Two Murdoch students who developed a social platform aimed at improving the employability, confidence and mental health of people with a disability have shone in a national entrepreneur competition.
Law and Accounting student Locket Lee and fourth year Law and Psychology student Tess Whitelaw were the only two undergraduate students in the nation to make it through to the semi-finals of the Big Issue’s ‘Big Idea’ competition.
The initiative invites university students across Australia to pitch their social enterprise ideas to a panel of judges, who determine the winning entry based on its ability to change the lives of homeless and disadvantaged Australians.
Ms Lee and Ms Whitelaw presented their social platform ‘Blossom’ which aims to assist people with disabilities to make new connections with those who have similar interests; as well as provide job skills training to enhance their employability.
"We are both passionate about making an impact in the community, especially for people with a disability as they are a group in the community particularly vulnerable to unemployment, as well as lacking genuine friendship," Ms Lee said.
“Passion, creativity and the personal stories of people we know has fuelled this idea – and we strongly believe that it will have a massive impact on those with a disability."
Launchpad Entrepreneur-In-Residence and founder of Student Edge, Jeremy Chetty assisted the pair to improve and shape the ‘Blossom’ concept for entry into the competition.
“We have had a wonderful support team behind us the whole way, including Jeremy Chetty, Matthew Evans and Mel Molloy from the Murdoch library, and Katherine Ings from Murdoch Business School, which has made Blossom seem more real and a worthwhile idea,” Ms Whitelaw said.
After submitting ‘Blossom,’ the students then had the opportunity to take part in a range of lectures, online seminars and discussions with social enterprise thought leaders from across the Australian Business sector - including senior executives from competition sponsors Telstra, Australia Post and Origin.
Ms Whitelaw said participating in the Big Idea process had been a truly inspiring and rewarding experience, and as a result, the students have decided to continue working to make ‘Blossom’ a reality in future.
“We are already looking into ways to make this happen, and really want to do all that we can to make a social difference, no matter how small this may be to begin with,” Ms Whitelaw said.
Since Launchpad opened its doors earlier this year, it has provided a platform for 70 of Murdoch’s best and brightest innovators to turn their ideas into practical solutions to real-world issues.
Murdoch alumnus and co-founder of online student service company Student Edge, Jeremy Chetty, has been the Launchpad’s inaugural Entrepreneur-in-Residence, supporting students to translate their ideas into opportunities.
Mr Chetty said the Launchpad had seen some incredible entrepreneurial potential realised, and was proud of what the young innovators at Murdoch had achieved so far.
“Through Launchpad, we are striving towards Murdoch University’s vision to be a creative force for current and future generations,” he said.
“Success is built from a combination of hard work, belief in your ideas and the persistence to find solutions to problems you confront along the way, and I have been so impressed with the creativity and dedication of our students.
“I am looking forward to helping even more students to successfully launch their creative and innovative business concepts next year.”
Image: Locket Lee and Tess Whitelaw present their social platform to Launchpad Entrepreneur-In-Residence Jeremy Chetty and audience members.