The University of Queensland’s newly appointed Chief Student Entrepreneur believes the methodologies and agile nature of startups will be adopted widely as a result of the pandemic.
Final year health science student Rachael Dagge said while these were challenging times, startups had the ability to be quick to innovate and adapt.
“We have many startups here in the Brisbane ecosystem who are having to shift their business models to accommodate this new way of life,” she said.
“This is a time when students can take on significant roles and really make a difference.
“It can be mutually beneficial – students will enter the workforce with tangible experience and startups will have access to the next crop of talent coming through.
“And just as final year medical and nursing students are being accelerated into the workforce, UQ’s entrepreneurs are doing the same.
“While it's too early to understand how COVID-19 will drive the market, I believe we will progress down the path of digital transformation especially in digital health – in fact we could be talking about completely new systems and processes.”
Selected by UQ Ventures to inspire and mentor other students in entrepreneurship and innovation, Ms Dagge is already a successful entrepreneur.
She co-founded PlateWaste AI – a company which seeks to solve issues of malnutrition in aged care homes – and won the Young Women Leaders in AI competition in 2019, NextGen Startup competition, and placed second at the UQ Weekend of Startups.
“Success in a startup doesn’t depend on whether you’re a founder with a specific academic background or trained as a software engineer,” Ms Dagge said.
“Hard work, motivation and resilience in a team with diverse skills are some of the most important things to ensure success.”
Ms Dagge said she was looking forward to sharing her own experiences in the health and nutrition space with budding entrepreneurs, and bringing new perspectives to the areas of aged care, disability and inclusion.
“I want to see more support to help grow the number of female founders across the University, as well as greater participation from disciplines outside business and STEM,” she said.
“Any student should feel comfortable and welcomed to join in the various Ventures programs and events at UQ.”
UQ’s newly appointed Head of Ventures Nimrod Klayman said now more than ever, entrepreneurial thinking and industry experience would mark students out as game-changing graduates in the ever complex and interconnected world.
“Rachael’s commitment to diversity in the entrepreneurship space is a gain for the entire UQ community at this time,” Mr Klayman said.
“She has walked the talk – successfully taking part in many entrepreneurship programs at UQ like the highly sought after LeadHers.
“We couldn’t find another person more committed to welcoming and engaging new students to the Ventures community than Rachael.
“She’ll also bring a fresh perspective in health and human services entrepreneurship to UQ Ventures – I see her as a true leader in this space.”
UQ Ventures is a university-wide initiative that embeds entrepreneurial learning across all disciplines and deepens engagement with local and global partners.
All Ventures programs and activities have moved online to continue to provide opportunities for students to connect with the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and to build the skills needed to thrive in adversity.
For more information on UQ Ventures, please contact Mr Nimrod Klayman, n.klayman@uq.edu.au, +61 (0)7 3343 2492.
MEDIA: UQ Communications, communications@uq.edu.au, 07 3346 7890
