Budding entrepreneurs in the Gympie region will get the chance to learn how to grow new businesses from the ground up over the course of one intense weekend on 7-9 June.

USC has partnered with Gympie Regional Council and the Federal Government’s Entrepreneurship Facilitator program to deliver the Gympie Youth Startup Weekend as a launchpad for new regional businesses.

USC Manager of Northern Campuses Graham Young said the event aimed to inspire and empower people to build their own successful and innovative businesses.

“We are inviting would-be entrepreneurs to pitch their business idea to a group of like-minded people and learn what is involved in starting a company from scratch,” Mr Young said.

The event, hosted at USC’s Gympie campus, will run on a platform developed by Techstars, a worldwide network that works to connect entrepreneurs, experts, mentors, investors, community leaders and corporate partners.

Lynne Wilbraham from the Entrepreneurship Facilitators’ program said participants would learn how to turn ideas into realistic concepts under the guidance of mentors and judges from the Gympie and Sunshine Coast business community.

“Over the course of 54 hours, they will be immersed in intense sessions of model creation, coding, designing and market validation,” she said.

“The event will culminate with presentations to a judging panel of local business leaders, with further opportunity for feedback.”

Mr Young said the collaborative community capacity-building project was designed to raise entrepreneurial aspirations in the Gympie region.

“It will provide the foundations for participants to develop valuable networks and industry links by connecting them with the right people and resources,” he said.

Event judges include Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast CEO Mark Paddenburg, Gympie Mayor Mick Curran and general manager of Madill Motor Group Adam Madill.

Participants will be guided by coaches and mentors include Managing Director of Polleys Coaches Warren Polley, Mark Riches from media and business consultants Enriches Business, and Angela Lisle, a Director for Digital and Creative at TAFE Queensland.

Registration details 

The program is supported by the Wide Bay Burnett Regional Organisation of Councils and funded by the Queensland Government’s Advance Queensland Initiative.

— Clare McKay