Funds for Entrepreneurship

Somerset College has successfully been awarded a $10,000 Study Gold Coast Vision 2020 Grant to conduct the Celebration of Entrepreneurship on October 15, 16 and 17 this year. We are delighted to announce that Steve Baxter from Shark Tank and the current Queensland Government Chief Entrepreneur will be our keynote speaker at the festival.

Steve will be joined by a number of other entrepreneurs from the Gold Coast, Queensland and Australia. For full details of guest entrepreneurs please go to the Celebration of Entrepreneurship website.

This festival will deliver a programme which supports the growth of entrepreneurial skills amongst Somerset College students. The initiative will provide students with the knowledge, networks and hands-on experience to help them launch their own enterprises both now and in the future. We are very excited about bringing this exciting opportunity to the Somerset College community again this year.

Key Festival Events

Study Gold Coast Start up Event 15 October

Channel Ten’s Shark Tank panellist, and current Queensland Government Chief Entrepreneur, Steve Baxter, will be launching the 2018 Somerset Celebration of Entrepreneurship on Monday 15 October. Steve was part of the inaugural Celebration of Entrepreneurship in 2017, and we are delighted to have him back to share his wisdom with the wider Gold Coast Community. This event is open to the wider Gold Coast Community.

• Event details are as follows:
• Monday 15 October, 6.00pm
• Venue: Somerset College
• One drink and nibbles provided from 5.30pm
• Click here to purchase tickets

Orange Sky Party

16 October 6.00pm This free community event is for the whole family. The Startup Party is a night of festivities to celebrate social entrepreneurship and the wonderful ways in which not for profit organisations can give back to the community. Our Year 9 and 10 students will provide the food and drink for the event, and our Year 6 Club Kidpreneurs will be selling their products and services throughout the evening. This year our special guests include Orange Sky and Edda Hamar.

The Bond University Turbo Charged Start-up Course in Entrepreneurship

As part of the 2018 Somerset Celebration of Entrepreneurship, students in Years 10, 11 and 12 have the opportunity to participate in the Bond University Turbo Charged Startup Course in Entrepreneurship. During this course, students will work in groups of approximately 6 students with Australian entrepreneurs to transform a business idea into a thriving commercial entity.

At the conclusion of the course, all groups will pitch their business ideas over dinner to a Panel of guest entrepreneurs including Mark Sowerby (2017 Queensland Chief Entrepreneur), Orange Sky (2017 Queensland Young Australians of the Year) and Edda Hamar (2017 Queensland Young Entrepreneur of the Year). After the pitch, the winning groups’ business idea will be given seed capital to start the business.

Mentoring support will be provided by Blue Lens Consulting to help the winning group with this startup process. Participation in the Startup Course in Entrepreneurship is limited to 30 students.

The Pitch Night

17 October 6.00pm This will occur on the final night of the festival. It will involve students participating in the Bond University Turbo Charged Start-up Course in Entrepreneurship pitching their ideas to the community in search of start-up capital.

There will be a panel of guest judges and a keynote address by Steve Baxter from Shark Tank and River City.

If you would like to know more about the festival or provide sponsorship, please contact Dane Oman at the College.