Emerging Aussie entrepreneurs in 2018

AUSTRALIA is quickly developing a reputation for breeding innovative, socially minded business minds. Here are some to look out for this year.

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AUSTRALIA is quickly developing a reputation for breeding innovative, socially minded business minds. Here are some to look out for this year.

From fashion and design, to agriculture and aged care, our industry performance in various sectors is already making waves locally and on a global scale. It’s essential we back our entrepreneurs in order to keep up with the global competitive market. Investing in our future business leaders will keep our industries powering through and relevant.

So if you’re looking to be inspired or even impressed, check out this list of emerging entrepreneurs to look out for in 2018.

Morgan Coleman | Vets On Call

In a world of shared economies, Morgan is bringing the Uber trend to the vet industry. His mobile app Vets On Call is about bringing veterinary services to pet owners across the nation, making the experience more convenient, less stressful and more transparent for pet owners.

The pitch

“Vets on Call is making high quality pet care more accessible and more flexible so that the health care needs of our pet's and the increasing demand for our time aren't in conflict with one another. In addition, our service is an excellent solution for those that for whatever reason may find it difficult to make the trek out to a clinic, or perhaps have pets that suffer from stress as a result of this trip.”

For the future

“Personally, I love being able to solve a current problem today so that life will be easier tomorrow. To me that's an integral element to progression whether that be within a market, socially or otherwise. Vets on Call as a business aims to not only offer a fantastic alternative to the current Veterinary model in Australia, but soon Worldwide.”

Best advice I’ve received

“Get comfortable being uncomfortable.”

James Legge | Sprout Stack

In the wake of climate change and the disruptive global food environment, AgTech is increasingly becoming an entrepreneurs dream. Innovation is at the core of this industry, and James and the team at Sprout Stack are revolutionising how fresh produce is grown.

The pitch

“Sprout Stack is an indoor farming Start up from Sydney with a mission to grow food without compromising the environment. We enable all Australians to access locally grown and sustainably farmed fresh produce - all year round,” says James.

For the future

“It’s the knowledge that our technology can make a difference to people’s lives that keeps us future-focused at Sprout Stack. Having this shared ambition guides us in our decision making and is crucial to our culture.

Best advice I’ve received

“‘Do things that don’t scale.’ Paul Graham of YC Combinator says. By doing things that don’t scale in the short term, you learn what can be scaled in the long term.”

Leah Ramage | Leah’s Mark Illustration

The rise of social entrepreneurship has sparked a movement towards global and environmental change. This trend now means small businesses are now not only focusing on the what, but the why. Inspired by nature and handmade with love, illustrator Leah Ramage and her business, Leah’s Mark aim to paint on trend prints to style the home, while using artwork as a way to advocate and educate people on animal and environmental sustainability and conservation.

The pitch

“I think there’s a real lack of awareness in the decline and treatment of animals. Working in the design world, people are always looking for the next best thing and the latest trend. By creating on trend prints it means that I get in front of a larger audience to raise awareness.

“Through my creative vision I am able to use my artwork to generate awareness about animal and environmental sustainability so that  it becomes less about consumerism and more about awareness.”

For the future

“Leah’s Mark blends design with education. I hope that my artworks and the message behind them have the power to make people act.”

Best advice I’ve received

“Just start.”

Tara Shelton | Dream & Do

What if we told you there’s an entrepreneur that essentially breeds other entrepreneurs?  Well that’s exactly what Tara Shelton and the team at Dream & Do, do. Brand story and identity is crucial to any startup. Tara and her team help startups craft their brand and purpose, giving the business a unique creative direction that will help them get noticed by the right people.

For the future

“Startups are our businesses of tomorrow. Businesses shape our world. We have already worked with some tiny startups that have tackled big problems and are making a huge impact. We get to work with people who are creating their own future, taking big risks and that is very exciting.

“I love the unknown and that business can create their own destinies. I always need to be creating, so working with startups and being one myself allows for loads of fresh thinking. I take risks and thrive on the adrenaline hits of running multiple businesses.”

Best advice I’ve received

"You can create a business and give other people their dream job, but you're the one that will be taking the least money, the least holidays and working the hardest, so make sure you are happy every single day."

Adam Jahnke | Umps Health

Co-founder and CEO Adam Jahnke built Umps Health’s solution to support his grandpa to live at home after he was hospitalised for a fall. The company uses non-intrusive sensors to measure people's interactions with their everyday home appliances, like the kettle, TV and microwave. The software detects abnormalities in behaviour that can act as indicators of an incident raising an alert to family members so they can intervene.

For the future

“While technology leadership is important, Umps Health's real future focus is on bigger questions. How is technology and automation changing the nature of work, leisure and care? What kind of social support system will be required to help people transition through these big shifts? What are the limitations and risks of technology adoption? What inequalities exist in the world today, and how can we play a role in a more equitable society?

“These are questions that technologists can't answer, so we spend time listening to ethicists, philosophers, political and social commentators, advocates and thought leaders in adjacent industries. This gives us a glimpse of what society might look like in the future, and from there we have defined our vision for Umps Health and developed our product roadmap.”

Best advice I’ve received

“When I started Umps Health, my partner gave me Daniel Flynn's book Chapter One. In it, Daniel talks about his 'first chapter' pioneering a profit distribution impact model in the fast moving consumer goods industry with Thankyou. I particularly liked the 3 questions that Daniel asks himself to “move forward”:

1. How would you live your life if you had no fear?
2. What would you say?
3. What would you do?

For me, asking myself these is about checking in and making sure I’m living my life (and running Umps Health) in accordance with my true self.”

Originally published as Emerging Aussie entrepreneurs in 2018