Outback Queensland’s First Entrepreneur in Residence A Success

The Remote Area Planning and Development Board (RAPAD) is celebrating the success of the regions first entrepreneur in residence.

“This regionally instigated initiative has provided an enviable return on investment,” RAPAD CEO David Arnold said.

Over the last year the program has delivered;

• shared spaces across the region equipped with video conferencing technology,
• intensive start up business training,
• digital training encompassing social media, coding, digital printing, marketing and website training
• ran remote Australia’s only startup weekends,
• lead a team of entrepreneurs to international innovation conference Myriad Festival, and supported local business people to develop their enterprises

“It’s an impressive record considering all these achievements have been delivered since Daniel Johnsen became outback Queensland’s first Entrepreneur In Residence in May 2017,” Mr Arnold said.

The Entrepreneur In Residence role was created by RAPAD and funded by the Department of State Development’s Remote Area Board funding.

Its mission was to engage and support emerging and existing businesses in the central west.

Julie Brown started her sun safe swimwear company, Coola Cozzies, in 2015 but used the services of the Entrepreneur In Residence to help her grow the enterprise into the wholesale market.

“To be able to access Daniel’s expertise in a timely, convenient manner, and for free, is such an incredible service especially in a community the size of Longreach in Western Queensland,” she said.

“Thank you RAPAD for having the foresight to employ an Entrepreneur In Residence,” she said.