Juggling a fast-paced startup business and being a parent is not easy. This Wednesday (October 31, 2018), the Spark Festival will bring together a panel of successful entrepreneurs who talk about how they navigate the work life balance.
“The average age of a startup founder in NSW is mid-thirties and frequently that aligns with founders starting a family,” Deputy Premier and Minister for Small Business John Barilaro said.
“Parent-repreneurs are not only looking for opportunities to secure their future but to ensure flexible working conditions to support their families.”
Founding, running and growing a startup business is a huge job and it can be a massive challenge, but in many ways being a parent is excellent preparation for startup life.
Jobs for NSW will host the event as part of its sponsorship of the Spark Festival, with free on-site childcare offered for startup parents and ‘babes in arms’ also welcome. The panel includes:
- Carrie Kwan, Co-founder and Managing Director of Mums & Co, a networking hub for Australian women entrepreneurs, who will share her passion and insights on how working parents can realise success in their startups and businesses.
- Peter McConnell, Executive Chair at Commtract, a marketplace for communications professionals, will share his experience of balancing a young family with two successful start-ups (one led by his wife, the other by him). Including strategies for balancing primary care for his two boys and a busy executive role.
- Edwina Sharrock, CEO, and Founder of Tamworth startup Birth Beat, an online platform for antenatal and childbirth classes, will share her experience on the steps she’s taken to launch her start-up while being a mother of two children under six.
- Victoria Stuart, Co-Founder of Beam Australia, an online marketplace connecting businesses with degree qualified stay-at-home parents, will discuss her personal search for balance and the positive impact flexible work options are making to lives and businesses.
Register for the event here.