Innovators share $300k from Optus Future Makers
  • Home
  • Anthill Magazine
    • Funding & Finance
    • Tech & Innovation
    • Marketing & Media
    • Growth & Export
    • Management Matters
    • Startup & Entrepreneurship
    • B2B Sales & Marketing
    • Anthill TV
    • Podcasts
  • WEBINARS
  • TOOLS WE LOVE
    • B2B School
    • B2B Dash
  • About Us
    • What is Anthill?
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • JOIN THE ARMY (FREE)
  • SUBSCRIBE
Saturday, April 24, 2021
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contact
ANTHILL MAGAZINE
ANTHILL MAGAZINE ANTHILL MAGAZINE
  • Home
  • Anthill Magazine
    • Funding & Finance
    • Tech & Innovation
    • Marketing & Media
    • Growth & Export
    • Management Matters
    • Startup & Entrepreneurship
    • B2B Sales & Marketing
    • Anthill TV
    • Podcasts
  • WEBINARS
  • TOOLS WE LOVE
    • B2B School
    • B2B Dash
  • About Us
    • What is Anthill?
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • JOIN THE ARMY (FREE)
  • SUBSCRIBE
Home Articles 11 innovators scooped up $300k funding in under three minutes at this...
  • EMAIL SEGMENTATION
  • CAPITAL RAISED
  • Anthill Magazine
  • Funding & Finance
  • Startup & Entrepreneurship

11 innovators scooped up $300k funding in under three minutes at this pitch event

By
Anthill Magazine
-
Jul 26, 2016
1
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
Pinterest
WhatsApp

    Eleven emerging digital and social influencers stepped into the spotlight recently at the Optus Future Makers event to pitch their innovative ideas to a panel of experts.

    The innovators had just 180 seconds each to secure their share of the $300,000 funding pot and seven walked away with enough financial backing to bring their bold ideas to life. Prominent names across tech, innovation and social change including global social entrepreneur, Geoff Gourley, and Group Founder of Thankyou, Daniel Flynn joined forces to form the experienced judging panel.

    What’s the goal of such a program?

    The inaugural Optus Future Makers program, launched earlier this year, is designed to foster digital innovation that has the ability to change the social landscape. The program aims to bring to life bold ideas that have the ability to change the social landscape.

    It supports entrepreneurs, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations with innovative technological ideas that help address the challenges faced by vulnerable young Australians across employability, education, cyber education & safety and wellbeing.

    Paul O’Sullivan, Future Makers Judge and Optus Chairman, said, “This program is about helping Australia’s innovators to make a positive social impact through tech.

    “We know how important technology is in people’s daily lives, and with Future Makers we are specifically targeting projects that will benefit marginalised and vulnerable youth.”

    How did the competition pan out?

    After a tense pitching process in front of an audience at the Optus Campus in Sydney, just seven of the 11 finalists were crowned this year’s Future Makers, and awarded $50,000 grants.

    Optus Future Makers L-R From left to right - Geoff Gourley​­, Jan Owen​, Marina Paronetto, Marita Cheng, Rhianon Vichta, Brian Collyeri, Penny Harnett, Colin Jowell, Dr Rowan Tulloch, Daniel Flynn
    Optus Future Makers L-R From left to right – Geoff Gourley​­, Jan Owen​, Marina Paronetto, Marita Cheng, Rhianon Vichta, Brian Collyeri, Penny Harnett, Colin Jowell, Dr Rowan Tulloch, Daniel Flynn

    The winners included;

    Colin Jowell, Parramatta, Sydney: ‘Guide Dots’ enables young people with vision impairment to independently discover the world around them and to engage with their social environment just like their sighted friends and peers.

    Penny Harnett, Newcastle, NSW: ‘iWareness’ app will provide information to young people of both genders to help them recognise, respond to and change attitudes towards domestic violence.

    Marita Cheng, Richmond, Melbourne: ‘Teleport’ an affordable and beautiful telepresence robot which allows young people with a spinal cord injury or debilitating disease to attend school or participate in the workforce by working remotely.

    Marina Paronetto, Middle Park, Melbourne: ‘Biz’ is a peer-to-peer mobile app designed to give teenage girls of all backgrounds an equal opportunity to learn about business and
    enhance their confidence, skill set and employability.

    Dr Rowan Tulloch, Rozelle, Sydney: ‘The Game Change’ software helps university and school teachers gamify their classrooms to better engage and motivate students. It also assists students who are marginalised by traditional teaching practices.

    Following a unanimous decision by the judging panel, two finalists who pitched separately were offered $50,000 funding to share if they agreed to collaborate and bring their ideas to life as a single innovation:

    Brian Collyer, Milton, Brisbane: `The Wellbeing Coach’ app/web portal gives young people’s access to information and resources and uses technology to enhance communication in the counsellor/client relationship.

    Rhianon Vichta, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane: ‘New Futures for Young People’ is an accessible and integrated online platform that promotes and measures beneficial wellbeing outcomes for vulnerable young people.

    Get unlimited access to our FREE business tools…

    Need to raise capital? Want to become a more persuasive presenter? Want to master social media? Is it time to overhaul your website? Unlock the library to get free access to free cheat sheets and business tools. Click here for free business tools.

    Want an ad like this? Learn More
    • TAGS
    • Biz
    • Brian Collyer
    • brisbane
    • Colin Jowell
    • cyber education & safety
    • Daniel Flynn
    • digital influencers
    • digital innovation
    • Dr Rowan Tulloch
    • education
    • employability
    • entrepreneurs
    • Fortitude Valley
    • Geoff Gourley
    • Global Social Entrepreneur
    • Guide Dots
    • innovative ideas
    • innovative technological ideas
    • iWareness
    • Marina Paronetto
    • marita cheng
    • Melbourne
    • Middle Park
    • Milton
    • New Futures for Young People
    • newcastle
    • not-for-profit organisations
    • NSW
    • Optus Campus
    • Optus Future Makers
    • Parramatta
    • Paul O’Sullivan
    • Penny Harnett
    • Rhianon Vichta
    • richmond
    • Rozelle
    • social enterprises
    • social influencers
    • sydney
    • Teleport
    • Thankyou
    • The Game Change
    • The Wellbeing Coach
    • wellbeing
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Google+
    Pinterest
    WhatsApp
      Previous articleThese five social start-ups were funded at Chivas Regal’s ‘The Venture’ final in New York
      Next articleAustralia’s first home loan marketplace has hit the $1 billion mark in under a year
      Anthill Magazine

      RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

      Do you want to start your own online store without making a hefty investment?

      Buying a new car? Here’s how to lock in the best car loan rate [SPONSORED]

      Ollee, Australia’s pioneer local and ethical Business to Business marketplace launched

      FREE BUSINESS TOOLS

      HOW TO RECRUIT THE BEST PEOPLE with Sam Chandler

      Anthill Magazine - Jan 22, 2016
      0
      Plenty of recruitment agencies have tallied the numbers and found that the average dud hire will cost an organisation between $50,000 and $70,000, factoring...

      THE ULTIMATE CASHFLOW CHECKLIST [FREE DOWNLOAD]

      Jun 30, 2016

      Need more leads? Here are five strategies [FREE DOWNLOAD]

      Apr 30, 2016

      Learn how to devise winning business ideas in four steps with...

      Jul 6, 2015

      The Ultimate Social Media Almanac with James Tuckerman [Cheat Sheet]

      Jan 22, 2016

      How to confidently raise venture capital… with Jack Delosa [CHEAT SHEET]

      Apr 19, 2016

      POPULAR VIDEO

      Super Mario gets some stop motion madness treatment

      Scott Winning - Jun 24, 2010
      0

      Is this the coolest thing since the iPhone? Pebble raises a crazy amount of cash in 72 hours

      Jen Storey - Apr 16, 2012
      9

      When Richard Branson shared the most important thing about running a company [VIDEO]

      Anthill Magazine - Sep 8, 2015
      0

      Are advertising creatives running out of ideas? [VIDEO]

      Jen Storey - Nov 14, 2012
      0

      How to become a wizard of the future. Why everyone needs to know how to code [VIDEO]

      Jen Storey - Mar 5, 2013
      2

      FREE BUSINESS TOOL

      Instagram for Business… in 12 steps [FREE INFOGRAPHIC]

      Anthill Magazine - Jul 6, 2015
      0
      This FREE INFOGRAPHIC will teach you how to effectively work through these restrictions to maximize the benefits of your business usage of Instagram.

      How To Grow Your Business and Profits with Jason Cunningham [CHEAT...

      Jul 6, 2015

      Need cash for your startup or innovation? Here’s the Ultimate Grant...

      Oct 19, 2015

      Generating Web Traffic with Mark Middo and James Tuckerman [FREE REPORT]

      Jul 6, 2015

      Do you have happy staff? 5 ways to improve performance [FREE...

      Jun 30, 2016

      INFOGRAPHICS

      New Zealand’s Xero eyes US IPO, further disruption as subscribers increase...

      Anthill Magazine - Jul 31, 2014
      0
      Xero recently held its annual meeting in Wellington, during which the company revealed some interesting details about its future. As has been widely suspected, the...

      Ever wonder if your ‘content marketing’ is really just crap? You...

      Aug 11, 2014

      7 Business Lessons From Game of Thrones [INFOGRAPHIC]

      Oct 7, 2014

      How to build your own Media Empire… In seven steps with...

      Oct 16, 2014

      5 Business Lessons From Tinder [INFOGRAPHIC]

      Oct 31, 2014

      OPINIONS & ADVICE

      Do you want to start your own online store without making a hefty investment?

      Gerald Ainomugisha - Apr 22, 2021

      Buying a new car? Here’s how to lock in the best car loan rate...

      Anthill Magazine - Apr 21, 2021

      Ollee, Australia’s pioneer local and ethical Business to Business marketplace launched

      Anthill Magazine - Apr 20, 2021

      Health & lifestyle startup Sundose, raises US$6 million in Series A funding round.

      News Desk - Apr 19, 2021

      Protect your business from becoming the next cyber security cautionary tale

      Ajay Unni - Apr 17, 2021

      EVEN MORE NEWS

      Do you want to start your own online store without making...

      Apr 22, 2021

      Buying a new car? Here’s how to lock in the best...

      Apr 21, 2021

      Ollee, Australia’s pioneer local and ethical Business to Business marketplace launched

      Apr 20, 2021

      POPULAR CATEGORIES

      • Articles5099
      • Startup & Entrepreneurship3872
      • Tech & Innovation2933
      • Marketing & Media2179
      • Management Matters1764
      • ANTHILL TV1584
      • Funding & Finance1349
      © Ant Hill Enterprises Pty Ltd
      • Subscribe
      • Advertise
      • Contact