FounderHUB

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FounderHUB

Finding your inner founder over six weeks of intensive discovery.

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Becoming a Founder isn’t just about your business idea. It’s an investment into changing the way you think and act.

RMIT Activator’s FounderHUB is a 6-week program, combining design thinking methodology, workshops and group coaching to provide aspiring and emerging founders with the entrepreneurial mindset and toolkit to kick-start their entrepreneurial journey​. FounderHUB prepares you for a life seeking out the opportunities in every situation, thinking creatively and building on a foundation of entrepreneurial talent.

Who should join FounderHUB?

FounderHUB is for aspiring founders. Whether it be for your side hustle, a chance to explore a university project and see if it could be commercialised, or maybe you’re just curious about entrepreneurship - FounderHUB is for you! In six weeks, we’ll set your mind alight and develop your founder mindset, which will stick with you for life.

FounderHUB founders are:

FounderHUB is open to all RMIT students, alumni and staff. Successful applicants will also have:

  • A team that is driven and purposeful – at least one team member must be able to attend all sessions over the program duration. Solo founders are welcome too.
  • An idea you're passionate about, or a problem you're passionate to solve.
  • A curious mindset and a willingness to ask questions, take on feedback, share learnings and support your fellow founders.

Time commitments

Workshop sessions: 1.5 hours

Get the framework you need to know your next steps. Each session is 1.5 hours long, once per week, for the entire six week duration of FounderHUB.

Group coaching: 1 hour

Share your achievements, obstacles and confusions all in one. Get feedback from Juan and contribute to the learning experience alongside fellow participants. Each session is 1 hour long, once per week.

Activator community: ongoing

Your FounderHUB experience includes an invitation to our co-working space, community membership, events and many more.

Program Structure

Week 1: Welcome & Self assessment

Why are you here? Get to know yourself, your purpose and your cohort.

Week 2: Exploring & Mapping the Problem

Dive deep into the problem space and understand how your user interacts with it.

Week 3: Designing Valuable Solutions

Generate ideas through the lens of desirability, viability, and impact.

Week 4: Intro to Learn Business

Set a strategy that focuses on the founder team, skills and mindset necessary to deliver impact.

Week 5: Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Identify your target customer segment and the solution that adequately addresses the problem.

Week 6: Pitching & Storytelling

Communicate in a lean, clear, and impactful manner. Show us what you’ve got and get a chance to win a spot at our pre-accelerator program, LaunchHUB.

Meet Juan, your FounderHUB facilitator

Juan’s experience in innovation and entrepreneurship, paired with his personable and highly motivating coaching style, makes him the perfect person to lead you through your FounderHUB experience. He’ll be on hand to coach you through the founder journey and checkpoints throughout the FounderHUB course.

Find out more about Juan

Apply for the next round of FounderHUB

Fill out the form to kick off your FounderHUB journey. Remember, FounderHUB is designed to be the first of many steps into what it means to be a founder, so we’re mostly interested in YOU - don’t worry if you don’t have a business idea just yet. We’re looking forward to getting to know you better!

2022 Program Timeline

Semester 1

  • 1 Feb: Applications open
  • 4 Apr - 11 May: Workshops & Group coaching session
  • 13 May: Final pitch session

Semester 2 (3-week express)

  • 1 Oct: Applications open
  • 14 Nov - 1 Dec: Workshops & Group coaching session
  • 2 Dec: Final pitch session

FAQ

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No! FounderHUB is all about finding the founder in you – which can happen without a business idea to start with. A good first step is to find something you are passionate about and we’ll go from there. On our early sessions, we’ll dive deep into the problem space and figure out a problem worth solving and what does that look like. However, the program also works if you have an existing startup, side hustle or just a few ideas you want to explore further.

FounderHUB will run in line with the current COVID-19 restrictions. At the time of writing, restrictions have been lifted and face-to-face sessions are allowed. Your course coordinator will confirm this with you prior to you starting.

While we understand that everyone has their own preferences and/or have prior engagements scheduled pre-program, the intensive nature of the FounderHUB program requires at least one person from your team to attend each session.

RMIT Activator does not take any stake in your IP and we wish to not be involved in any IP ownership-related issues. The knowledge we share on this program is the University’s way of supporting the wider community with no strings attached. However, if you are a staff member and/or looking to translate your research, we strongly encourage you to contact IP & Commercialisation to settle things early.

Absolutely! You just need at least one of your members to be RMIT affiliated. 

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Acknowledgement of country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

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aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.

More information