Upcoming Brisbane Events
- Who: Michael Doneman
Have you ever wondered:
Michael Doneman, Director of Edgeware Creative Entrepreneurship will answer all these questions and many more for The Hive Brisbane on Tuesday, June 30.
Michael is the founding Director of Edgeware Creative Entrepreneurship a freelance consultant, facilitator and entrepreneurship coach. Michael is one of Queensland’s best minds in the creative business field and understands all the highs and lows of being in business.
Edgeware recently facilitated an open panel discussion on Creative Entrepreneurship at the Brisbane Ideas Festival and regularly host their own conferences, workshops and retreats for entrepreneurs right throughout Queensland.
Michael has 20 years of experience in education and community cultural development, which inspired work in communities (including Indigenous and rural-remote communities) in enterprise development, vocational education and training, and information technology. In the course of this he developed expertise in informal education, and the just-in-time provision of skills, networks and interactions.
He is a longtime supporter of Denmark's KaosPilots business school and a member of the KaosPilot International Board. Michael was a Senior Research Fellow at Queensland University of Technology from 2002-2005 and consults with the ATN University network's e-Grad School on knowledge transfer and research commercialisation. He founded the Edgeware model of ethical entrepreneurship education in 2006, and co-edits Edgeware's blog, On the Edge.
If you’re in business in Queensland and don’t already know Edgeware... you need to.
*Register Free for an SMS reminder on the day of the event!*
See you there!
Mike Boyd, Walter Haas & Nick McIntosh
The Hive Brisbane Team
If you're on Twitter make sure you tweet using the #hivebris hashtag.
Upcoming Melbourne Events
- Who: Peter Styles from RedBubble
Peter is an entrepreneur. But it took him a while to get there. To find his calling Peter spent seven years at university, six years in the Army and two years at Ericsson. Peter's first start up company was Southern Innovation - a company established to commercialize land-mine detection research from The University of Melbourne. RedBubble is Peter's second start up company - which he co-founded in April 2006 with Martin Hosking and Paul Vanzella.
Peter is a graduate of the Royal Military College (Duntroon) and has Bachelor and Masters degrees in Engineering and Masters of Business Administration (with Distinction) from The University of Melbourne (he likes to learn).
RedBubble is an online community for artists, but it doesn't stop there - RedBubble take the artist's digital files and take care of the production, shipping and customer service for them. In the last two years they have shipped 232,800 items of art to over 71 countries.
The Hive is FREE - just buy yourself a drink at the bar :)
This event is made possible by our wonderful sponsors:
Yabble - local business reviews
http://www.yabble.com.au
Mr Chop - conversational advertising
http://www.mrchop.com
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Ross Hill, James Sanders and Ned Dwyer
The Hive Melbourne Team
If you're on Twitter make sure you tweet using the #hivemelb hashtag.
Previous Events
The Hive meets Kristina Karlsson from Kikki K
June 9th 2009
As she set about establishing her home office, Kristina struggled to find beautiful and stylish products which she had grown used to in her native Scandinavia. So she designed her own.
From first identifying a gap in the home office market, Kristina’s journey included a buying trip around the world, and extensive market research. Findings overwhelmingly revealed that Kristina wasn’t the only one having trouble combining form with function in her home office. While decorating one’s home in stylish products and furniture was a priority, the home office was so often forgotten. This was about to change.
By 2005 there were kikki.K boutiques in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The following year saw incredible growth with eight new boutiques opened, including the first foray into the international market in Auckland, New Zealand. And the business continues to expand each year.
kikki.K’s success has not been lost on the Australian business community. Kristina has twice been a finalist in the Telstra Business Woman’s Awards, has been named Young Entrepreneur of the Year by Women Chiefs of Enterprise International, was named Most Successful New-Comer in the Swedish Business in Australia Awards, and was recently named Best Small Business in the Ethnic Business Awards.
So seven years after her original idea, Kristina has her home office sorted.
Download the podcast of the event here.
The Hive meets Phillip Di Bella of Di Bella coffee
May 26th 2009.
Ever wondered what it’s like to grow a business from scratch and wind up in BRW’s Fast 100 list two years in a row? Ever wondered what it takes to win Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award? How about what it’s like to manage a company whose product is consumed A MILLION TIMES EACH DAY by Australians?
Why not ask Phillip Di Bella of Di Bella Coffee at The Hive this month? In the true spirit of The Hive, we're proud to give our members the opportunity to connect with Phillip's many years of experience and entrepreneurial wisdom for FREE.
The Hive team is delighted to welcome Phillip as May’s guest entrepreneur. Phillip created his coffee empire from nothing, working alone with only two wholesale clients and using another company’s coffee roasting equipment. After 7 long years he now heads up Australia’s fastest growing coffee company at the ripe old age of 33.
His ability to fill a niche, deliver an integrated service and networking system that allows clients to access products, machines and accessories, training and maintenance all at fair prices has set him apart from his competition. Di Bella Coffee also connects at the ‘grass roots’ level through it’s presence at Jan Power’s Farmers Market, at New Farm every second Saturday and, the weekly Brisbane City Mall Market.
An important aspect of the company is its support of philanthropic and community work globally. This includes sponsoring children in the Philippines, motivational speeches and mentoring at high schools. Di Bella Coffee also donates all coffee products to Cafe One on Wickham, which is a project of Mission Australia.
Watch the podcast of the event here, and read a member review.
The Hive meets Monique Conheady
May 12th 2009.
Have you ever wondered:
Green transport entrepreneur Monique Conheady, has shown that you can. Monique will share insights that you can apply to your business, gained during her journey to date as co-founder and CEO of Flexicar. Launched in Melbourne in 2005 with just three cars, Flexicar now has 70 vehicles in inner-city Melbourne and Sydney, over 2,000 members and boasts record performance despite a recession.
Beyond running the successful Flexicar business, Monique is a key player in the sustainability industry, including being a Committee Member of the Moreland Energy Foundation and a Fellow of the Centre for Sustainability Leadership.
In addition to sharing her story, Monique will provide insight on how to gain government support for a business, how to attract grant funding and angel investment, how to partner with the big end of town, and how to educate a market about an entirely new concept.
If you're on Twitter make sure you tweet using the #hivemelb hashtag. You can find Monique at @moniqueconheady and @flexicar.
Download the podcast of the event here.
The Hive meets Andrew Cooper
April 28th 2009.
Hot off the success of Brisbane's first ever event in March, The Hive team would like to introduce Andrew Cooper from dstore as April's guest entrepreneur.
Andrew's background in online retailing spans the dot-com boom, the subsequent 2001 dot-bomb clean out and continues into the current period of resurgence. In 1998 Andrew and his brother Tim started HotShed, a software house providing ecommerce systems to large retailers including Rebel Sport, Angus & Coote, Blockbuster video and The Perfume Connection.
In 2001 an opportunity arose that saw Andrew and his team leading the charge by purchasing dstore.com.au out of the hands of receivers. After making drastic changes to the business model and applying HotShed's software and systems the business has risen back near the top of the online retailing tree.
Andrew is an entrepreneur with a varied business background. Along with his software and online retailing businesses he also owns video stores, car washes and property interests. He actively fosters entrepreneurship and is president of the Brisbane branch of Entrepreneur's Organisation, a global network of over 10,000 entrepreneurs.
We invite you to join Andrew and The Hive team at our April event at the Fox Hotel on Tuesday, April 28 at 7pm. This event is FREE but you buy your own drinks! If anyone is interested in sponsoring the event, please contact us.
If you're on Twitter make sure you tweet using the #hivebris hashtag.
The Hive meets Sahil Merchant
April 21st 2009.
Have you ever wondered:
Sahil Merchant has perspectives and experiences around all of these questions, and more. While he is likely to be wrong about many things – which is why he is more broke than you could ever hope to be – he is happy to share his experiences of starting and building his company, Mag Nation. After giving up a budding corporate career at consulting firm McKinsey & Company, Sahil now enjoys juggling being a dad to 3 kids, working 27 hours a day as the head of Mag Nation, and living life with no financial security. But boy does he have some stories...
If you're on Twitter make sure you tweet using the #hivemelb hashtag. You can find Sahil at @sahilmerchant and @mag_nation.
Download the podcast of the event here.
The Hive meets Richard Eastes
March 31st 2009.
The Hive Brisbane is very excited to be kicking off the year with guest entrepreneur Richard Eastes from Vroom Vroom Vroom!
Richard took a risk when he spent his life savings on VroomVroomVroom - a travel startup that was booking a mere 20 online car rental reservations per day. He quickly grew it from his Brisbane bedroom into Australia’s fastest growing travel company. Winning various business awards such as Deloitte FAST50, it now generates close to $5m in sales each month. The company is expanding globally and is poised to becoming a great Australian export.
As a project to compliment VroomVroomVroom.com’s carbon neutral car rental, Richard started GreenLogo which has calculated that the internet produces approximately 1200 tonnes of CO2 per hour. GreenLogo reduces this by tracking the CO2 produced by a website and then pays for its carbon credits using sponsors.
Richard loves networking nights, innovative employees, touch rugby, social media sites and is addicted to Twitter. Follow him on twitter at @eastes
Read Ross Hill's review of the event here, and watch the podcast on Youtube.
The Hive meets Brendan McKeegan
March 10th 2009.
As CEO of tech startup Emue Technologies and Co-Founder of NinetyDays, Brendan is at the forefront of commercialising emerging technologies. Emue specialises in ground-breaking authentication technologies while NinetyDays provides entrepreneurial leadership and resources to emerging business ventures.
Brendan has built a number of IT and consumer businesses from the ground up. He has extensive international experience having established businesses in the USA, Canada, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, UK, Germany, France and New Zealand.
Brendan was a founding member of the executive team one of Australia’s most successful Internet companies, Hitwise, with responsibility for establishing the company’s global footprint. Hitwise was purchased by Experian in April 2007 for US$240M.
Other businesses Brendan has founded include Revolution Brands, an apparel and footwear company that specialises in wholesale and retail distribution of licensed products, and Oxia, a unique recreational oxygen product that is distributed in luxury hotels in North America, Europe and Asia.
Brendan established NinetyDays in 2005 as a vehicle for himself and his Entrepreneurial peers to indulge in their passion of building businesses in high growth and emerging sectors.
The Hive meets Peter Williams
February 10th 2008.
Pete Williams is recognised as a global thought leader on Innovation. A Chartered Accountant by background Pete moved into the Web space in 1993. He has a unique perspective on how business can profit from using web technology.
Pete is CEO of Deloitte Digital, which is a new business that delivers professional services online. Prior to his role in Deloitte Digital, Pete was CEO of Australia’s largest web development firm, Eclipse.
Pete has worked with many high profile clients such as BHP, Telstra, AFL, NAB, ANZ and the Federal and Victorian Governments. Over the last five years Pete has been voted by his peers and staff as the most inspirational partner at Deloitte.
The Hive meets Philip Weinman
October 14th 2008.
Read Nick Foster's review of this event.
In 1983, Philip co-founded HiSoft, a software/hardware solutions business, which quickly became one of Australia’s fastest growing companies, employing 400 people in five countries. Within five years HiSoft grew to become Australia’s largest privately owned computer company with a turnover in excess of $300M.
In 1995, Philip founded CTS Travel and Events and four years later the company merged with Internet Travel Group, which then listed with a turnover in excess of $450M million. The Internet Travel Group was then acquired by Flight Centre.
More recently, Philip established Deasil Management Group, a company that seeks and invests in start-ups, existing private companies and under-performed/under-valued ASX-listed public companies in need of capital and/or management expertise. This company has already taken positions in a number of fast growing public companies and has a controlling interest in operational businesses including; Australian Leasing Group, Candidates Alive, Deasil Property Group, The Drilling Group, Goal Management Group, LaunchTwo People, MediaTag, Rosch Group, Something A Bit Graphic, and VitaminMe.
Among Philip’s many passions are his philanthropic activities. He has sat on numerous Boards, including The Crisis Centre and International Diabetes Institute. He currently sits on the Board of the Melbourne Jazz Festival, one of Melbourne’s major events, along with FBI Travel, a leading corporate and leisure travel and events group.
With his creative flair, management style and success, Philip also mentors some of Australia’s leading CEOs and elite sports people.
The Hive meets Domenic Carosa
October 14th 2008.
Domenic Carosa is the founder and CEO of digital media Investment company Dominet Digital Corporation Pty Ltd. Prior to this he co-founded destra Corporation in 1993, when he was in his late teens and then listed it on the Australian Stock Exchange in May 2000. At the time, Domenic was the youngest CEO of a public-listed company in Australia.
Under his direction, destra has branched out from its core web hosting and communications business to become one of Australia’s leading independent media and entertainment companies. The company had annualised revenues over $100m in 2008.
Domenic is committed to innovation, with other achievements including building Australia’s largest independent digital music website (MP3.com.au) and launching Australia’s first legal and commercial digital download service (destraMusic).
Domenic is currently Chairman of the Internet Industry Association and Chairman of www.MailingLists.com.au
The Hive meets Ryan Trainor
September 9th 2008.
Ryan Trainor started his first company, a retail security firm in 1997 at the age of 23. After three years he was servicing most major retail outlets in Australia, contracting more than 500 staff. He sold to a large multinational in 2000. Since then, Ryan has founded and grown several businesses including a National Training business which was sold to a publicly listed company in late 2003.
Ryan is now again in education and founded Franklyn Scholar Learning in March 2008, a workplace training company that provides government funded training. Ryan now employs more than 110 staff across all capital cities and will train more than 5000 people this year for clients such as David Jones, Boost, One Steel and Toyota..
Ryan’s entrepreneurial reputation has seen him recognised in 2000 and 2001 as a finalist in the National Australia Day Young Achiever of the Year Awards and is the past President for the Entrepreneurs Organisation (EO) in Melbourne Australia.
The Hive meets Paul Mathis
August 12th 2008.
It all began with the bustling pizzeria he opened at 23. Since then Paul Mathis has been behind a long list of popular Melbourne restaurants including Transport, Taxi, Transit, Upper House and Lower House, Chocolate Buddha, Soulmama, Blue Train Cafe and Automatic. After relinquishing Transport Hotel and other Federation Square properties (for a reported $21 million) Paul vowed to put ecological sustainability at the core of his restaurants and in 2007 he opened 100 Mile Cafe, a concept restaurant in the CBD sourcing 95% of its menu from within a hundred-mile (160 km) radius. About 18 months ago Paul set up a firm that designs eco-buildings, and they are currently working on a compound-style home, 
supermarket and a commercial building.
The future will see Paul developing the oldest pub in Victoria; the Duke of Wellington on the corner of Russell and Flinders Street in the Melbourne CBD. The new venue will feature a pub, wine bar and a restaurant under the banner; The Dow.
The Hive meets Aaron Fyke
June 10th 2008.
Aaron Fyke from Starfish Ventures spoke about the role that Venture Capitalists play in the investment cycle, as well as the other methods that entrepreneurs can use to seek capital.
Aaron also spoke about some of the deals that Starfish have done and how they work with the startup to help them succeed. For those of you who missed the night there will be soon be an interview with Aaron on Hatchthat.
The Hive meets Simon Crowe
May 13th 2008.
Simon Crowe spoke to a packed crowd of 110 entrepreneurs at FAD Gallery about his experiences. He has a background in corporate life but left to take on his own ventures. He places a huge emphasis on branding and that is clear if you have ever been to one of the stores.
The Grill'd company owns 50% of their stores right now and going forward they will own around a third - "I want it to be scaled, but not scaled to the expense of its soul."
The Hive meets Cameron Brown
April 8th 2008.
Cameron Brown spoke at Penny Blue on sustainable business and it was a real insight into how businesses can not only make a difference, but make big profits from going green.
We might think about changing out lightbulbs but potentially changing your business model is something that most of us haven't considered at all.
Cameron Brown is the Chair of the Centre for Sustainability Leadership.
The Hive meets Moonlight Cinema
March 11th 2008.
Our second event went really well, at Madame Brussels on Bourke St. When we migrated out to the back room to hear James Tutton speak the few people left out the front asked "Where did all the people go?" The medieval-style room just squeezed the 68 of us in there, and I think everyone got a lot out of what James had to say about his experiences.
As a philosophy graduate, James Tutton was taking time off in New York after university and looking for commercial ideas to import to Australia when he went to watch an open-air movie in a Manhattan park. Inspired, he and his business partner Paul Chiodo launched Moonlight Cinema in Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens in 1996.
The following year they expanded to Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane. “The Moonlight audience is 18-35, tertiary-educated, a sophisticated urban audience,” says Tutton. Moonlight Cinema eventually sold to ASX-listed group Becker Entertainment in 2004 in a deal said to be worth about $8.3 million.
More recently James is turning his hand to property development with boutique property developer Neometro, who are best-known for the Luxe building on Inkerman Street in St Kilda, which won the Royal Australian Institute of Architects national award for commercial architecture in 2000.
"My focus in business has always been about working with brands."
The Hive meets Hippo Jobs
February 5th 2008.
The very first Hive event for 2008 took place on the 5th February. Awesome way to kick off ’08! The Order of Melbourne, located at 401 Swanston Street, was kind enough to put us up for the night. Cracking location! Nestled in the heart of the CBD we could not have picked a better scene. The Rooftop Terrace was absolutely perfect! Nice work getting up all those stairs folks. And a massive thank-you goes out to all the staff there!
Hats off to all of you who made the effort to join us! And those of you missed out, make sure you’re there in March. Because it was well worth the effort! James Masini the exceptionally talented entrepreneur behind Hippo Jobs was our first special guest of 2008. And he set the standard extremely high. James spoke about the challenges he has faced as one of Melbourne most successful, up and coming entrepreneurs, the highs and lows of running his own business and being the face of Hippo Jobs.
RMIT Entrepreneurship Prospective Students Night
September 4th 2007.
The Hive hosted the 2007 Prospective Students Night (PSN) for the RMIT Bachelor of Business, Entrepreneurship program.
This was the fifth year in a row that a PSN has run and was a great success.
The evening gave prospective students the opportunity to have their questions answered by current entrepreneurship students and lecturers. I'm sure that many of the attendees will be entrepreneurship students themselves next year!
Thank you to everyone involved; your help was truly invaluable!
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About The Hive
Business networking for entrepreneurs in Melbourne.
The Hive is a networking organisation. Built by a bunch of Melbourne based entrepreneurs, we get together to share advice, talk and hang out. Membership is free and easy, and everyone's invited.
If you work for somebody else, run your own business, study business or have an idea and want to launch a venture then jump on board today.
The Hive Podcast
Our podcast feed will be back online soon - for now you can download the files individually under the event listing on the main column.
Contact The Hive
If you would like to contact us send an email to hello@thehive.org.au.