Bright SPARKS ready to pitch their socially conscious business ideas

SPARK Live Pitch is an exciting collective-giving event which is part of the Enterprise Lab’s Ideation program where startup teams will be pitching to a panel of judges for $2500 in seed funding.

In a different style to a regular pitch, the startup teams won’t just be pitching to the judges. Members of the audience will also be able to offer contributions - anything from an hour of their time, a consultation, volunteering, or even networking opportunities - if they feel inspired by the innovations on offer.

The startups are: robotic mowing devices for macadamia farms; a facilitated platform to connect farmers and consumers; a micro-greens growing system for Indigenous communities; a micro-financing platform to encourage youth entrepreneurship; and an Indigenous social enterprise.

Levi-Joel Tamou's team is supporting Indigenous social enterprise with their brand, 'Love Ya'.

“The Ideation Program has ignited a dream that has been sitting within me for too long and now it has fast tracked it. It’s lit it up,” he said.

“‘Love Ya’ is an Indigenous social enterprise and profit-for-purpose charity. We make awesome beverage products for corporate and government organisations that have Indigenous procurement targets. Stuff like coffee, tea, beer, wine and cider.

"All profits go towards supporting Indigenous social enterprises and our incubator hub based on the Gold Coast. Our mission is to help launch 1000 Indigenous social enterprises by 2030. By investing in Indigenous businesses, we make an impact - for the better.”

The Enterprise Lab launched its first Ideation program in April and, through competitive application, 25 motivated individuals from across the region were selected to form teams and participate in the six-week workshop program.

The program is designed to address challenges in the region while building the entrepreneurial capacity and capabilities of the participants.

Throughout the program, teams have developed solutions to a range of key impact areas in the region, including food sustainability, indigenous cultural inclusion, and youth unemployment.

Tanya Egerton, manager of the Enterprise Lab, said she was excited to see what ideas the initiative could bring to the region.

“We are very proud to be a part of the Northern Rivers entrepreneurial ecosystem, and we are extremely enthusiastic about fostering the development of ideas and solutions that could enhance our region even further.

“Throughout the Ideation Program, we’ve seen fresh perspectives on how some of the region’s biggest challenges could be solved through innovation and entrepreneurship,” she said.

Event details

SPARK Live Pitch, a collective-giving pitch night

Thursday May 31
4.45pm - 7.30pm
Enterprise Lab
A Block, Level 3
Southern Cross University Lismore campus

Registrations or more information (including contributing as an audience member).

Any enquiries, contact Tanya Egerton, Enterprise Lab manager, at tanya.egerton@scu.edu.au