PitchUp Winners Announced
30 September 2014 at 11:22 am
Two young social entrepreneurs have been awarded $10,000 each from the Qantas Foundation to take their social change ideas to the next level.
Huy Nguyen, 30, and Kumari Middleton, 29, competed against another four inspiring social pioneers who took part in the PitchUp event at a recent Unleashed Festival, which celebrates the young Australians creating social change.
Judged by an expert panel, Huy Nguyen won with his pitch ‘Enable Technology’ which tackles the high-cost of assistive technology for the disabled and aims to provide a platform to empower people with a disability to create and engineer their own low cost devices .
Kumari Middleton won for her pitch for “Stand Centre Front” a new initiative at her organisation Mayibuye, which uses performing arts to facilitate educational opportunities for young people who are vulnerable to at-risk behaviour.
Their new school "Stand Centre Front" will direct the profits raised from public dance classes to provide dance programs for young people at risk.
Foundation for Young Australians CEO Jan Owen said the PitchUp challenge was an inspiring end to a weekend that celebrated young people’s ideas and actions to make Australia a better place.
“The PitchUp winners are young people who are already creating change in our community and now thanks to Qantas, they have the funds to scale their big idea and their impact,” she said.
“We can’t wait to see where they take their ideas next.”
Qantas Head of Community, Arts & Ambassadors, Laura Berry, said Qantas was pleased to partner with the Foundation for Young Australians on the initiative.
“Qantas is pleased to invest in the future of these young Australians by supporting the winners on their next journey.” She said.
