Mentoring Services

Subsidised Mentoring

At Smart Precinct NQ, we’ve been proudly nurturing the NQ business and innovation community with our mentoring expertise for over 3 years. As fellow entrepreneurs, we intimately understand the exciting highs and challenging lows that come with building a business.

Our goal is simple: we’re passionate about sharing what we’ve learned and experienced to help you succeed!

Whether you’re considering a new business idea and eager to discuss its potential, looking to strengthen and expand your new business venture, or you’re an experienced entrepreneur seeking a sounding board for your latest initiatives, our experienced mentors are here to provide the guidance you need.

We’re excited to offer you a free 60-minute business mentoring session with one of our business mentors, valued at $275 ($250 + GST). Thanks to the generous support from Townsville City Council and Burdekin Shire Councils, future sessions come at a subsidised rate of $165 ($150 + GST).

You can trust that our conversations remain entirely confidential, and any data shared with our funding partners is always anonymised.

In our first session, our main focus is getting to know you and your unique situation. We’ll provide actionable guidance for your next steps, along with potential strategies to realise your goals. Furthermore, we’ll pinpoint specific areas—like validating your business model or refining your marketing strategy—where we can offer more targeted advice in follow-up sessions.

We’re also eager to introduce you to our array of programs and workshops, designed to cater to your specific needs. And of course, we’ll be delighted to connect you with the right people in our community, opening doors to valuable networking opportunities.

Let’s collaborate to light up the road to your success!

Lydia Canovas

Lydia is an economist with an MBA and a PhD in business management, specialising in innovation, entrepreneurship and investment operations.

She is deeply passionate about supporting and advocating for entrepreneurs.

Over the past decade, Lydia has been actively involved in launching and investing in startups. She has also lent her support to accelerators and investment groups, establishing herself as a key resource for founders and investors alike.

Lydia offers valuable mentorship, guidance, and connections throughout Europe and, most recently, in Australia. In the last three years alone, Lydia has provided her expertise and support to more than 250 entrepreneurs in North Queensland.

Shelley Grainger

Shelley draws from over a decade of entrepreneurial experience, having founded and scaled an innovative food manufacturing venture to serve a national audience. Shelley managed all facets of operations, honing her skills in identifying new product opportunities, utilising digital marketing for audience engagement,
refining business models for enhanced profitability, and implementing effective business improvement and growth strategies.

Previously, Shelley spent 15 years supporting corporations across diverse industries in devising and implementing business improvement and growth strategies. She held roles such as Senior Consultant at The Boston Consulting Group, a global strategy firm, and Head of Group Strategy at The Woolworths
Group.