During the Term 3 School Holidays, we hosted the Carey Academy Startup Sprint, gathering aspiring founders and changemakers for two days of creativity, learning and bold action. It was thrilling to see ideas evolve, teams connect and new ventures begin to take shape.
Over the course of the Sprint, participants immersed themselves in the building blocks of entrepreneurship and business. They worked through essential modules including Customer and Problem Discovery, Funding Landscape and Crowdfunding 101, Lean Canvas Lab, and How to Craft a Winning Pitch. These sessions guided participants to refine their business purpose, map target customers, explore funding pathways and develop business models and craft compelling pitches. The program finished up with an exciting pitch showcase, where each participant presented their elevator pitch to a panel of judges and their peers, applying the knowledge and skills they had built over the two days.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Irene Tsang (Founder of LIFTWOMEN and current Carey parent), who created and facilitated the program with energy, deep expertise and passion. Her mentorship and insights left a lasting impression on every participant. We also thank our pitch judges Craig Hynes (Director of goTHERMAL and current parent) and Ian Boyd (General Manager of GoCardless and current parent) for their rigorous feedback and real-world advice.
I would like to congratulate our incredible 2025 cohort, a mix of parents, alumni, staff and students: Chaminda Samararatne, Kuru Somasundram, Vikas Gaur, Giri Gangadhara, Sam Ponsford, Dr Nicole Dour, Yvonne Barrett, Edwin Wu, Bella Yang, Rosie Arnold, Daniel Edmond, Martin Auldist, Danielle Auldist and Natalie Kunst.
Each of you brought dedication, curiosity and courage to the Sprint.
If the Startup Sprint piqued your interest and you’d like to be part of the 2026 cohort, we invite you to register your interest.
Kaushini Fernando
Alumni and Community Manager
