SME Toolkit: When Things Go Wrong
Three Founders. Three Failures. What came next.
About the Event
This SME Toolkit session isn’t about wins. It’s about what happens when things go wrong.
We’re bringing three founders on stage to talk about the moments their businesses didn’t work out, the bad calls, the setbacks, the hits they didn’t see coming. No highlight reels. Just real stories about failure, what it cost them, and what came after.
Each speaker will walk you through a time things fell apart, both professionally and personally and how they picked themselves up (or didn’t, at first). Because building a business isn’t a straight line, and the messy parts are usually where the real lessons live.
This is a space for honesty, not perfection. A space to realise you’re not the only one figuring things out as you go. And maybe, to see your own setbacks a little differently.
The session will be moderated by Olivia Bilocca, who blends corporate HR experience with therapeutic insight, bringing structure to the chaos and helping unpack what failure actually teaches us.
We’ll open the floor for Q&A after the talks, followed by networking because sometimes the best conversations happen after the stories are told and the f*** ups are shared.
About the SME Toolkit Series
The SME Toolkit Series is designed to give business owners and entrepreneurs practical takeaways they can apply straight away. Each session explores a different theme, from mindset and productivity to digital tools and growth strategies, with a focus on what really works in today’s business environment.
Hosted by DiHubMT, Malta’s European Digital Innovation Hub, the series helps local businesses stay competitive, adapt to change, and spot new opportunities to grow.
About DiHubMT
DiHubMT, operated by MDIA, is Malta’s European Digital Innovation Hub, a central point for founders, innovators, and SMEs exploring digitalisation, commercialisation, and growth. The hub provides access to mentorship, workshops, events, expert clinics, collaboration networks, and EU-level opportunities.
Collaborating Partners
This session is being delivered in collaboration with:
FPEI | SHE
Olivia Bilocca
Moderator
Olivia Bilocca is the founder of Ethical Living and works at a rare crossroads: strategic HR and systemic psychotherapy. With a Masters in Systemic Family Psychotherapy, an MSc in Work Psychology, and years working with leaders, teams, and individuals, she brings a perspective that’s both grounded in business reality and deeply attuned to the human experience behind it.
Olivia believes that organisations thrive when the people within them do — and that meaningful change, whether in a company or a life, rarely happens in the comfort zone. Her work is direct, practical, and genuinely human, no corporate jargon, no one-size-fits-all answers.
As moderator of When Things Go Wrong, Olivia creates the kind of space where honest conversations can actually happen, where failure isn’t a full stop, but a turning point worth exploring.
Mark Debono
Speaker
Mark Debono is the founder of Systemato, a digital agency he’s been running for over 15 years, and an independent consultant working with businesses on marketing strategy, positioning, messaging, and communications.
Mark works directly with founders, leadership teams, and growing businesses that need a senior marketing brain in the room without the overhead of a full-time hire. His agency, Systemato handles the full execution — web development, content, social media, online advertising, and creative work for clients ranging from solo operators to multinationals including Flutter Entertainment, operator of Paddy Power and Betfair.
Across both, the through-line is the same: clear thinking, honest advice, and work that actually lands with the audience it’s meant for.
He has also, on at least one occasion, fired the same client twice.
Keith Azzopardi
Speaker
Keith is a software engineer and PhD researcher at the University of Malta, currently building AI tools for educators. He co-founded an EdTech startup, navigated what happens when a venture doesn’t survive, and came out the other side more interested in the problem than the product. That shift brought him into education research and teaching, where he spends most of his time today.
Stephanie Bonello
Speaker
Stephanie Bonello co-founded Crispy Studio to tell stories that feel real, visual content that’s well-paced, clear, and rooted in what matters. She works across video, photography, and creative strategy, often collaborating with focused, agile teams on ambitious ideas.
Her background is in law, but she gradually shifted into creative production, bringing structure, care, and focus to the way we work. She likes being close to the process, from shaping the brief to shaping the edit, and she’s interested in how stories connect people, not just how they perform.
She’s also developing work in documentary and film, with a growing focus on stories that reflect life in Malta, past and present, and the quieter, often unseen narratives that shape people and place.
Alongside that, she occasionally mentors or supports other women building creative businesses, especially those navigating parenthood, pace, and building something that lasts.
Spots are limited, as this session brings together three communities – FPEI, DiHubMT and SHE, so be sure to secure yours early.
Just a friendly note: please reserve your spot only if you’re sure you can make it. We’ll be confirming seats closer to the event.
We look forward to seeing you join us!