Pictured: Ben Cochrane, Product Manager/Co-Founder, Learnt; Emma Sharley, Co-Founder/CMO, Shop You; Hayley Warren, Founder/CEO, Halo Medical Devices; Shelley Laslett, Co-Founder & CEO, Vitae.Coach; Lauren Silvers, Co-Founder, Glamazon; Christie Whitehill, Founder, Tech Ready Women
marie claire partnered with Tech Ready Women last week for a two-day digital masterclass to help women develop their startup ideas. marie claire has always inspired and encouraged women in their careers but this was our first step into providing practical tools to take their startup idea from side hustle to success.
During the two-day masterclass, attendees heard from 19 of Australia’s top entrepreneurs and tech experts. There were panels, expert round tables, collaborative workshops and networking (and wine of course!). The event was open to only 40 women to allow the mentors and educators to interact closely to develop and refine ideas.
Held at Dexus Place – a premium high-tech collaborative work and conference space in Sydney’s CBD, the venue was chosen as it is specifically designed to foster innovation and drive productivity among entrepreneurs and small businesses.
The feedback from guests and speakers alike has been outstanding. Guests were engaged and excited to be involved. The atmosphere was friendly and collaborative.
H&R Block were one of our event partners and spoke to our attendees about how clever management and understanding of finances is crucial to startup success. They also launched their new initiative; “Grants for Growth”, to support entrepreneurial passion projects that need that little extra boost to transform them from “up and coming” to mainstream.
Twenty $10k grants are up for grabs, with H&R Block to award the lucky recipients in October. The competition will run from April until September, and requires entrants to plead their case: what makes them deserving of a grant? The idea behind the initiative is that H&R Block, with the support of Officeworks, is hoping to give a boost to budding small companies, so that their creators can focus on growing their own business, instead of worrying about staying afloat. If you could use an extra $10k in your startup, be quick to enter here.
In the September issue of marie claire, we share our learnings from the 2-day digital masterclass. Be sure to grab your issue to hear the top tips and tricks to get your startup off the ground from 19 of Australia’s finest innovators and tech experts.
