SA start-ups get a ticket to ride

FOUR promising start-ups from SA will head to the US in March, rubbing shoulders with, and learning from, entrepreneurs in the Silicon Valley, Austin and New York, reports Valerina Changarathil.

Scott and Clair Crowley with their children Oliver (5) & Maddy (3) at Seacliff beach. It is a story about traveling with a disability. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

A START-UP idea borne out of a personal drive to make holidays accessible for everyone has won entrepreneur Clair Crowley the top prize at a popular entrepreneurs awards.

The Good Scout Travel Company won Thursday night’s Gold eNVIe at the Flinders University-run New Venture Institute (NVI) pitch event.

Ms Crowley set up an online platform for planning travel with a focus on accessibility after her own experience of the frustrations in finding travel and adventure experiences that included her husband, Scott Crowley, who became wheelchair-bound after a tragic snowboarding accident.

“One of the things we as a family always look at when booking travel and accommodation is not the pool, but the bathrooms, for accessibility, so I knew the why of my start-up but not the how.”

In January, theSunday Mail reported on the family’s incredible ongoing passion for travel and adventure.

On a two-month trip to Europe, taking in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Budapest and Zurich, they encountered “every physical and attitudinal barrier a wheelchair user could imagine”.

This included being unable to find information about accessible transport, unaccommodating customer service staff and broken elevators.

The couple returned with a clear idea to fix the system.

They established an inclusive tourism consultancy, Push Adventures, and set up online business The Good Scout Travel Co with friend Linda Anderson.

“It has been an absolute emotional rollercoaster for us and an intense few months,” said Ms Crowley, a mum to two children under 7.

“The next stage for us will be to grow the amount of information now available through our website and actually enable people to book their travels through us.”

The Good Scout Travel Company won $35,000 worth of prizes including a 10-day trip to the US to visit Silicon Valley, Austin and New York.

NVI’s annual US Innovation Mission in March will involve visiting start-ups and attending more than than 30 events, pitch competitions, site visits and networking opportunities.

The Silver eNVIe, which also includes a US trip, was won by Matthew Stead of Ping Services. His wind turbine blade condition management system is being prototyped through the Flinders Innovation Centre.

The People’s Choice Award went to Karen Roberts, founder of Book Burritos, which has developed an iron-on, environmentally-friendly schoolbook covering system.

The eNVIes were judged by Life Whisperer co-founder Michelle Perugini, Looplabs founder Craig Swann, Chooks SA founder Moira Deslandes, Kik Innovation’s Louise Nobes and Matt Salier.

The eNVIes is a graduation night for the NVI’s Venture Dorm programwhich helps new businesses to start up fast with low upfront investment, and supports them beyond the 12-week immersive program to continue to grow and mature, with access to co-working space and services at eNVIsion, and ongoing expert guidance.

A total of 19 start-ups completed NVI’s Venture Dorm metropolitan program.

NVI director Matthew Salier said there were benefits ahead for the winners from NVI’s relationships with international investors and entrepreneurs, some of whom they will meet during their trip to the US.

“Flinders’ NVI innovation incubators have links with entrepreneur landing groups in the US, Shanghai and Singapore and that’s a really important part of the value of Venture Dorm program and our co-working space,” he said.

Flinders University Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling acknowledged the high quality of contestants in the competition’s 10th year.

“The eNVIes are going from strength to strength and each of these awards is as diverse as our University itself, and as unique as the people who venture through our doors,” Professor Stirling said.

Regional winners dream big

Limestone Coast entrepreneurs, accessories designer Ashlee Kalantarian and inland fish farmer Daryl Prunnell, will share in $45,000 of prizes to pursue their business dreams.

Ms Kalantarian was named a Gold eNVIe winner at the Venture Dorm’s inaugural Limestone Coast awards this week, with Daryl taking up the Silver spot.

They will travel to the US in March, but also get hands-on support to scale up their business ideas.

The Limestone NVI hub was set up this year with federal, state and council funding.

Ms Kalantarian is already making fashion waves with her range of headwear accessories, while Mr Prunnell wants to build a Port MacDonnell tourist attraction with a fish farm featuring rock lobster and Atlantic salmon and a community space providing education, tastings and accommodation.

“Venture Dorm filled a gap in the region and gave me the confidence to take the steps to start scaling, but also really helped define my business model and how to project revenue,” Ms Kalantarian said.

“I now have so many plans not only for the domestic market but also for international expansion.”

Mr Prunell said the program helped him mature his idea to include lobsters.

There were eight graduates from the Limestone Coast’s inaugural program, including People’s Choice Award winner Katie Fox – who owns luxury gift box business Little Pink Box and won $3000 of business-boosting services.

The Advertiser is a supporter of the eNVIes.