Optus Future Makers 2020 to access share of grant funding
Optus has announced five social start-ups as its 2020 Future Makers program finalists, who have developed innovative technology solutions addressing social challenges for disadvantaged and vulnerable people focused on employability, education, health and aged-disability support.
Now in its fourth year, Optus’ flagship social innovation program equips social start-ups with the tools to grow their for-purpose business.
This year’s shortlist was selected from a panel of judges which included both senior leaders from Optus and experts from the social enterprise and impact investment sector.
Helen Maisano, Optus’ Director for Group Sustainability said, “We are thrilled to see this year’s finalists leverage technology advancements to not only fill some evident gaps in the market but also make a real difference to those most in need in our communities.
“During a time where we have been able to experience how technology has been core to aiding our resilience amidst great challenges, I am especially proud of our commitment to supporting innovation and social entrepreneurship, both through funding and access to our expert resources.”
This year’s Future Makers will take part in a six-month capacity building and accelerator program designed to develop their skills through workshops and coaching from top talent at Optus and industry experts. At the completion of the program, each finalist will have the opportunity to access a share of $200,000 in grant funding to help scale their solution. Clive Dickens, Optus’ Vice President of Television, Content and Product Development said, “For these Optus Future Makers it really does start with Yes!”
“Yes to Collaboration between established organisations and start-ups, critical to harnessing innovation in Australia and Yes to driving technology innovation for social good.
“The entire team at Optus is looking forward to working with this year’s finalists and providing the best possible support to ensure the development of each start up,” Mr Dickens added.
2020 Future Makers Funding Recipients
AIBLE - Narelle Priestley (VIC)
AIBLE is a job search app that uses artificial intelligence to match abilities, personality types, experience, skills and certifications with job requirements. Their profile questions are designed to improve workplace diversity and inclusion-they believe there are jobs for everyone. AIBLE is designed as a safe environment with support to include people on the margins of society in the recruitment process.
givvable - Frances Atkins (NSW)
givvable is a data-driven technology platform that helps companies find, source and track the impact of sustainable and social spending. It does this by mapping the impact credentials of suppliers to reporting frameworks use by listed companies and large organisations, such as UN SDGs and ESG indicators. givvable helps MSME suppliers grow and scale by increasing their visibility among corporate buyers looking to make impact driven purchasing decisions.
Maslow - Nitin Fernandez (NSW)
Maslow is a voice-enabled rehabilitation assistant for young people living with paralysis. Maslow’s inclusive design equips users with tools to independently structure their personal and rehabilitation schedule, measure their rehabilitation habits, and access guided health education to better understand and manage their condition.
Need A Tutor - Bronwyn Covill (VIC)
Need a Tutor was established in 2017 to address the problem of how people living in rural and geographically isolated areas don’t receive the same educational support as those in the city. Through their innovative model they match students with their network of qualified educators, teachers or tutors. They then deliver personalised, live one-to-one lessons hosted via a custom-built secure online platform. This enables educational access from even the most remote communities.
PeepsRide - Clive Vaz (NSW)
PeepsRide aims to enable care organisations with providing an on-demand transport service to help the elderly and those with disabilities to get outdoors more often. Currently this demographic of people either have long wait times or don’t have any avenues to get subsidised and reliable door-to-door transport. By filling this gap in the market and utilising the spare capacity within the existing fleet of vehicles and drivers, PeepsRide aims to help organisations with providing a better customer experience and with generating an additional source of revenue.
About Optus Future Makers Now in its fourth year, the Optus Future Makers program supports social entrepreneurs to develop innovative tech solutions who are looking to make a positive difference in their community through the power of technology. Note For more information about the program please visit the Optus Future Makers website: https://www.optus.com.au/futuremakers Media Contact Optus Corporate Affairs media@optus.com.au 02 8082 7850
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