Year 10 Startup Business Students: Industry Feedback Session | Event Wrap & Video

Last Wednesday, eager students in our two Year 10 Startup Business classes, engaged in a feedback session with real-world industry professionals.

Over the past few weeks, these students have been exploring the foundational aspects of startup culture, resulting in the creation of their very own product-based or service-based businesses.

They centre around their natural areas of interest or they represent products that can genuinely assist people in their daily life.

This special feedback session was filled with a wealth of ideas, advice and suggestions from adults with relevant business and marketing experience.

Guests included: Mr Pete Maynard – CyberMetrix, Mr Alex von Kanel – AutoBros & Shango Technology, Mr Joe Lydeamore – Bendigo Bank, Mr Dan Dempsey – Future Anything, Mr Gabriel Matt – Wilak Media, Ash – Elula Home, Ms Tahlia McCaffrey – From Zion, Mr Tate Ryan: Economic Development Program Leader – Logan City Council, and Father Dan Talbot – our very own College Chaplain.

All were impressed by the level of professionalism and enthusiasm shown by these Year 10s, and the advanced nature and thinking behind the concepts presented on the day.

Students Riley Edwards and Damian Huang facilitated a short panel discussion with our Entrepreneurs In Residence Mr Peter Maynard and Mr Alex von Kanel.

Peter and Alex shared some advice around building resilience, and emphasised that it is okay to face setbacks, and the importance of ‘failing fast’ and learning from those mistakes quickly.

Peter also spoke about the power of bringing consumers and your team along with you, and how important presentation skills are for making strong connections.

A big ‘thank you’ to the industry professionals who generously dedicated their time and ‘worklife wisdom’ to support our young entrepreneurs.

We are looking forward to seeing these students’ results when their products and services are officially presented to the wider Canterbury Community on Showcase Day – Wednesday 5 June.

Year 10 BEE Student Breeze Tauroa’s Event Welcome Speech:

Thank you to the industry professionals for giving up your time and for supporting us.

This subject is different from our other school subjects.

It is a practical subject that challenges us to start and manage our own small business.

We are in the beginning stages of this journey and are all looking for advice and feedback on our next steps.

Our first few weeks were spent researching and discussing the fundamentals of startup culture.

We were encouraged to create a business based on a human problem and area of interest.

As teenagers we have many other commitments, so it is important that we are passionate about the problem our business is solving.

We were taught to hold our problem tightly but our solution lightly…