Posts by Sharon Hunneybell

Iceland, woman using laptop at the coast

Closing the Skills Gap: Building Tomorrow’s Tech Leaders on the Gold Coast

Business

Almost eight years ago, alongside 12 industry partners, we drafted a plan to bring the Gold Coast Innovation Hub to life. Since then, I’ve crossed paths with thousands of startup founders—connecting through programs, workspaces, and events—all working to learn, grow, and scale with the support of our incredible industry and mentor networks. What’s been particularly rewarding is seeing the ripple effect: momentum truly creates momentum. New initiatives, workspaces, incubators, and investment networks have sprung up all over, and I couldn’t be happier about it. When it comes to driving growth… Read More

Two hands trying to connect puzzle pieces

Attributes of Effective Ecosystem Leaders

Book Reviews Business

It’s been 10 years since I first googled the term #startup. I was working as an IT business analyst for a company in Sydney when the software developer I was working with mentioned his cousin had got into Startmate. We were on the final sprint of a software release and were working late into the night. We stopped for a pizza break and he pulled up the pitch videos from the first Startmate cohort. As I watched, I felt this strange stirring inside me. “This is what we need to… Read More

Bridging the Gap to Business Growth

Business

Coworking spaces are popping up everywhere, from art spaces to industrial spaces to beachfront spaces with board racks at the entrance – if you want to get out of your home office, shared spaces are a flexible and a low cost option for new businesses. For many entrepreneurs, remote workers and freelancers, a cool space to work with good vibes, free coffee and Friday afternoon drinks is all you need – but for those that have big goals in sight – those looking to develop groundbreaking technologies, break into international… Read More

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The key to a thriving startup community is YOU

Business

“Are you above or below the line?” There is a well known method of challenging behaviours and encouraging personal accountability in business leadership referred to as ‘above or below the line’. The model is simple. Picture a horizontal line.  At any moment in time a person is metaphorically either above the line or below the line.  A leader operating above the line, is open, curious and committed to learning. When they fall below the line, they’re closed, defensive and insistent on being right. A conscious leader should, at any moment be… Read More

Necessity Entrepreneurs

Business

When Creating a Business Is Your Only Choice As a supporter and driver of the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem I’ve spent a long time advocating for entrepreneurship to be recognised and supported as a career path in the same way that the traditional ‘get a qualification and get a job’ career path has always been. I’ve worked hard to help people of all ages, from 8 to 80, that have an idea that they are passionate or excited about to bring that idea into reality and ‘create their own career’…. Read More

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Successful

Setting Yourself Up For Success

Book Reviews Life Wisdom

This post will be one of many inspired by books that I have read over the past few years that have led to practices and habits that I have adapted into my own daily, weekly and monthly routines. While I still have a lot of work to do in perfecting my habits, when I look at my mental and physical health since implementing these practices, I am able to see a significant improvement, particularly when bundled together with other tools and concepts that have shifted long held perspectives, beliefs and… Read More

5 books to shift your thinking

Life Wisdom

I love to read, but finding time in a busy week to curl up on the sofa or to lay out on a beach towel with a good book isn’t always easy to do. With a growing pile of books on my bedside table, mid last year I decided to do something different. I swapped out my spotify playlist for an audiobook on my way to and from work each day. 20 minutes each way of learning about life, work and relationships rather than learning the lyrics to the current… Read More