I2N - Young Business Minds

New Collaboration – Newcastle Innovation Summit presented by Future Minds Network

Here at the Young Business Mind Awards (YBMA) we have to rely on school educators or the University of Newcastle’s I2N Start Ups for Schools program to teach innovation and entrepreneurship skills to the students who participate in our competition. It was therefore, with some excitement, that we discovered that the Newcastle Innovation Summit was being held at the University of Newcastle at the end of this month 29 – 30 July.

We reached out to the Future Minds Network who is presenting the summit to find out more and to explore the opportunities for collaboration.

The Newcastle Innovation Summit is a NSW-first platform for Year 10-11 students to learn innovation, explore emerging careers, and create their own employment. Designed, developed and delivered by youth, they deeply understand the challenges that students face today. This two-day program will start with an action-packed Summit of inspiring keynotes, panels, and practical workshops. It will culminate in a high-energy hackathon, where students develop their own business ideas to solve problems across Newcastle.

On Day 1, students will meet young entrepreneurs starting ice-cream companies from scratch, groundbreaking heat-tracking technology and adventure tourism businesses.

On Day 2, they will embark on a hackathon and build their own businesses on key themes of Future of Cities, Future of Education, Future of Healthcare then pitch their ideas to the NSW Government.

Guest speakers include previous recipients of Young Australian of the Year, Newcastle Citizen of the Year, Lord Mayor of Newcastle and more!

The Newcastle Innovation Summit is a wonderful opportunity for anyone interested in the innovation and entrepreneurship space and anyone considering entering the YBMA to learn and be inspired by the best. Participation in the high-energy hackathon, where students develop their own business ideas to solve problems across Newcastle will see students pitch their ideas in a 2 min presentation, and we are looking to video each pitch and automatically enter it into YBMA.

We recognize that this is an event targeted at senior high school students and that the YBMA is open to all ages under 25. We will endeavour over the next 12 months to seek out programs that are suited to younger students as part of the ongoing development of our annual event.

To register for this year’s Newcastle Innovation Summit, visit https://bit.ly/3LBkexv

Young Business Mind Awards (YBMA) is proud to have I2N Integrated Innovation Network, a part of the University of Newcastle as one of our long-term partners. Did you know that they offer presentations and workshops for year 9 and 10 students on entrepreneurship?

This year we will be working with our partners to provide our teachers and schools with more resources to enable and grow participation in the YBMA because we believe that innovation and entrepreneurship are critical to our future – and that supporting our young people to develop skills in these areas is our duty.

I2N Startups @ School presentations and workshops are presented by leading I2N Startup founders, to inspire a future generation to reimagine what they can achieve in their career. Each program features one I2N Startup founder who, through sharing their story, will give the students a first-hand insight into the life of an entrepreneur.

The program is designed to be flexible and can be delivered at your school (from classes to year groups) or at the University of Newcastle’s Q Building in Newcastle (up to 60 students). There are two options to choose from – the 30-minute option which is perfect for assemblies and career days, featuring a presentation from a local startup founder or the 60-minutes option which also incorporates an interactive workshop into what entrepreneurship is and what the first steps look like once you have an idea.

This program fits seamlessly into the YBMA as it provides the perfect foundation for students to develop the confidence to problem solve, to understand how innovation and entrepreneurship work and to have a go at developing their own BIG IDEA to enter into the awards.

If you are interested in inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs through a Startups @ School presentation or workshop, you can find more information at newcastle.edu.au/startups-at-school or contact Tayla Furey, Program Coordinator, (High Schools) at Tayla.furey@newcastle.edu.au or phone +61 2 49217410. Along with participation in YBMA, it begins a solid foundation in the study of entrepreneurship, business studies and career preparation.

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