As the Programs Co-ordinator at Spacecubed, Kate is responsible for providing opportunities for innovators through accelerator programs and hackathons; facilitating capability for innovation and business growth in regional areas; building community impact through partnering with schools and social enterprises; and fostering corporate innovation.
Having project managed more than 20 innovation events, Kate’s impact on Perth’s start-up ecosystem has been extensive. Now in her second year as Program Coordinator for the Plus Eight program – a partnership with the Australia-wide muru-D accelerator – Kate has also had the chance to have an impact on the state of the start-up industry nationally.
Kate is a passionate advocate for women in STEM and innovation. She is the founder of Perth Web Girls, an organisation that seeks to create technology and entrepreneurial career pathways for women by helping them develop coding skills. Kate has worked to send Perth Web Girls into regional WA, allowing women in what is one of the world’s remotest regions access to up-skilling workshops, facilitated by mentors from the industry.
Kate has also partnered with Bankwest to create, find funding for, and facilitate a coding workshop for female staff members. With numbers of women in technical roles and as start-up founders at only around 25%, the importance of encouraging women to participate in up-skilling for these industries – and in the process making their career portfolio more future-proof – cannot be over-estimated. Kate is directly addressing this issue by making widespread change at a grassroots level in Western Australia.