Introducing Cohort 1

Ally Vardy

Ally Vardy

Sun Voyager Jewellery

Sustainably handmade jewellery from North Queensland using eco-friendly practices and zero-waste materials to combat fast-fashion.

Ashe Coxon

Ashe Coxon

Medical Career Planning

Career counselling for healthcare professionals, addressing burnout, career dissatisfaction, and supporting rural and First Nations practitioners.

Caitlin Power

Caitlin Power

Munchily Foods

Pre-packaged, whole-food meals for babies and toddlers, prioritising nutrition, convenience, and additive-free ingredients.

Cathy Dalton

Cathy Dalton

The Elite Edge Training Academy

A dedicated training provider for real estate, business, and leadership courses in North Queensland.

Cherie Malone

Cherie Malone

Cocotell

Geospatial solutions empowering sustainable decision-making for Government, industry, and NGOs through collaboration and excellence.

Deni Knuth

Deni Knuth

Roofguard

Innovative roof membrane reducing energy consumption by reflecting solar heat, enhancing durability, and improving efficiency in hot climates.

Dianna Hardy

Dianna Hardy

Deep Data Academy

Practical AI training aligning with industry needs, positioning North Queensland as a hub for AI expertise and innovation.

Dorothy Smith

Dorothy Smith

Goodjoo

Indigenous-owned business providing cultural solutions, workforce capacity building, and eco-friendly toilet paper products.

Fiona Guo

Fiona Guo

Lacez

A social running app connecting runners to local events, clubs, and a future runner-focused social media space.

Georgie Arnold

Georgie Arnold

Coming Soon

Hannah Durie

Hannah Durie

Fan Wear Co. Pty Ltd

Female-led platform supporting athletes, charities, and fundraisers by designing and selling commission-based supporter tees.

Dr Helena Rosengren

Dr Helena Rosengren

Holistic wellbeing

Coaching and workshops blending neuroscience and wellbeing practices to foster a flourishing life for female  entrepreneurs and business owners.

Jenna Mottin

Jenna Mottin

TalkHQ Speech Pathology

Speech pathology services expanding rural families’ access to high-quality care in North Queensland since 2012.

Jennifer Smith

Jennifer Smith

Task Tempo

Gamified app improving staff efficiency by breaking tasks into timed steps and tracking workflow interruptions.

Kate Pearce

Kate Pearce

Nutrition Queensland

Empowers women 35–60 with personalised coaching to balance hormones, improve energy, and achieve health goals.

Kaylee Boccalatte

Kaylee Boccalatte

Coming soon

Offering cupboard-stored food solutions for rural communities, developed with FNQ Food Incubator to ensure quality and convenience.

Laura Carcary

Laura Carcary

My Money Means

Teaching financial literacy to children through independent, curriculum-aligned storybooks, workshops, and creative resources.

Leisa Quagliata

Leisa Quagliata

Financial Empowerment Coach

Membership program for women regaining financial and emotional control through coaching and resilience strategies.

Megan O'Toole

Megan O'Toole

Aussie Eco Tourism

Creates meaningful, sustainable travel experiences that educate, empower local communities, and promote conservation.

Melissa Varoy

Melissa Varoy

Coming soon

Young adult fantasy novels and picture books explore nature, mental health, and climate change with interactive storytelling.

Naomi Porter

Naomi Porter

Spread the Word Marketing

Helps businesses define origin stories and leverage AI to enhance customer engagement and storytelling impact.

Natasha Elford

Natasha Elford

Investor Support

Personalised property investment management, including real estate decisions, renovations, and property oversight.

Natasha Wiltshire

Natasha Wiltshire

Arei Designs Tiny Home Plans

Streamlining homebuilding with design libraries, preloaded estimating tools, and ultra-fast concept turnarounds for builders.

Rebecca Vinson

Rebecca Vinson

The Hot Mess Studio

Stigma-free complementary & integrative medicine treatment, counselling and coaching for psychological and stress-related conditions.

Rebecca Cody

Rebecca Cody

Green Pantry Kitchen

Green Pantry Kitchen provides wholefoods, ready-made meals with a focus on sustainability and healthy living.

Renee Dembowski

Renee Dembowski

Content Monarchy

Empowering franchises and multi-unit businesses with tailored social media content solutions for a fraction of the cost of outsourcing to an agency.

Sarah Chapman

Sarah Chapman

STEM Changemakers

Empowering regional girls 12–18 through STEM projects, boosting aspirations, resilience, and workforce diversity in regional industries.

Shannon Delaney

Shannon Delaney

3D Canvas

Crafts 3D marketing, explainer, and product videos using advanced tools like Blender and AI to simplify ideas and enhance branding.

Tania Jacobsen

Tania Jacobsen

Fractional Services

Scalable access to executive talent for start-ups and small businesses, offering leadership without full-time commitments.

Tyrelle Smith

Tyrelle Smith

Golalbi-gan

Personalised support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, fostering cultural connections and positive community outcomes.

I am blown away by the immense diversity of talent and interests among this group of 30 women… I am humbled and excited to know my learning journey will be vastly richer due to the cohort I am a part of!

Sarah Chapman

STEM Changemakers

Events

Check out our events page for guest speakers at our ‘on the couch’ sessions – for our Female Founders but everyone is welcome.

Events page

Introducing Cohort 2

Amanda Nicholson

Amanda Nicholson

Feasty Foodz™ Torres Strait Islander Cuisine

Blending Torres Strait Islander heritage with scalable food innovation and culturally authentic product development.

Anne McClure

Anne McClure

Vesta Workwear

Designing female-fit PPE that improves safety, comfort and inclusion for women in trades.

Cayla Huhta

Cayla Huhta

Track Back Auto

Providing managed vehicle tracking and recovery services that reduce theft risk and improve public safety.

Claire Hadfield

Claire Hadfield

Kidmaps

A map-based app helping families quickly discover nearby children’s activities and services.

Courtney Armstrong

Courtney Armstrong

Armstrong Mechanical Solutions

Modernising mechanical services with digital systems that reduce downtime and improve fleet efficiency.

Cynthia Cormack

Cynthia Cormack

Dinkus Digital

We help purpose-driven organisations turn data into stories that build understanding, trust, and action.

Deborah Robson

Deborah Robson

DearMe App

A private maternal wellbeing app supporting reflection, emotional processing and postpartum mental health.

Di Smee

Di Smee

Lucky Bums

Turning recycled plastic bottles into bold, robust swimwear and underwear for coastal living.

Gemma Campbell

Gemma Campbell

Mae

A personalised platform delivering evidence-based guidance to new mothers.

Jen Sperring

Jen Sperring

Occupational and Family Therapist Jen Sperring

Supporting health professionals to build sustainable private practices through tech-enabled systems and structured support.

Kathryn Lambert

Kathryn Lambert

BrightGov Consulting

Specialist consulting firm helping local governments deliver smarter, people-focused technology solutions.

Kellie Williams

Kellie Williams

Oz Industries Forecasting

Providing long-range weather intelligence to help agriculture and climate-exposed industries plan ahead.

Leesa Baker

Leesa Baker

Botanising With Leesa

Delivering practical horticulture and sustainability education that builds ecological literacy and community stewardship.

Lenka Galinie

Lenka Galinie

Born to Be Alive

Designing custom AI agents that automate workflows and help organisations operate smarter and scale sustainably.

Lisa Newland

Lisa Newland

Step Out Academy

Creating curriculum-aligned walking tours that turn local spaces into engaging learning experiences.

Marie-Hélène Larouche

Marie-Hélène Larouche

(coming soon)

Using Digital Twin technology to support sustainable asset and environmental management.

Melanie Clair

Melanie Clair

Brain Injury Online

Expanding access to cognitive rehabilitation through hybrid, digital and community-based support models.

Molly Brown

Molly Brown

Education Travel App Concept

Turning travel into curriculum-aligned learning through location-based educational activities for families.

Natalie Siagian

Natalie Siagian

The Personhood

Supporting purpose-driven creatives to build sustainable businesses and collaborate for positive impact.

Rebecca Youngberry

Rebecca Youngberry

Black Cat Quilt Co

Australia’s first quilting subscription box connecting regional makers through curated supplies and community.

Rowena Burley

Rowena Burley

Townsville Loves Defence

Connecting Defence families with trusted local services to ease relocation and strengthen community connection.

Rubie Sam

Rubie Sam

Biodegradable Packaging

Creating biodegradable, edible packaging that reduces plastic waste and improves food safety.

Ruth Guice

Ruth Guice

Mouthin’ Off Communication Mentoring

Building confident communicators by tackling mindset and emotional barriers, not just presentation skills.

Sandra Atkinson

Sandra Atkinson

The Lady Engineer

Delivering tech-enabled engineering and asset monitoring systems for safer, more accountable infrastructure.

Saparna Pai

Saparna Pai

TAARA Therapeutics

Developing scalable, cell-based immunotherapy to prevent and treat serious lung disease.

Shelley Caverzan

Shelley Caverzan

Arcana Consulting

Helping SMEs embed practical privacy systems and responsible AI into everyday operations.

Sky Hunt

Sky Hunt

GreenSky Organic

Transforming farm surplus into nutrient-rich freeze-dried powders that reduce waste and improve food security.

Tara Rossow

Tara Rossow

Look Hear Australia

Developing practical assistive tools and visual supports to improve inclusive communication in real-world settings.

Tales of Transformation

An inspiring evening as we shone the spotlight on the remarkable journeys of regional business leaders who have transformed their industries through innovation. This event also launched the first cohort of the Accelerating NQ Female Founders Program, bringing together a dynamic network of entrepreneurs, SMEs, government organisations, and innovators.  

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