Entrepreneurship / Startups
MKW - Masterclass: Getting Past The Idea Stage
Have you ever come across a problem that is begging to be solved? Or perhaps you’ve got a great idea but don’t know how to bring it to life?
This inspirational masterclass event will encourage attendees to solve problems and execute innovative ideas for positive change.
Combining a panel interview and Q&A session, the class will feature guest speakers from various startups. Each speaker will share their unique story of taking their initial business idea through to execution, focusing on the specific methodologies they learned and used from the Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre (MEC). These insightful and powerful first-person accounts, offer rich insight into the essential first steps of a new venture, the startup stages, the importance of customer discovery, market validation and the pathway to product-market fit.
*This event is run as part of the Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre’s (MEC) Startup Expo: Solving Big Problems at Melbourne Connect.
Event Speakers
Bonnie Zhang (Host)
- Bonnie is a Program Coordinator at Translating Research at Melbourne (TRAM), Australia’s premier university-based impact accelerator program. In her role she works to empower ambitious researchers to develop their ventures. Prior to her role at TRAM, she was a cancer researcher at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre where she worked to develop a novel drug to treat oesophageal cancer. From her research at Peter Mac, she co-founded oncoStarv – a biotech startup focused on starving cancer of essential nutrients required for survival and growth. She took oncoStarv through MAP’s Velocity Program in 2021 making steps to take this research out of the laboratory. Outside of work, she co-hosts a podcast “Pear Review Club” with her two lab mates where they unravel quirky science making scientific concepts more accessible and fun for any listener!
Madeleine Grummet
- Passionate about backing great founders, building great companies and growing great teams, Madeleine is an award-winning education technology entrepreneur; startup mentor; high growth venture and Angel investor and Board Director (MAICD). Madeleine is the Co-Founder of career education and employability skills platform Future Amp. Future Amp is on a mission to equip 1 million students across Australia with skills for the future of work, and to grow equity of access to new workforce participation.
Madeleine also Co-Founded award-winning career education company girledworld, which has worked with STEM, startup and tech sector business mentors in 100’s of global and local companies to connect them with 30,000+ female students to upskill them for the industries and jobs of tomorrow.
Dr Matthew Harrison
- Dr. Matthew Harrison is an experienced educator, researcher and digital creator with a keen passion for utilising technology to enhance social capacity building, connectedness and inclusion. He has taught in Australia, South Korea and the United Kingdom at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Matthew is currently coordinating Autism Intervention within the Master of Learning Intervention, and is the Co-Director of Student Experience at The University of Melbourne Graduate School of Education. His research primarily focuses on inclusive education and the effective use of digital technologies as teaching and learning tools. As a gamer, he has a particular interest in digital games-based learning and intervention. Matthew’s PhD thesis examined how cooperative video games can be used as spaces for developing social capabilities for students with disabilities and neurological differences. Building from this innovative research he founded Next Level Collaboration, an inclusive community for neurodiverse children that uses cooperative video games to build confidence and social capabilities. He is also the founder of Hatt Designs developing educational apps for tablets and smartphones.
Madeleine Scavone
- Maddy is a passionate orthoptist who has worked in the ophthalmic field for over 10 years. Whilst working, she found her passion for paediatric ophthalmology and the place she felt she could make the most difference to her patient’s lives. Seeing a gap in the market led her to make a change and start developing Speckles. Speckles is a one stop shop for children’s vision needs. Whether it’s their colourful, biodegradable and comfy patches that help improve the development of the connection from the eye to the brain, unbreakable toddler proof sunnies, or fun adjustable glasses that grow with a child’s face, they are committed to making innovative products that kids love to wear.