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News, Insights and Stories from the Australian and New Zealand tech ecosystem.

Entrepreneurs SeaChange Startup Camp

Here is how the weekend panned out:

  • Participants apply as individuals and work in teams of 5 or 6.
  • Teams brainstorm ideas on the first day
  • Work on Friday evening, all day Saturday, and then present pitches to the expert panel that evening. Phew!!! How Cool – leaves all day Sunday for Relaxin’ surfin or touristing in one of Australia’s most beautiful locations.

At the end of the weekend participants:

  • have experienced the thrill of starting a business
  • have met and learned from some experienced Australian entrepreneurs
  • find out more about the sourcing funding for your fantastic web business idea.
  • have worked hard and had a lot of fun
  • spent time in a great place (see images of Merimbula here)
Over the weekend the participants also got to hear from local success stories in business, such as founder and owner of Birdsnest Jane Cay – an extremely successful online fashion business that employs 80 people and is headquartered in Cooma. As the internet in the country becomes faster, the barrier to dominating markets often owned by the cities has been lowered significantly. I have been talking about the Rural startup scene for about a year now and I think that over the next 24 months, it is going to explode and seem like it is coming from no-where.
Advisor on the trip Marc Englaro spoke to me on Friday mid-bus trip and stressed the importance of how this particular startup camp will see potentially 6 new businesses employing people regionally and close the divide that exists between the city tech space and often unspoken about country tech space.
You can check out the journey that happened at the blog here and we will be interviewing participants that got a business off the ground throughout the weekend over the course of this week on the site.
The Judges for the pitching session were:

Natalie Godward

Natalie Godward has a background in marketing, online marketing and advertising.   She is the President of the Merimbula Chamber of Commerce, and Vice President of the Bega Valley Business Forum.

Natalie is also owner of Merimbula Jewellers and Merimbula Engraving and Trophies

Mary-Anne Waldren

Mary-Anne Waldren is a business mentor and speaker, and creator of the Australian Science Festival and National Science Week.   She is founder of the Master Entrepreneur Program, and has been a speaker at the Canberra TEDx event in 2011

Christine Kaine

Christine Kaine is founder of Business Angels, and provides a matching and introduction service between entrepreneurs and investors taking into account not only the product and market fit, but also personalties.

Marc Englaro

Marc Englaro is CEO of InsightfulCRM, a consulting and integration firm specialising in helping businesses grow through better customer relationships.

Marc has founded businesses, bought and sold some, and failed with others, but is passionate about improving the world though better business.  With a focus on sales and marketing, particularly in a B2B sector, Marc offers insight and advice to anyone who’ll listen and particularly enjoys a a double macchiato.

Russell Fitzpatrick

Russell Fitzpatrick is Deputy Mayor of Bega Valley Shire, Board Member of Regional Development Australia, Board Member of Southern NSW Health Board, Chairman of the Pambula Hospital Committee.

Previously Russell was Corporate Bank Manager at the National Australia Bank.





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