Bullfrog has named Learna as the first resident of its Fair Advantage Program, announced at its sold-out panel in Melbourne, last Thursday.
Following a comprehensive application process and shortlisted by a panel of communications and business experts, founder Lisa Lie was named the 2023 recipient of $25,000 worth of agency and advisory services.
Bullfrog’s program will support Learna – a microlearning app designed to transform how people learn, grow and engage at work; creating workplaces built for the future, as it continues in its next phase of growth.
Lie said: “With Learna we’re really aspiring to create workplaces that are future-fit, where continuous learning is embraced, and individuals and businesses can learn and evolve together.
“The residency with Bullfrog will support the growth and impact of Learna at a time when it’s ready for it – and I can’t wait to get started,” she added.
Lisa Lie with Katarina Matic
The event also played host to an in-depth panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities for start-ups owned by women in Australia, featuring four inspiring female-identifying founders;
• Kate Dinon, VP, Brand & Communications at Culture Amp, and Founding Partner at Protaganist
• Prisca Ongonga-Daehn, Founder & CEO at baresop
• Laura Henshaw, Co-Founder & CEO at Kic
• Yolanda Uys, CMO at Reece Group and Founder at Banks Botanicals
Emceed by Bullfrog creative Katarina Matic and moderated by Bullfrog founder Dalton Henshaw, the panel shared much needed experiences and insights on levelling the playing field for female founded businesses.
Matic said: “In the world of business, women have been playing in unfair territory for far too long time. Only 0.7% of start-ups founded by women receive funding in Australia. Fair Advantage was created because we at Bullfrog want to see more diverse representation when it comes to business founders.
“Specifically, we want to see more women-led businesses celebrated, backed and achieving success, within Australia and beyond. The funding landscape for startups is baked with inequality and moving the needle for women is not only the right thing to do, it makes good business sense.”
Fair Advantage is a 6-month pro-bono residency designed to offer start-ups led by women a strategic and creative edge in the unequal world of business. The residency includes tailored brand services from Fair Advantage Partners, a working space at Bullfrog’s Melbourne HQ, and access to onsite production facilities.
Dalton Henshaw, Bullfrog Founder and CEO, said: “At Bullfrog we are privileged to have a wealth of resources available to us – we have some of the brightest creative minds and problem solvers in the industry and we have access to a network of influential people and businesses.
“For me, Fair Advantage is more than just another workplace initiative. I’ve seen first-hand the power of effective storytelling of a business in its early stages. More often, it can mean the business is not only sustainable and achieves significant growth but also genuinely gives businesses an unfair advantage in their category.” This personal story stems from watching and supporting Bullfrog Foundation partner Kic, co-founded by Henshaw’s wife, Laura (a panellist).
Kic is one of the world’s largest tech-based health and wellness communities, with an active community in over 125+ countries. Kic is currently amid their Series A capital raise to spearhead their global expansion, with the first stop being the UK followed by the US.
The Fair Advantage Program is proudly supported by Program Partners, Bone Digital, Sunday Insights and Alt/Shift.
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Top image: Dalton Henshaw, Laura Henshaw, Kate Dinon, Prisca Ongonga-Daehn, Yolanda Uys and Katarina Matic
Yolanda Uys, Laura Henshaw, Prisca Ongonga-Daehn and Kate Dinon