepreneurs, Taryn stands out. Not because she talks big, but because she builds big.

Image Credit: https://www.forbes.com.au/covers/entrepreneurs/taryn-williams-capital-businesses-struggle-porn/