Upstart HQ is an independent Not For Profit and registered charity that first began in 2012 in Geelong, as a response to the region’s transforming industrial economic heritage and the need to better prepare young people for the changing employment landscape. Since then, more than 1,800 students have developed entrepreneurial skills via Upstart HQ programs across Victoria.

 

In August 2021, Upstart HQ will launch its first ever national program, Upstart Express, taking place during National Science Week. 

Designed by Upstart HQ founders Heather Kelly and Jenny Perks in conjunction with an ever-growing network of industry professionals and mentors, Upstart Express is an innovative national science, innovation and technology challenge for Australia’s young people.

 

An entrepreneurial journey from Idea to Impact, Upstart Express provides a framework for students to identify and explore how an issue impacts people and imagine ways to solve it. They will then develop a model for how to bring their solution idea to life and grow their skills and communicate their vision to the world.