Lymbo: Malkah Muckenschnabl creates agriculture recruitment and networking app

Her mum had an impressive cattle career in Venezuela, but ended up cleaning toilets here. This 24-year-old is helping other ag job hunters avoid the same fate.

A young agribusiness entrepreneur says there is a big gap in the recruitment market for an agriculture-specific jobs platform, and she plans to fill the hole.

ANZ relationship credit analyst and Lymbo founder Malkah Muckenschnabl. Malkah's Lymbo app is a jobs and career networking platform designed specifically for the agriculture industry. Picture: Supplied

ANZ agribusiness analyst Malkah Muckenschnabl is building an app called Lymbo that helps job candidates and agriculture employers build networks and share more than resumes.

She said her mother’s challenges finding work in the sector, and the fact Australia’s biggest jobs search engine “does not filter for agriculture” sparked the idea.

“We have two very different situations, with one ongoing systemic issue: barriers to finding a job in agriculture,” said the 24-year-old, who grew up on farms across Venezuela and South Australia. “It is hard not to fear that the industry is relying on its networks. But what if you don’t have the right network. Or what if you are new to the industry.”

Malkah’s mum, Corina, was her motivating case study.

After playing professional tennis in the US, Corina forged an agriculture career in South America, studying, then working on large cattle stations and running her own consultancy.

She and Malkah immigrated to Australia 15 years ago, and were fast-tracked for a visa due to her experience.

But once they arrived, Corina struggled to land any job interviews.

“She had gone from having a whole career, all these skills, all this knowledge … to cleaning toilets in a hotel in Adelaide because she couldn’t find a job,” Malkah said, speaking as one of the Future Young Leaders at EvokeAg last week.

“When you think about it – elite sportsperson, career in agriculture, also had her own company, it ticks all the boxes you would want from someone.”

Malkah said what she lacked was network connections.

“That was 15 years ago and now my generation is experiencing the same thing.”

With a lot of perseverance, Corina re-established her career, and now works for Bindaree Beef.

Malkah hopes Lymbo will offer the industry its own recruitment and networking platform so “someone like my mum, who didn’t have someone who knew someone who knew someone, can tell their story”.