Bright Sparks: 3 things you need to see this week

Welcome to our weekly column on the important things to see and do for the ANZ startup community, brought to you by the director of the Spark Festival, Maxine Sherrin.

Every Tuesday she picks out 3 things worth putting in the diary for the week ahead. If you’d like to know more, sign up to the Weekly Sparks, Maxine’s roundup of all that’s on in Australian tech and startups.

Here’s what’s hot this week:

Breaking down the barriers to entrepreneurship for LGBTQI+ founders

Weds, Sep 22, 5:30pm AEST

Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur, startup founder, or seasoned business person with a passion for launching your own company, knowing where to start your entrepreneurial journey can be difficult.

For LGBTQI+ entrepreneurs, in particular, there can also be additional identity-related barriers to overcome.

With this in mind, Antler have brought together LGBTQI+ entrepreneurs to share their own startup experiences of building and scaling startups.

Tune in to hear all about idea generation to business model validation, growth hacks, tech tips, securing investment, exits, and more.

How and why do big companies buy from gamechanging Startups?

Thu, Sep 23, 11am AEST

How can startups grow through sales and secure purchase orders from big clients?

How can corporates better innovate by partnering with and buying from startups? This perennial challenge for startups is very much a two-way conversation that needs everyone to come to the table.

Whether you’re a startup looking for a way in, or a corporate looking to work with startups, be part of this Tech23 Impact Circle.

Always Be Closing – Close More Deals for Your Startup

Thu Sep 23, 6pm AEST

Startups & businesses number one reason for failure is not being able to sell, or to understand the customer enough to know what they need to sell to them. Simple. You can’t get revenue without getting good at sales.

Always Be Closing is a business rule that will change the way you think about every conversation you have in your business. Join a supportive group of founders and everyday people looking to lift their sales game.