This week we feature some of our DIF Community members from South West Victoria who are driving local digital innovation and growing regional businesses.

What makes up an ecosystem?

Victoria’s regional innovation ecosystem plays a critical role in supporting entrepreneurs and startups throughout the life cycle of their idea. In Victoria’s South West region, there are a network of active players working together to drive innovation and entrepreneurship in the digital economy. Here we feature some of the players who are making connections and boosting business.

Creative, co-working spaces such as The Hive at South West TAFE in Warnambool where entrepreneurs come to work, meet, create, and collaborate.

Innovation specialists and mentors such as 25eight Group who are helping Australian businesses and entrepreneurs to build capability, identify target markets, develop a strategy and be more competitive in global markets.

Agencies like LaunchVic who provide funding and support to accelerators, incubators, entrepreneurs, startups and businesses

Startups like Warrnambool founded Storytowns, a geo-located podcast for tourist attractions such as the Warrnambool Street Art and the Silo Art Trail which stretches across the Wimmera and Mallee.

Incubators and accelerators like The Ideas Place who nurture the development of ideas and create connections within the innovation ecosystem.

Local councils like Warrnambool City Council who invest in incubators and accelerators to support local ideas.

A sharp focus on regional growth

Businesses like 25eight Group are helping local innovators, entrepreneurs, startups and businesses to build momentum and drive growth in regional Victoria.

Founded by Samantha Hurley and Phil Ore in 2015, 25eight Group helps Australian businesses and entrepreneurs to build capability, identify target markets, develop a strategy and be more competitive in global markets.

The Group’s approach of upskilling and supporting entrepreneurs in Victoria’s startup community was recognised by LaunchVic in 2018 with funding provided to deliver marketing education to entrepreneurs which has led to collaborations with around 20 businesses and organisations in the south-west region.

Founded originally as Marketing Entourage in 2015 by co-founders Samantha Hurley and Phil Ore, the business has continuously evolved to meet the needs of the market.  Both originally migrants from the United Kingdom, both Samantha and Phil bring a global business perspective and valuable connections.

They saw a business opportunity where they could fill a gap to help Australian businesses be more competitive in a global market.  They identified a need for entrepreneurs to upskill and received support from LaunchVic in 2018 to rollout education.

25-eight Group are helping around 20 businesses and organisations in the south-west region to co-design solutions to business problems, spread the message about what they are doing and to build their digital capability.

Emma Van Smale joined 25eight Group as their Innovation and Partnership Manager in March 2020. Formally Emma worked at Glenelg Shire Council and lead the Digital Glenelg business transformation program. Emma is based in Portland to service the expanding client base in the south west region and developing new projects and partnerships, particularly in regional areas.

“We are passionate about driving innovation and increasing competitiveness in regional Victoria to ensure decent work and economic development for all Australians and to further enhance the attractiveness of Australia to foreign investment.” Said Emma.

25eight Group’s role in supporting digital innovation in regional Victoria has also included holding its Regional Growth Summit as a flagship event at the Victorian Government’s annual Digital Innovation Festival (DIF) in Bendigo in 2019 and online in 2020.

Held in May and September, the 2020 online Regional Growth Summit involved 28 regional, rural and outer metropolitan councils including Moyne and Warrnambool, reaching more than 1.1 million people.

To maximise opportunities for regional businesses to boost their digital capabilities, the Victorian Government supported 15 councils to participate in the Summit.

“We are redesigning our product offerings and programs to better address the deeper challenges and needs of businesses to adapt their operating environment, to be more competitive in the digital economy and have the confidence to transform and grow their businesses.” Said Phil.

Tell me a story

A great example of a local entrepreneur that has benefited from the one-on-one support that 25eight Group provides is Warrnambool founded Storytowns, a geo-located podcast for tourist attractions such as the Warrnambool Street Art and the Silo Art Trail which stretches across the Wimmera and Mallee.

After participating in The Ideas Place accelerator program, Storytowns creator Jarrod Pickford won the Pitch Night which included a $10,000 cash prize, a mentoring package with 25eight Group and a membership to The Hive.

“I love collaborating with the 25eight crew. Phil has opened many doors for Storytowns, introducing us to multiple government and industry bodies. The support and backing from these local governments has been key to our rapid growth,” said Jarod.

What started from a love of hitchhiking across multiple countries, has grown into a startup with great passion. Keen traveller Jarrod Pickford is the founder of Storytowns. With 20 years of audio storytelling under his belt, his career has seen him travel the world creating unique content which has been featured on the BBC. He’s also acted as a key judge in the Australian Podcast Awards.

Jarrod is a visionary whose love of travel, meeting people, and exploring different cultures and local customs shows up in full with the creation of Storytowns. With an abundance of life experience to inspire and motivate, Jarrod has the ability to find the remarkable within the unassuming.

Storytowns started life exploring the famous Silo Art Trail throughout rural Victoria and now Jarrods team is collecting more stories about interesting rural people and places to expand the range of mapped Storytowns podcasts across the world. He aims to bring more local storytellers on board to promote their areas and provide a more immersive and enriching travel experience for out-of-towners.

“Sam and Phil even went that extra mile and connected me with my hero and inspiration for Storytowns, Tony Wheeler, the founder of Lonely Planet. Tony and I are organising cups of tea together! I’m forever grateful."

A place to connect

The Hive at South West TAFE, which recently reopened following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, is an important part of the regional innovation ecosystem, welcoming local incubators and accelerators including The Ideas Place and entrepreneurs and businesses such as Storytowns and 25eight Group to work, meet, create, and collaborate.

South West TAFE CEO Mark Fidge stressed the importance of building connections between educational institutions, startups, small business and industry to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. The Hive provides a productive and collaborative workspace for our community to bring ideas to life.

Paul Dillon recently joined the South West TAFE team as The Hive Coordinator and Innovation Specialist. A digital marketing and communications professional developed over 20 years working with large, international brands in London, Paris and Melbourne. Paul returned to Australia in 2014 and hometown of Swan Hill. Until recently he ran a small business incubator and coworking space called Mallee Rising from June 2017 to end of 2020. Paul moved to Warrnambool to take up the position with The Hive to reinvigorate the local regional innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Victorian Government investment in the digital economy

As part of the Victorian Budget 2020/21, the Victorian Government is investing $626 million to boost the state’s digital infrastructure and skills with a strong focus on regional Victoria.

The Victorian Government’s commitment includes accelerating the number of Victorian-based startups and encouraging investment in regional areas to support the state’s economic recovery and create jobs for the future. Over the next four years, LaunchVic will receive $40 million to continue supporting the growth of Victorian startups.

The Victorian Startup Ecosystem Mapping report released late last year identified a growing network of almost 1,900 local startups employing almost 37,000 people in early 2020. Research from Deloitte Access Economics has found the Victorian startup sector could contribute an additional 15,700 Victorian jobs a year over the next 20 years.

For more information see media release: Regional Innovators On The Rise In Warrnambool 

For more information on startup programs in Victoria visit launchvic.org.