CE ‘startup meetups’ #3 webinar
About this Event
NSW Circular is partnering with host Boomerang Labs in a second webinar event series called Circular Economy Startup Meetups. We will hear from expert speakers on a range of CE topics, plus we’ll also hear a founder story from one CE startup in each Meetup.
Meetup #3
This week Will Soutar from Climate-KIC Australia and Bruce Jeffreys from Dresden (pictured above) who will be our guests speakers.
When: Friday 15 May | 10am – 11am (AEST)
Where: Online, via Zoom | the online link will be sent after purchasing your ticket.
Register: Click here
Cost: Free
Bruce Jeffreys in 2003 co-founded the GoGet car-sharing service in Sydney because he didn’t want to own a car, he just wanted to drive one. His next act was prescription eyewear company Dresden which uses recycled materials to make affordable glasses, mostly sold online. The first Dresden store opened in Newtown in 2015 with a clear vision: affordable, locally made modular frames created from recyclable materials and high-quality Zeiss lenses. “I want to turn around the narrative of Australia as a commodities exporter,” says Jeffreys. “Australia has a history of innovative manufacturing and we want to reclaim that.”
They partnered with the German lens giant and Australian car-parts manufacturer Astor Industries, which worked with Dresden to figure out how to make the lightweight, modular frames with a zero-waste process. “They let us try all sorts of crazy things in their injection moulding machines,” says Jeffreys. “A factory with newer machinery wouldn’t have let us do that, but they knew that they had to diversify their manufacturing base, so it was a win-win.” Dresden now has multiple Australian stores, as well as stores in Canada and New Zealand.
Will Soutar is Director of Business Development, Climate-KIC Australia. Will develops multi-partner systemic innovation projects that accelerate climate action. To drive this system level collaboration, Will leverages his experience in business model, product and system development within fintech start-ups and corporate innovation teams.
He says: “I’m passionate about using business as a force for good. Combining my entrepreneurial and innovation experience with start-ups, scale-ups and financial services incumbents. I love collaborating with people to develop powerful ideas that have a positive effect on companies and their communities.”
Webinar event series x 2
NSW Circular is partnering with Boomerang Labs for 2 x series of webinars which have been developed by Boomerang Labs in conjunction with NSW Circular in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The “Entrepreneur” series and the “Startup Meetups” series are both intended to inspire and educate Australia’s emerging circular economy eco-system by inviting industry leaders to share their stories and perspective. This is part of Boomerang Lab’s work to continue to support startups and engage the whole CE community during this time of isolation, and NSW Circular’s goal to bring together and promote engagement around developing a circular economy.
Boomerang Labs
Boomerang Labs is supporting a transition to a circular economy by finding and helping grow the ideas and talents of entrepreneurs and small businesses that have circular systems and solutions at the heart of their businesses.
