BOOT CAMP WITH BOND ALUMNI
An enterprising trio of Bond University alumni have provided a wealth of motivational tips during their one-day business boot camp
BOND University graduates have revealed their paths to start-up success in a boot camp for budding entrepreneurs.
Sam Webb of LIVIN, Madeleine Saric of DubleUp and Navdeep Pasricha of iYouth led the annual Ideas Camp, sharing their career stories in a bid to motivate local high school students to realise their own entrepreneurial dreams.
Bond Business School graduate Sam Webb revealed how he turned tragedy into triumph, co-founding charity LIVIN to increase awareness and break down the stigma of mental health problems.
Sam, a budding actor and reality TV star who appeared in the Australian series of Survivor and recently debuted on
Neighbours, started the not-forprofit organisation in 2013 with friend Casey Lyons, after losing a close mate to suicide.
“I consider that moment a turning point for me, when I decided I needed to make a change. We channelled our grief and energy into making a positive impact,” he said.
“Our slogan is ‘It Ain’t Weak To Speak’, as many young people are scared to share their battle or ask questions because they are worried what other people think.
“We want to encourage people to have the confidence to speak up and seek help. Recognising our vulnerabilities can be our greatest strength.”
Money raised from the charity’s fashion line – which has been worn by celebrities like Chris Hemsworth – has allowed LIVIN to host mental health education sessions across Australia, including in remote locations in the NT and Western Australia.
“I would love to be able to offer this service to all students, and hope to see mental health and wellbeing become a part of the school curriculum,” he said.
“The most humbling experience for me has been receiving messages from people about how the charity has saved their lives.
“That’s a huge motivation. “I live my life by the Triple P formula – positivity, persistence and patience.
“A big part of finding success is being authentic and relentless in chasing your vision.
“Just because someone else might not believe it’s a good idea, if it’s your passion, you should pursue it.”
Students also heard about the start-up journey of Bond law and commerce alumna Madeleine Saric, who founded tech accessories business DubleUp before recently launching tech beauty company O’2 Nails Australia.
“When I was travelling, I constantly needed to charge my phone because I was taking lots of photos, but I was sick of using bulky power banks.
“When I returned to Australia, I started researching online and requesting samples from overseas, which I then adapted to produce a smaller design,” she said.
“Within the first eight to 10 months of launching DubleUp, we had our products featured in British Vogue and GQ magazines, which was incredible.