Ideas take flight: Women entrepreneurs shine at latest HATCH program

At UNE SRI, we understand that every great startup begins with an idea, whether big or small.

We also know that when you’re building something new - a product, a service, an app - there’s a moment where you have to stop dreaming and start mapping - turning the idea into something tangible and ultimately, a business:

That process involves working through a series of questions -

• Who’s this for?

• What problem does it actually solve?

• Why this solution and not another?

• Who’s going to pay for it, and why?

And this is exactly what we explored at our HATCH workshop in Armidale on Saturday, 5 July.

HATCH is a one-day deep dive developed specifically for early-stage founders (and those still exploring an idea in their notes app on their phone).

This time, we welcomed a group of five women with ideas as varied as their backgrounds, spanning mental health, biomedicine, childcare, and circular manufacturing. Together, we worked through the Lean Canvas, asking the hard but helpful questions that help shape an idea into something viable.

It was inspiring to witness such passion and creativity in one room, as these budding entrepreneurs delved deep into developing their ventures using the Lean Canvas framework.

The best bit?  The collaborative and positive atmosphere in the room led to tangible outcomes for our participants. They gained confidence, saw their impostor syndrome diminish, and found clarity.

Feeling supported and energised, participants left with actionable next steps and a clear sense of direction for their ventures, reflecting a strong sense of positivity and readiness to move forward.

A highlight of the day was having two UNE students present their burgeoning ideas and working through the process to identify opportunities to collaborate with researchers and research centres to help inform the validity of their products. Understanding the power of leveraging contacts, networks, and knowledge was a real joy to witness in these young women.

Next stop: Tamworth.
We’re bringing HATCH to Tamworth on Friday, 30 August, and spots are already filling fast. It’s a hands-on, practical day that helps you test your idea, map out the essentials, and get real about what it’ll take to move forward, with support from someone who’s done it before: our Entrepreneur in Residence, Edwina Sharrock.

Interested? You can reserve your seat right here.