It was the first time that a startup event of such magnitude has been held in the Moreton Bay Region, and what came out of it was a clear, simple and important message - the Moreton Bay Region is home to some exciting, prolific and talented people.
DOWNLOAD 2019 FOUNDERFEST IMPACT REPORT
Innovate Moreton Bay FounderFest firmly places its attendees into the shoes of an entrepreneur and shows just what it takes to get a product to market. With the help of mentors and peers, attendees learned to pitch ideas, work in teams, prepare and plan ideas, design and develop prototypes, and design branding.
2019 attendees included a mix of students, teachers, small business owners, USC researchers, and the winners of the Young Entrepreneur & Innovation of the Year categories from the 2018 Moreton Bay Region Business Excellence & Innovation Awards (MBEIA).
Over three days, participants first pitched new ideas and concepts before joining teams made of individuals from various founders skill sets - Hipsters (Creatives), Hackers (Techs), or Hustlers (Go Getters). During the event, teams continued to validate their ideas via a blank canvas model, test assumptions, conduct interviews and analyse responses, and build prototypes to proceed towards developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
This professional development event would not have been so successful without industry professionals who generously donated their time to mentor the FounderFest participants. During the event over 15 mentors from various backgrounds and experiences presented to teams and groups, and engaged with participants one on one.
Deborah Morandin - Entrepreneurs Paradise
Ron Crump - Hills & Districts Chamber of Commerce
Trish Springsteen - Public Speaking Coach, Mentor and Author
Daniel Lyngcoln - Brandtree
Gary Weis - SBIM
Dominika Lis - Dominika Photography
Mike Smith - Pineapple Digital
Sarah Barnes - Transition Level Investments
Jess Ricketts - JR Media
Ryan Elson - Tribe
Linda Conyard - Linda Conyard
Shea Smith - 44 Gallon Films
The weekend wraps up with teams pitching their startup ideas to a judging panel. The winning teams share in $8,000 worth of professional services to assist them taking their idea to the next stage.
Prizes included:
Innovate Moreton Bay has already started planning FounderFest 2020. If you have a great idea and don't know what to do next? Or if you want to know what it's really like to be an entrepreneur and start your own company contact steve.butler@mbrit.com.au and register your interest for next year's event.