Australian accountancy and financial advisory firm Crowe Horwath has launched FoundX with the “goal of empowering regional entrepreneurship at a grassroots level”.
The new initiative will provide access to business mentoring and bring regional start-up communities closer together with meetups designed for local entrepreneurs, according to a statement.
The FoundX meetups will also connect start-up community members with larger networks in hopes of encouraging innovation and “to help them achieve accelerated growth and success”.
“Geelong is one of Australia’s largest regional centres and was selected as the first regional hub in the national roll-out of FoundX due to its thriving startup and small business community,” said Crowe Horwath executive managing partner Mark Whelan, a Geelong local.
“We have seen Crowe Horwath grow as part of that community and this is a great opportunity to give back.”
The launch event on 27 July will be held at Deakin University and feature Tuned Global managing director and co-founder Con Raso as well as Artesian partner and chief operating officer Tim Heasley, both of whom will speak about their entrepreneurial journey and how they successfully secured investor funding.
Findex chief marketing and digital officer Thomas Paule told InvestorDaily that the aim of the FoundX talks was simple.
"We want to inspire innovation through strong, engaging speakers who offer upfront value by sharing their own entrepreneurial journey," Mr Paule said.
"It's not all about their company or their current role – it's about their journey. People learn from other people's journey, mistakes and all."
FoundX will be both a physical and online community and will feature regular programs, workshops and business improvement information as well as talks, meetups and business mentoring.
Following the Geelong launch event, Mr Paule revealed that the next FoundX meetup would be in Dubbo in a few months' time. InvestorDaily can also reveal that the national initiative will be rolled out in areas in which Crowe Horwath has a "strong community presence", such as Queensland, Tasmania and New Zealand.
