How do you turn an idea into reality? A gathering at The Welders Dog Brewery on August 7 will explore this question through the voices of those who have done it.
Hosted by the UNE SMART Region Incubator, this “celebration of unconventional thinking” will centre on the experience of Bill and Jacqui Mitchell, Northern Tablelands graziers who wondered whether there was a better way to measure weight gain (or loss) in livestock.
The result of putting that vision into action is Optiweigh, a revolutionary in-paddock, real-time weighing system that was recently awarded Best Agritech Company in Australia 2024 by the Australian Agritech Association. Optiweigh technology has been rapidly adopted by Australian producers, and is now being exported.
Bill Mitchell will talk about Optiweigh’s journey from idea to its present vibrant business reality, and the SRI’s Expert-In-Resident, Gary Morgan, will host a subsequent discussion about the business of building a business out of thin air.
Since 2017, UNE’s SRI has provided a platform for 76 business founders to refine and launch their ideas. Not all ideas work, but 88% of founders who have joined the SRI are in a growth or scaling-up phase in their businesses.
They have collectively raised $23 million in investment, which is used to power the development of businesses built in the region by local people.
“In the past, if you had the germ of an idea for a business, you had to leave the region to find a community of fellow entrepreneurs and investors to make that business happen,” says SRI Director, Dr Lou Conway.
“Now you can find that community here in the region, and build out your vision without uprooting family and friendships. This not only works for the founders, but for the region – all our founders want their businesses to be based here, where they live.”
“Our August 7 event, Celebrating Unconventional Thinking, is for anyone who ever had a vision and wondered how to take it into action.”
Celebrating Unconventional Thinking will be held at the The Welder’s Dog Brewery, 101 Beardy Street, Armidale, on August 7 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
Read more and register here – https://www.unesri.com.au/event-listings/celebrating-unconventional-innovation.
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