In 2024, the Impact X Pre-Accelerator Program was held for the first time in Liverpool. The Impact X Pre-Accelerator is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of those often overlooked and underserved. This program is designed to support promising healthcare, wellbeing and disability initiatives that specifically focus on marginalised and under-represented communities.

Over seven weeks, 15 teams engaged in intensive learning and practice, with a new topic and guest speaker introduced each week. By the program’s conclusion, participants had refined their business ideas to the prototype stage.

📌See a video here: Impact X Program

On 28 November 2024, we hosted the Impact X Pitch Night at the Liverpool Council Chamber. Esteemed judges included: Charishma Kaliyanda MP; Bronwyn Fox, Vice-Chancellor of UNSW; Simone Proft, Director of Strategy and Partnerships, SWSLHD; Fawaz Al-Daqaq, Business Banking Manager, Westpac; Lance Chia, GAICD, Director of Investment and Innovation, Liverpool Innovation Precinct.

Here are the winners, who shared a total of $5,500 in cash prizes:

🏆 First Place - LIP Star ($2,000): My Special Home Needs
--> Led by Dr Zanab Malik, focused on accessible oral healthcare for people with disabilities.

🥈 Second Place - Trailblazer ($1,000): Mood Moves
--> Led by Asma Aguleh, combines the fun of Minecraft with the power of mindfulness to improve children’s emotional wellbeing.

🥉 Third Place - Rising Star ($500): Koaaly
--> Led by Daphne Cheung, combines an AI-powered app with a comforting toy to help children build confidence and emotional strength.

💖 People’s Choice sponsored by Westpac ($1,000): Jam Life
--> Led by Gabriela Jahuin, Lisa Lu, Dr Sally Nathan and Cheryl Mah, a platform that simplifies wellbeing management process and provides customised support;

✨ Impact X Westpac Award ($1,000): Ignite
--> Led by Mohamad Chaaban, a practice management software, for allied health clinics working with special needs kids under the NDIS, that tracks progress and funding.

📌 See more highlights here: Impact X Linkedin Post

For the first time in history, UNSW’s prestigious New Wave program has opened limited spots to female founders in South Western Sydney, regardless of their UNSW affiliation. New Wave empowers female founders by providing a strong professional network, access to industry experts, and essential skills to launch their startups.

Thirteen South Western teams joined the cohort, and for the majority, it was their first experience in a female entrepreneurship program. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Testimonials include:

JameLife, who successfully assembled a team of co-founders during New Wave.

My Special Needs Dental Home, who further refined their award-winning app prototype.

Two South Western teams took home awards:

🏆 Faculty of Engineering Award: My Special Needs Dental Home – Led by Zanab Malik, the team is improving the lives of individuals with disabilities who lack access to adequate dental care due to limited carer training and access to special needs dentists.

🏅 New Wave Culture Champion Award: Sneha Sobti – Recognized for her dedication to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all participants.

📌See more highlights here: New Wave Showcase Linkedin Post

As part of New Wave, we also held a special in-person New Wave South West Connect event on 21 October.

With inspiring guest speakers Alice Gleeson (founder of AMPE Services) and Anne-Marie Elias (co-founder of PrimeLife Partners), 11 South Western female founders from multicultural backgrounds gathered in one room, sharing their life stories and startup passions through tears and laughter.

📌See more details here: New Wave South West Connect Linkedin Post

On 5 September 2024, HerStory event was a celebration of diverse female entrepreneurs, featuring inspiring insights from keynote speaker Lance Chia GAICD and an incredible panel of leaders:

• Dai Le MP, Federal Member for Fowler, shared her remarkable unplanned career path from journalist to startup founder to politician. She offered invaluable tips on breaking the glass ceiling and maintaining work-life balance.

• Professor Olivia Mirza, President of Engineers Australia Sydney Division and Professor in Structural Engineering at Western Sydney University, shared her journey of migrating to Australia, tips for workplace safety and work-life balance, and encouraged the audience to be proud of their accents.

• Dr. Maryam Parviz, Co-founder and CEO of SDIP Innovations, shared her entrepreneurial journey of inventing and raising investment. She encouraged the audience to strive for career excellence without being a perfectionist in life.

The discussion wrapped up with both the panellists and audience sharing opportunities and resources to uplift one another ❤️

Special moments for example,

Dr Parisa Glass pitch about JINA: Justice Inclusion Access, a UNSW program empowering women from forced migration backgrounds in higher education;

• Carmen Leong shared her vision of solving real-world problems through deeper western Sydney engagement;

• Danielle Haj-Moussa shared her passion for mentoring SW based startups with her vast knowledge in investment, and supporting female & CALD background founders;

• Jessica Kassis and Jane Nguyen from Westpac shared their passion to support founders via business loans;
  and many more.

See more highlight and photos here: HerStory Linkedin Post

Spark South West brought together innovators, founders, and changemakers for a dynamic exploration of funding pathways and entrepreneurship. Presented by UNSW Founders, Catalysr, and Spark Festival, the event featured engaging discussions on venture funding, mentorship, and startup growth.

Special guest speakers included David (LT) Lillo-Trynes, co-CEO of Spark; Anne-Marie Elias, Co-Founder of PrimeLife Partners; Andrew Corbett-Jones, an expert in capital raising and international startup ecosystems; and Sabrina Zeng, Corporate Development Manager at Aura Ventures.

The event empowered over 50 participants with practical insights, connections to local entrepreneurs, and strategies to supercharge their startup ideas in Sydney’s South West.

📌See more highlight here: Spark South West Linkedin Post

The inaugural Pitch Night at South West was held successfully on August 14 at the Liverpool City Council Chamber. Hosted by UNSW Founders and supported by Investment NSW, Liverpool City Council, and Liverpool Innovation Precinct, the event drew over 100 attendees, including children who were inspired by the innovative ideas presented, despite the rainy weather.

The evening began with a welcome from Mayor Ned Mannoun, followed by pitches from six teams competing for a $4,500 cash prize pool:

• Communication Spectrum by Jessica Xi and Jennifer Winstone

• QuickAssist by Dr. Michael Camit

• Sirius by Ivy Valerie and Sophia Lee

• Flexi-Prompt System by Brendan Worne

• Cookventory by Umang Uliana

• My Special Needs Dental Home by Dr. Zanab Malik

The judging panel, consisting of:

• Professor Attila Brungs, Vice Chancellor of UNSW

• Vicky Clare, Acting Associate Director of Precinct Development at Investment NSW

• Lance Chia, Director of Investment & Innovation at Liverpool Innovation Precinct

• Dr. Maryam Parviz, CEO & Co-Founder of SDIP Innovations

had the difficult task of selecting the winners. During the judges' deliberation, five additional teams presented elevator pitches:

• Virtual Nurse by Dr. Allen Nugent

• WayV by Vandy Winata

• Knia Maps by Nikhil Autar

• Australian Queer Multicultural Studio by Sneha Sobti

• Second UCES by Vi Patolo

The top honours of the night were awarded as follows:

1. 1st Place: My Special Needs Dental Home by Dr. Zanab Malik – A personalized dental care app for people with disabilities.

2. 2nd Place: Communication Spectrum by Jessica Xi and Jennifer Winstone – Australia’s first visual support app for communication disabilities and autism.

3. 3rd Place: Flexi-Prompt System by Brendan Worne – A smart environment designed to support cognitive function.

4. People’s Choice Award: Communication Spectrum by Jessica Xi and Jennifer Winstone

In a heartwarming moment, David Burt, Director of Entrepreneurship at UNSW, shared how UNSW Founders provided a laptop to a South Western founder who lacked one, highlighting UNSW Founders commitment to practical support for entrepreneurs.

📌For more details, see the article on Pitch Night at South West.

From 27 June to 8 August 2024, every Thursday night, we hosted a series of FREE workshops designed to teach app development from scratch, step by step. Participants were guided by an experienced software engineer every click of the way. 💻

These workshops were held across Liverpool, Fairfield, Parramatta, and Campbelltown, empowering founders from diverse backgrounds with essential app-building knowledge and skills.

Over 200 participants attended these hands-on sessions, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

🎥 Check out the highlights from our program in this video: Watch here

The Liverpool Innovation Program represents a $700,000 significant commitment by the UNSW to enhance the Southwestern Sydney area and invest in the community's innovative landscape. Including the hiring of a dedicated Liverpool precinct program manager, Shuoyan Zhu, responsible for ensuring that the local voice and community are represented, heard and collaborated with for better outcomes and more support provided to the next wave of innovators in the region.

To kick-off this initiative, three workshops were hosted to outline how clinicians can explore taking their research insights from the lab to patients for better care.  

👩🏻‍⚕️Workshop One: Translate Your Insights Into Clinical Innovations

The first session aimed to demystify the transition from research to clinical application. Participants explored key aspects of MedTech, assessed the viability of their ideas, and explored frameworks for evaluating opportunities. The workshop covered navigating health innovation pathways and what support and guidance they can access.

🙋🏼Workshop Two: Amplify Your Impact - The Art of Communication

The second workshop focused on enhancing communication skills essential for securing grants, professional collaborations, and progressing commercial applications. This interactive session provided practical tools and direct feedback to help attendees refine their communication strategies.

The workshop emphasised the importance of nonverbal communication, and attendees crafted a Gaddie pitch for clear and impactful introductions. Ensuring everyone was able to leave with a strong introduction when given an opportunity to pitch!

📈Workshop Three: Health Innovation - Expert Panel

The third workshop featured an expert panel of health and medical researchers who successfully transitioned their research to clinical applications. This session provided attendees with insights and advice on navigating their own journey.

Panellist included:

• Dr. Joseph W. Po, PhD: 2x startup founder, PhD in Medical Science, and UNSW Founders Health 10x program manager.

• Dr. Dorsa Morshedi Rad, PhD: Founder of CellSync, PhD in Biomedical Sciences.

• Dr. Sam van Bohemen, PhD: Co-founder of Nuroflux, PhD in Biomedical Engineering.

• Dr. Louise Metcalf: Founder of Gheorg and Futureproofology, Behavioural Scientist, Practitioner, and Inventor.

The panellists shared their experiences in navigating licensing, clinical trials, and effective communication with stakeholders.

The Liverpool Innovation Program is off to a strong start, thanks to the enthusiastic participation and engagement of the local community.

📌 See more details here: Kickstarting Innovation: The Launch of the Liverpool Innovation Precinct Entrepreneurship Program