From reinventing the workspace to bringing sports star power to disability support, these four entrepreneurs have won praise for how they’re tackling the problems of today with a sharp eye on the future.
As the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ program marks its 25th year of supporting Australian entrepreneurship, Startup Daily is profiling the exceptional entrepreneurs named as national finalists across five categories in the prestigious awards, to be held on October 15.
So far, we’ve met the finalists for Social Impact. Today, we meet the cohort selected for the Emerging category.
Their passion, drive and innovation is paving the way for a better world – but don’t take our word for it, hear from the finalists themselves:
Tyson Gundersen, Bureau
Ever heard of ‘elastic spaces’? Adelaide-based Bureau is making “spaces elastic to shape spaces around people, rather than shape people around space”, says cofounder Tyson Gundersen.
“I’d spent 12 years working 80 to 100 hours a week in consulting and often found them lacking in private, quiet spaces for deep work.”
Enter Bureau’s soundproof office booths made of recyclable materials. Seeing the waste of single-use construction, Tyson and his co-founders came up their Bureau modular office pods – a faster, cheaper and more eco-friendly solution for offices. They’re now seen across the global offices of brands like Amazon, Deloitte, Google, LEGO and NASA.
The next evolution, currently in beta testing, allows customers to upload a PDF floor plan and have AI generate 1000s of potential options.
“In five years’ time, Bureau will be the default choice for any fast-growing, innovative business for the backbone of their office,” Gundersen says.
Steve Dresler, What Ability
At just 20, Steve Dresler was on his way up in the Parramatta Eels when a sudden injury ended his NRL dreams for good.
“My world sort of shut down,” Dresler says.
He found purpose working in disability support.
In 2019, Dresler launched an Instagram account to showcase great experiences for people living with disabilities. This morphed into What Ability, an NDIS-registered disability support service with professional athletes providing mentoring, camps, outdoor activities and more.
Today, What Ability supports more than 1000 families, with 70 staff working across Australia. Its not-for-profit arm, the What Ability Foundation, aims to unlock one million experiences by 2030 for people with disabilities and their families.
“One of my big goals personally is to take it global,” Dresler says.
“What we do now with the NRL and AFL and all the sporting teams here in Australia is really cool, but imagine one day we’re doing it with the NFL over in America, or the EPL in the UK?”
David McGiveron and Bianca Tarrant, Our Cow
Our Cow is a grass-fed meat subscription company with a purpose. Started in 2019 by David McGiveron and Bianca Tarrant after their farm was ravaged by severe bushfires and drought, Our Cow seeks to improve the lives of farmers and meet consumer demand for better quality, ethically sourced produce.
“As a farmer, you never really know what price you’re going to be paid for your livestock, so we wanted to guarantee a price for the livestock that we were producing, and also offer that same stability to other farmers,” Tarrant says.
Today, Our Cow delivers grass-fed, free-range and organic produce direct to consumers across Australia, supporting 100s of farmers and their communities.
“We met with a farmer who was potentially going to sell their farm,” Tarrant recalls.
“They had three young daughters. After six months of supplying Our Cow, he said to me, ‘I’ve never been in a better position and I can see a future for my daughters on the farm’.”
Sam Gordon, Australian Property Scout (APS)
Gold Coast buyer’s agent Sam Gordon first became a property investor at 19. Throughout his 20s, Gordon amassed 20+ properties and realised he could help others do the same.
“At 26, I got burnt by another buyer’s agent in the industry,” Gordon recalls.
“I lost $10,000. It was a really pivotal moment in my life… I realised that I couldn’t really trust anyone in the space if I couldn’t trust this guy. It made me double down on my portfolio.”
Two years later, in 2019, Gordon started his investment buyers’ agency Australian Property Scout to help others avoid similar pitfalls and build their property portfolios ethically.
Now, with a team of more than 60 on staff, APS is on track to hits its goal of retiring 500 investors by 2030.
“We’re empowering so many people to able to live the lives that they want to live – really helping people get on the ladder with their first deal and then showing how to turn one property into three investment properties,” Gordon says.
“There’s something about that that just gives me so much drive and purpose.”
More about EY Entrepreneur Of The Year
The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Program recognises Australian entrepreneurs who are disrupting traditional ways of doing things and building a better working world.
Run by global professional services organisation EY, the EOY program spans 60 countries and jurisdictions and provides exclusive networking and learning opportunities to participants. EY Australia will host a gala event in October where winners across five categories will be awarded (Emerging, Industry, Services, Social Impact and Technology).
One winner will be chosen to represent Australia at the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year global competition in 2026.
For more info, visit the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year website.
Startup Daily is a media partner for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year program.
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