Supporting women SME owners, entrepreneurs and startups around Australia since 2018

Supercharging personal and professional growth, giving women business owners from marginal demographics the confidence and skills to take their business to new heights.

With thanks to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Office for Women

Congratulations to all of the scholarship recipients for 2020

These women entrepreneurs and SME owners from marginal demographics, located across Australia, received a fully-funded program that comprises one-on-one mentoring with a business expert, business education masterclasses, and networking opportunities, to build a sustainable future for themselves, their families and their communities.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT

Breakdown as % is as follows:

 
    • Rural47%
    • Migrant21%
    • Indigenous12%
    • Lower socio-ecomomic10%
    • Disability8%
    • Refugee2%
 

Abby Aitchison

AA Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic


Adrienne Brooks

Elevate Studios NQ


Alicia Isles

Namaste Journeys


Alison McDermott

Baby Sensory Moreland Darebin and Brimbank


Amber Knight

The Beauty of Yoga


Anita Synnott

Natural Territory


Annie Gichuru

Uplifting Studios


Belinda Humphries

Wattle Grove Speckle Park Pty Ltd


Bianca Hartge-Hazelman

FINANCY AND THE FINANCY WOMEN'S INDEX


Biljana Konjarski

DSM Enterprise Pty Ltd


Bronwyn Falconer

BIA Consulting


Catie Fry

Saleyards Distillery


Charity Hinchliffe

My Wedding Compare


Charlotte Jordans

My Lilli Pilli


Claire Moore

The Good Life Farm Co


Corona Brady

Corona Brady PTY Ltd


Debbie Moroney

Debbie Moroney Celebrant


Dorinda Cox

Inspire Change Consulting Group


Duean White

Career Steer


Elizabeth Threadingham

PEMSET Solutions


Emily Keys

Emily K Creative


Enza Lyons

Enza Lyons


Esther Joy Bowles

Essential Oil Education With Dr Joy


Eva Sifis

By Accident


Hannah Sutton

Hannah Sutton Design


Hayley O'Brien

Tree of Wings


Iva Novak

Elements for Excellence


Jacqueline Fleming

Whitsunday Health and Wellness Retreats


Jancee Benci

The Party Girl World


Jeanne Boles

The Well Institute of Training U/T trading as JBcoco


Jedess Hudson

Jedess Designs


Jemima Lewis

ALPHA Tyres


Jenny Yu

JF STUDIO PTY LTD


Jo Tonks

Watertight Group Pty Limited


Kara Cooper

Mount Vic and Me


Karen Demmery

TLMC Institute


Karen Martin

Yanalla Farms Pty Ltd


Karen Perks

First Food Co


Kathy Myers

Wishing you well


Katie Bowman

Made by Bowie


Katrina D'Orchimont

Nambini Boutique & Tea Garden


Kiara Stephenson

The River Block


Kirsten Atkinson

YINGARNA Australia


Laura Conti

#GoKindly


Leanne Sanders

Visual Dreaming


Lesley Matthews

PINK DIVA NAIL SUPPLY


Liesl Addicoat

The Chilli Chick Shop


Lindy Chen

ChinaDirect Sourcing Pty Ltd


Lucy Sattler

Study Work Grow


Manjot Garcha

Essence Ayurveda


Marisol Bogaz

Araucana Natural Cosmetics


Meg Kummerow

Fly the Farm / Future Focused Business Solutions


Melinda Morris

Transport Auditing Services


Melissa Connors

This Farm Needs A Farmer


Michelle Stabile

Groovexone Hip Hop Dance Studio


Michelle Strother

Injury Prevention Plus P/L


Minnie Chambers

Minnie Rose


Miyuki Kruse

The Brisbane Japanese Language and Culture School


Natalie Bramble

iClick2Learn


Natasha McDowell

Peninsula Lighthouse


Rachael King

Myrtle & Pepper Fine Chocolate


Rebecca Weller

Padthaway Caravan Park


Rosie Turnbull

Rosie's Boutique Condiments


Sharon Brindley

Cooee Cafe PTY LTD


Sharon Longridge

Leadium: Where busy leaders learn (PURUSA PTY LTD)


Sheridan Beaumont

Sydney Oyster Tours


Soriya (Kelly) Kim

Kelly Kim Cleaning Services


Sujata Ruma Chakravarti

Honeyeater Sustainable Backyard Initiative


Thelma Vlamis

Thelma Vlamis


Theresa Liew

Theresa Liew


Tracy Hardy

Wattleseed Nutrition & Dietetics


Venu Cameron

Venuzi Pit Paste


Zali Yager

Zali Yager Research / Well Researched


Vicki Baensch

Australia Expat Travel


Luz Restrepo

Migrant Women in Business


1:1 mentoring

Successful applicants are matched with a highly experienced business owner or leader who has been specifically selected to have the greatest impact on their business needs and goals. Mentors provide a minimum 2 hours of guidance every month. These partnerships are nurtured and supported by a member of the Rare Birds team for the duration of the program.

Business Education Masterclasses

Led by Rare Birds Founder and CEO Jo Burston, along with other successful business leaders and entrepreneurs, these 1-hour deep dive sessions give female founders in the program the hands-on tools they need to strengthen and scale their business sustainably. Topics covered include Strategy and Planning, Sales and Marketing, Growth vs Scaling, Managing Cash Flow and Business Management.

Connected Community

Women in the program form a connected and supportive community of practice on a dedicated online platform. This is where they find the tools to set and track their goals, a library of resources, and chat rooms where they can connect to seek and provide support. They also become part of the broader Rare Birds community of business leaders and entrepreneurs

1:1 high-impact mentoring

Ongoing on-on-one mentoring discussions with an experienced business leader guide entrepreneurs through their business challenges and goals. Monthly business workshops with experts develop critical skills and knowledge.

Women across diverse groups

Scholarships are open to 90 marginal demographic women entrepreneurs and established small business owners seeking to advance their personal and business development by way of one-on-one mentoring.

About the Scholarship

  • 2 hours of one-on-one mentoring every month for 9 months with a business expert handpicked just for you
  • 8 x one-hour Business Building Masterclasses
  • Connection with a supportive community of like-minded business owners and leaders
  • Chat Forums
  • Check-in surveys to chart progress

Who can apply?

  • Identify as female;
  • Identify with at least one of the marginal demographics listed*;
  • Have an established and viable business (min 2 years) - can be either SME owner or sole trader;
  • Are an Australian citizen or permanent resident;
  • Can commit to 2 hours per month with their mentor;
  • Will participate and engage in Business Education Masterclasses (1 hour per month).
  • *Indigenous or Torres Strait Islander; rural, regional or remote location; migrant or refugee; low socio-economic background; disabled.

Benefits for Mentees

"Not only did I gain knowledge and skills in marketing me and the business, I gained confidence in putting it into practice. As a result my public profile was boosted significantly and my business has (no joke) doubled in size.”

- Mentee, Leah Cameron

“I realised I had won the mentee lottery when I met Leah Cameron from Marrawah Law during our first session. We had a great year together and while Leah says she learned a lot from me, I feel like she taught me a great deal too. She has inspired me to no end.” Read more

- Mentor, Monica Rosenfeld

Success Stories

Find out how this program boosted the knowledge, confidence and business growth of Mentees in the 2017/18 program

91%

feel like their business will grow over the next 12 months.

87.5%

feel more confident about their business capability.

85%

have noted improvement in their focus areas
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“This program has helped so much, my mentor has been pivotal to this business development.”
Nola Turner-Jensen
Principal Director, CrackerJack Education
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“Judith’s mentoring has been nothing short of a miracle for me personally and for our business."
Tanya Demello
Director of Client Relations, Emerald + Aqua
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She’s been a terrific accountability partner. My mentor is helping me to keep on task, with some ambitious goals. It’s been life-changing experience.”
Karen Foster
Director, o2 Media
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“The advice I have received from my Mentor has allowed me to confidently move forward with decisions to grow my business.”
Natalie Allen
Managing Director, Plan Design Draft
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“Julene’s mentoring has been nothing short of amazing.”
Aliesha Smith
Owner, Unleashed Hair Boutique

Would you like to be matched with a Rare Birds Mentor to drive growth in your personal and professional life?

Our fully-managed program will take your information about where you are in your business and where you would like to be, and then match you with the Mentor from our database of business leaders and entrepreneurs who will have the most impact for you.

Register for more information or shop now!