DeployED was a finalist in yesterday’s Rotary Shark Tank (yes, in the style of the TV show. No, not the TV show.), hosted by Rotary Applecross at the wonderful Tompkins on Swan.
DeployED was incredibly lucky to be chosen as one of the final 5, from 30 awesome entries. Yesterday was the big day to pitch our ideas to do good for the community by innovative social enterprise.
I was the first bit of ‘bait’, if you will, to the podium for the Sharks to eat. They were actually quite lovely people to present to, but that just doesn’t conjure up the same imagery!
The 4 minute pitch (half way between an elevator pitch and a detailed pitch) was nerve wracking, but I made it through; telling them about DeployED’s plans to finish fit out of the current sea container, then begin to service rural and remote events further afield, taking pressure off local health resources and reinvesting money back into service development. Later, as DeployED grows, I see it potentially having a role in disaster relief, remote facility acute care augmentation, replacement of ageing facilities and so much more.
The questions were tough! (but fair…) How would DeployED tackle damaged transportation infrastructure, how were we going to expand, and so on.
I was followed by incredible presenters pitching their fantastic ideas for developing social enterprise with wonderful ideas, like:
- Geraldine Maddrell’s “Valued Lives Microhubs”, aiming to provide resources, mentors and relevant information to people with disabilities, marginalised youth, refugees and immigrants to increase opportunities for inclusion through the development of small businesses linked to the person’s passions,
- Aden Date’s “Ujasiri”, addressing the issue of poverty in East Africa, by recognising that East African communities are knowledge generators of their own solutions involving distinctly African Entrepreneurship,
- Kirsten Shearn’s “Wollstonecraft”, a Patricia Giles Centre Initiative to reduce the number of women returning to a violent partner, by addressing their financial security and thereby protecting vulnerable women and children and potentially saving lives, and finally;
- Darren Lomman’s “Greenbatch”, which aims to ensure there are more fish than plastic in the world’s oceans by building and running a waste plastic bottle reprocessing plant in WA producing 3D printer filament.
It’s incredibly humbling, being in the presence of people with ideas such as these, who are driven by their desire to improve the lives of others.
Some of the best chat came after the presentations, when the sharks, candidates and Rotarians all got to mingle and network. It was invaluable.
I ended up making some fantastic contacts and gained ideas and insight into future development for DeployED, and the dream of providing Incredible Care, Out There took one step closer to becoming reality.
