The
Team.
Samar Mcheileh
Managing Partner
Samar Mcheileh is a transformative leader with over 15 years of experience in investment management and financial services, pioneering a new era of venture capital in Australia. Previously holding executive roles at wealth management firm JBWere—including Chief of Staff, Head of Markets Desk, and Head of Operations—Samar was integral to the firm's transformation and sale from Goldman Sachs to NAB. This deep expertise across asset classes sharpened her conviction that venture capital, with its emphasis on people and potential, is the most powerful vehicle for both outsized returns and meaningful impact.
Samar is committed to a simple yet powerful thesis: the world's most innovative companies will be built by women. Her leadership is not just about capital; it's about creating a global community where visionary founders are backed by the resources, networks, and belief they need to succeed. Samar champions the belief that backing diverse founders is not a social mission—it's the smartest investment strategy. This commitment to equitable investment is further demonstrated by her work as co-creator of Equity Clear, a gender transparency initiative that was recognised on Fortune's "Change the World" list.
Samar's personal dedication extends to her work with organisations like inTouch, a multicultural center against family violence, reflecting her core belief that financial empowerment and social good are inextricably linked. She is an active participant in the Australian early-stage ecosystem, believing it to be an indispensable incubator of talent and investment opportunities. Her vision is to not only transform her firm but to also reshape the venture capital landscape, proving that innovation and significant returns will be found by those who serve.
Roo Harris
General Partner
Roo Harris is a leader at the intersection of venture capital and diversity. As the co-owner of Scale Investors, she is a driving force behind investments in women-led startups.
With a background in commercial law and a global career that includes advising Qatar’s ruling family on venture deals, Roo has a unique perspective on how capital can be a powerful lever for both economic and social change. This experience fueled her belief in conscious capital - a human-centered model of capitalism that is both relational and sustainable - and ignited a passion for impact innovation, particularly in the care and climate sectors.
Beyond her work at Scale Investors, Roo is a staunch advocate for the neurodivergent and disability communities, serving on the boards of several disability tech startups. She is also a member of the advisory board for the T-EDI Standards (Tech Council of Australia) and Just Gold's Autistic Pride Day initiative. Roo is an active participant in Equity Clear, a gender transparency initiative spearheaded by Scale Investors, which was recently recognized on Fortune's "Change the World" list.
Roo believes that achieving impact doesn't require returns to be concessionary, a philosophy backed by her long history of startup investing, which includes an early 27x return.
Chelsea Newell
General Partner
Chelsea Newell has 10 years’ experience in the financial services industry and joined Scale from private wealth management firm JBWere, where she worked as Business Manager, reporting directly to the general managers of Advice and Products, and Markets. Prior to JBWere, she spent six years at wealth management and brokerage businesses in London, including at boutique wealth advisory firm Lesmoir-Gordon Boyle, where she was instrumental in the operations and high-net-worth client strategy of a new wealth advisory arm within the business. During her time in London, she also worked for German firm MainFirst Group on the equity brokerage side as Head of Corporate Access where she led multi-country road shows for the European equity research coverage. Following this at Anoa Capital, she was responsible for creating and implementing onboarding processes for ultra-high-net-worth clients for the Global Markets division. .
She specialises in founder-investor relationships, deal origination and transactions. Since joining Scale, a primary focus of Chelsea’s has been formalising processes, from due diligence on investments, to new investor onboarding.
Chelsea's dedication to fostering the growth of the Australian early-stage ecosystem is evident through her active involvement in the community where she regularly presents on relevant topics, sharing her insights and expertise with her comprehensive understanding of managing founder and investor relationships and her passion for fostering innovation in the early-stage ecosystem.