FMN x TED countdown: representing Asia Pacific’s climate voice

The Funding Network: Young Artists Centre

The challenge

Young people who make things are usually told it will not pay. Schools teach the craft and rarely teach the business, so students who are good at something creative leave school with no idea how to charge for it. In regional communities there is often no pathway at all.

The Young Artists Centre was co-funded through The Funding Network by Milford and Brian M Davis.

What we did

The Young Artists Centre is a nine-week program that runs across five stages. We ran it for 15 young people in regional Victoria.

First, workshop training. Weekly sessions covering pricing, branding, customers and how to manage money, so a craft becomes a venture rather than a hobby.

Second, mentorship. We match each young person with an artist-in-residence, a working creative who has built their own enterprise and can teach both the craft and the business behind it.

Third, a community showcase. A local event where young artists sell directly to their community for the first time, including a live auction of their work.

Fourth, microgrants, so artists can buy supplies and cover the cost of starting.

Fifth, market access. We partner with local shopping centres and festivals to give young artists free retail space in their own community.

The outcome

15 young people finished with their own creative businesses. The range across the cohort was wide, covering jewellery, hand crochet, painting, henna and custom origami. Much of it was work they had been making for years without ever considering selling it.

The program closed with an auction and awards night, with our funders in the room. Students watched people they had never met bid on work they had made. For most of them it was the first time anyone outside their family had put a price on it.

What's next

The model keeps money circulating locally. Young people earn income in their own region rather than leaving to find it, the community buys directly from local makers, and microgrants are spent on local supplies and stalls.

We are running the Young Artists Centre again and looking for partners who want to back young creatives in places the arts sector barely reaches.

Partnership case studies

Toyota Community Trust: FutureHack across four regions

The challenge

Toyota Community Trust wanted to reach young people in the regions, not the ones already sitting in accelerators and university programs. Regional young people are three times more likely to be unemployed than their metro peers, and more than half the students we work with are on track to leave school before Year 12. Opportunities like this rarely arrive where they live.

The original plan was a single Innovation Summit in Newcastle for 50 to 100 students. Co-funding from Toyota Community Trust turned that regional plan into a national one.

What we did

FutureHack ran in two stages across Newcastle, Geelong, Goondiwindi and Logan.

The first stage was a full-day, inter-school Innovation Summit. 120 students came together in Geelong and 50 in Newcastle, meeting peers from other schools for the first time. The day centred on a six-hour hackathon where students identified a real problem in their own community, then worked through entrepreneur-led workshops on ideation, design thinking, business modelling and pitching. It closed with a live showcase.

The second stage was the six-week FutureHack program, taking students from a raw idea to a fully pitched business. Teams formed across schools and worked through a business model canvas, prototype development and testing, and refining their value proposition. Each week they joined two-hour workshops and hour-long mentorship sessions with entrepreneurs, angel investors and CEOs.

Top teams pitched at the National Finale to a panel from Microsoft, Toyota Community Trust and Startmate.

The outcome

Over 180 high school students, aged 16-18, took part across 12 schools in four regions.

Understanding of the skills a startup demands went from 34% to 70% in Geelong, and from 53% to 92% across the six-week cohort. 5% of students had met an angel investor before the program. 83% had by the end.

Two ventures took the top awards and $1,000 microgrants each. PEETA, built by Ashutosh Vaitha, is an augmentative communication tool inspired by his non-verbal brother Vishan. Stulete, built by Ashley, is a sport-to-life pathways platform.

The reach went past the students. The Geelong Advertiser ran a double-page spread. Jacob, 17, travelled nine hours by train from Goondiwindi to attend the Newcastle Summit, crossing a state border to get there. He said afterwards it was worth every second. His participation prompted the Goondiwindi Chamber of Commerce to approach us about a permanent innovation hub in the town.

What's next

We are expanding to seven cities by 2027, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Newcastle, Geelong, Toowoomba and Goondiwindi. Corporate partnership is what funds free delivery in regional and low-income communities, and we are looking for partners who want that reach.

UNIQLO and Monash University: ImpactHack

The challenge

UNIQLO Australia wanted fresh thinking from the demographic they design for, and they wanted it fast. Not a case study written for a classroom, and not a focus group reacting to finished work. A genuine question, put to students who are also customers.

We partnered with Monash University. UNIQLO Australia set the brief. We ran the day.

What we did

One day, university students from across disciplines, working on Uniqlo's brief.

The day ran in two halves. Students started on a robotics and automation challenge, programming and coding robotics cars, then moved into designing their own Uniqlo t-shirts. From there they went into the entrepreneurship stream, learning to identify problems in their own communities and working through prototyping and business modelling.

It ended with a pitch finale.

The outcome

Students pitched their ideas to the Chief Operating Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and the group advisor to the CEO at Uniqlo Australia. Three of the most senior people in the Australian business came down for the day, heard the pitches, and met the students afterwards.

Around 20 ideas were pitched across the day. They covered how Uniqlo could expand its offering and how it could improve customer service, all of it coming from students who shop there themselves.

The value for Uniqlo was volume and speed. Twenty concepts in a single day, generated in parallel by teams working the same brief, is a different output to one agency response. It also put the senior team in a room with Monash students, which means the ones who impressed them are identifiable.

What's next

The model transfers. A company brings a genuine question, a university brings students, and we run the day so both sides get something out of it. If your organisation has a question worth putting in front of a room of students, we would like to hear it.

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Australia is falling behind – not because young Australians lack potential, but because our systems are failing to keep up.

That’s why we took the conversation to national television.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYTyGDDMR8o

Our founder and CEO, Nathaniel Diong, appeared on The Project (Network 10), one of Australia’s most-watched current affairs programs, to speak on a crisis hiding in plain sight: the urgent need to reimagine education.

“Governments are so far removed from the real issues young people are facing. Even before housing affordability, we need job security — and that starts with an education system built for the future.
How can we expect young people to solve tomorrow’s problems if we’re not even giving them the tools to thrive today?”

Our current system was designed for a different era. It’s focused on memorisation, not innovation. On standardised tests, not real-world challenges. And while the world races forward, too many young people are being left behind — without the skills, networks, or opportunities they need to succeed.

This isn’t just about education. It’s about economic security, climate resilience, social equity. If we don’t act now, we’ll leave behind not just a financial debt, but a skills and opportunity debt that compounds across generations.

At Future Minds Network, we’re building the infrastructure young Australians need to thrive:
– Future-ready skills
– Meaningful job pathways
– Real-world platforms for leadership and innovation

Because when young people rise, everyone benefits.

Global conversations are changing— and Future Minds is shaping what’s next.

We were featured on China’s largest English-language news channel —broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 100+ countries. The segment featured our work in reimagining education, driving youth innovation, and unlocking inclusive economic opportunity for the next generation.

As we build toward Davos 2025 and this year’s theme, “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age,” we’re seeing a global shift: one that puts human capital, purpose, and technology at the heart of economic strategy. Our CEO and founder, Nathaniel Diong, was invited to speak alongside a lineup of international experts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70o7flGLHrs

On live TV, Nathaniel shared the urgent need to invest in future-ready skills, and reimagine education systems for real-world learning. He highlighted three key shifts we’re already seeing across the young people, employers, and communities we work with.

If organisations don’t keep up, they risk falling behind—not just in talent, but in relevance. This includes:

• Gen Z will comprise 40% of the workforce by 2030. This shift will require new models of intergenerational collaboration to tackle increasingly complex challenges with fresh perspectives.
• Purpose is now a workplace priority. 86% of Gen Z professionals want to work for companies aligned with their values. The future of leadership lies in building cultures where purpose and impact aren’t optional—they’re foundational.
• Gen Z is already using AI to grow. Almost half of Gen Z are using AI to build skills and stay competitive. Employers and educators must respond by investing in lifelong learning and digital fluency.

Thank you to China Global Television Network (CGTN), the Global Shapers Community, and everyone helping elevate these critical global themes. Let’s continue shaping a future that works for everyone.

Climate change is no longer a distant threat—it’s the challenge shaping our present and future.

We were invited to speak at the 2025 NEXUS Australia Summit, a gathering of over 200 bold, purpose-driven leaderscommitted to reimagining the future of philanthropy, impact investing, and social change.

This year’s Summit was a powerful call to action — urging each of us to step forward with courage and creativity, to tackle wicked problems through collaboration, and to lead with vision in the face of uncertainty.

Our founder and CEO, Nathaniel Diong, joined climate leaders Amanda McKenzie and Sam Elsom to explore how the next ten years will define the trajectory of our planet.

Together, they unpacked:

• The urgent need to engage young people in climate action — not just as participants, but as co-designers of solutions
• How to channel our inner politicians to influence systems, policies, and power structures
• Why intergenerational giving must evolve to fund long-term, youth-led innovation and resilience

It echoed Future Minds Network’s vision: that when young people are equipped with the right skills, platforms, and networks, they don’t just adapt to the future — they lead it.

We left the NEXUS Summit more energised than ever to keep pushing boundaries— and to ensure young people have the agency to shape the future they’ll inherit. Together with the next generation, we’re building the skills and pathways needed to lead real, lasting change.

Something life-changing is taking shape in Melbourne.

On a record-breaking night, Future Minds Network raised $66,000 to launch the Young Artists Centre, a space designed to do more than nurture talent. It empowers young creatives to earn their first income, believe in their worth, and step into a future full of possibility.

Over the next 12 months, this program will support 50–100 young artists to:

• Learn business skills – from pricing and selling to managing money
• Work 1:1 with mentors – building confidence and creative careers
• Showcase and sell their work – in real retail spaces, markets, and pop-ups

But it doesn’t stop there. We’re teaming up with shopping centres, regional festivals, and community partners across Victoria to bring their art to new audiences – not just to be seen, but bought.

Because this isn’t just about creativity. It’s about power. Purpose. And proof that their ideas matter.

We’re backing a generation of young people who will:

• Get paid to do what they love
• Earn their first income
• Reclaim belief in their futures

This is how change starts – not with handouts, but with platforms. Not just with hope, but with action.

Thank you to the generous sponsors, supporters and foundations who made this possible: Evans & Partners, Milford, Brian M. Davis Charitable Foundation, Be BlueRock Foundation — and of course, The Funding Network, who reminded us why our stories matter.

The future’s looking brighter already. Let’s build it together.

The future of jobs is being rewritten—and young people are at the heart of this transformation.

We were invited to speak at the Social Enterprise Jobs Summit.

It was Australia’s first national conference for and about jobs-focused social enterprises. 

Together, over 300+ passionate leaders and changemakers gathered to learn and share knowledge on about building businesses that create real jobs, foster inclusive economies, and generate meaningful impact.

Our CEO and founder, Nathaniel Diong, joined a dynamic panel discussion alongside social entrpreneurs, Pat Ryan OAM and Mikhara Ramsing to explore a critical question: “What does it look like when young people are agents of change, not just beneficiaries?”

It unpacked how we move beyond tokenism and meaningfully centre youth leadership to build inclusive, future-ready communities. Together, the discussion highlighted three key pillars for action:

• Redefining our role as stewards, not gatekeepers.
• Adults and institutions must move beyond control—creating space, offering trust, and building the scaffolding for young people to lead authentically on their own terms.
• Building platforms that offer real agency. It’s not enough to invite young people to the table. We need to design systems where they have genuine ownership, freedom to test ideas, and the tools to explore diverse futures.
• Recognising the cost of sharing lived experience. Too often, young people are expected to give their time, energy, and stories without support. 

We must value, compensate, and engage youth as equal partners—not just volunteers or “future leaders.”

We left the summit inspired and energised to continue our work at Future Minds Network—building practical, empowering pathways for young people to shape the future they deserve.

Across Australia, hundreds of organisations are working to support young people. But despite their efforts, many face similar challenges — often in isolation. There is a clear need for deeper collaboration, shared learning, and a stronger ecosystem approach.

Future Minds Network has launched Australia’s first Learning Community for organisations engaging youth — a space designed to connect, learn, and grow together.

From day one, the enthusiasm has been clear:

• 10–15 of Australia’s leading organisations joined in the first week
• Together, we’re mapping more than 120 organisations in the youth engagement ecosystem
• We’re having honest, eye-opening conversations — from disability to homelessness, to the urgent need to shift perceptions about young Australians

What the Learning Community offers:

• Community of Practice Sessions (April 2025 – March 2026): A structured space for learning, sharing experiences, and exploring youth engagement strategies with peers in the sector.
• Peer-Led Masterclasses: Members take turns leading sessions on their area of expertise — offering practical tools, resources, and real-world insights.
• FMN’s Youth Engagement Resource Library: A growing hub of guides, templates, and case studies designed to help organisations strengthen their impact.

We look forward to building this community with you — and to creating a stronger, more connected youth ecosystem across Australia.

If you are engaging young people and looking to deepen your impact, we’d love to hear from you.

This Learning Community is commissioned by Social Enterprise Australia as part of the Australian Government’s Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI). It aims to build sector capability and strengthen the impact of social enterprises working with youth.

We are excited to announce the Future Minds Network 25 Under 25 – Class of 2024, a global award recognising the next generation of innovators, social entrepreneurs, and changemakers shaping the future.

Each year, this award honours exceptional young people (aged 25 and under) who are using their creativity, lived experience, and entrepreneurial spirit to solve pressing challenges in their communities — and beyond. This year’s cohort represents over 30 countries across five continents, working in sectors like climate, public health, education, gender equity, digital inclusion, and more.

Meet a few of this year’s changemakers:

• Jahnnobi Rahman is reimagining digital platforms to tackle the youth mental health crisis in Bangladesh, providing accessible, culturally sensitive support to thousands.
• Rania Zuri is addressing the literacy gap by ending “book deserts” in the U.S., donating thousands of free books to preschoolers in low-income communities.
• Tamara Dewi Gondo is upskilling refugee women through fashion education, enabling them to manufacture eco-friendly B2B merchandise and build sustainable livelihoods in Indonesia.
• Dr. Anza Tshipetane is driving public health awareness across South Africa through education campaigns and grassroots medical advocacy.
• Brianna Fruean is a leading voice for climate justice in Samoa and across the Pacific, championing youth-led climate solutions at the global stage.
• Sahithi Radha is recycling thousands of kilograms of e-waste while protecting the rights and safety of sanitation workers in India.
• Naomi Chikezie is combatting antimicrobial resistance in Nigeria through groundbreaking research, community education, and youth-led advocacy.

They remind us that age is no barrier to leadership — and that bold ideas, when backed by action, can transform entire communities. These young leaders are driving real change where it’s needed most, and reimagining what’s possible for our world.

The future isn’t waiting — and neither are they.

We’re excited to announce our newest partnership with Tech For Good Australia.

Tech for Good Australia is a purpose-driven company pledging 50% of their profits to support initiatives aligned with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We’re honoured to be chosen as their impact partner for SDG #8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.

As part of this collaboration, Tech For Good has helped us purchase essential technology and equipment. But this is about so much more than gear. These funds will directly support marginalised young Australians by giving them:

• Future-ready skills to thrive in a changing workforce
• The confidence to pursue their goals and define success on their terms
• Opportunities to build their own jobs and businesses in their communities

Because decent work isn’t just about employment — it’s about ownership, equity, and choice.

A huge thank you to Stella Heesom, Sky, and the entire Tech For Good team for believing in our mission and backing it with action. And thank you to everyone who supported this fundraise — you’re helping build futures that are bold, inclusive, and sustainable. 

Let’s keep making work… work for everyone.

Something big is happening behind the scenes.

We’re excited to announce our partnership with LinkedIn Global.

This year, LinkedIn is backing us with a $100,000 advertising grant, to scale our mission of empowering young Australians with the skills, networks, and opportunities to build their own futures.

This grant will allow us to expand our reach across Australia, connect with more young people from underrepresented backgrounds, and grow awareness of our programs that focus on:

• 🌍 Future-ready skill development‍
• 🤝 Real-world mentoring and professional networks‍
• 🛠️ Pathways to employment, entrepreneurship, and self-determined careers‍
  

LinkedIn has been a long-standing enabler of our work—connecting us with early mentors, supporters, and partners. This grant marks a new chapter in our ongoing partnership, giving us the tools to reach the next generation of changemakers.

We’re deeply grateful to the LinkedIn for Nonprofits team for their belief in our vision, and for backing organisations that are creating access to decent work, economic opportunity, and long-term impact.

We look forward to using this support to grow our community, elevate young voices, and deliver meaningful change in 2025 and beyond.

Hello from the other side of the world!

We were invited to TED Countdown, representing the vital climate voices of the Asia Pacific region.

TED Countdown is the world’s premier climate event, uniting over 800 visionary innovators, business leaders, scientists, policymakers, next-generation changemakers, artists, and activists — all committed to building a brighter, sustainable future.

Our CEO and founder, Nathaniel Diong, emphasized the indispensable role young people play in tackling the climate crisis and creating meaningful green jobs. He shared Future Minds Network’s bold vision to empower youth as leaders of the green economy of tomorrow.

“By equipping young Australians with the right skills, networks, and opportunities, we can build a workforce ready for the green economy — one that benefits people, planet, and prosperity.”

“The future of climate action depends on youth leadership.”

TED Countdown young leaders toast at Countdown Summit 2025. June 16 - 18, 2025, Nairobi, Kenya. Photo: Callie Giovanna / TED

Over three transformative days in Nairobi, we learnt from global leaders like Al Gore, connected with key industry partners, and explored Kenya’s pioneering climate projects.

Some standout lessons included:

• 🌍 Kenya’s renewable energy success — generating 85% of its electricity from clean sources
• 🧪 The groundbreaking potential of turning CO₂ into fuel, plastic, and jet fuel through innovative engineering and business models
• ☀️ The inspiring impact of young African entrepreneurs harnessing sunshine and biomass to create jobs and scalable carbon removal

This experience has further ignited our mission to unlock pathways for young people to thrive in the digital, climate, and green economies — building skills, confidence, and opportunities for youth to lead real and lasting change.

The secret to unlocking break throughs at Countdown Summit 2025.

June 16 - 18, 2025, Nairobi, Kenya.

Photo: Callie Giovanna / TED 

Robotics is no longer out of reach – and we’re making it accessible together

We’re excited to announce our new partnership with Ro/Box, an educational organisation committed to making robotics and STEM learning accessible for all.

Ro/Box has created an ultra-affordable robotics kit that empowers students to assemble and bring their own robot to life. Each kit comes with all the essential components, basic materials, and free online tutorials. It gives learners and educators the tools they need to spark curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving without breaking the budget.

Together, we’ll be exploring ways to:

• Build hands-on tech skills – giving students the chance to create and code their own robots. These experiences help develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will serve them for life.
• Level the playing field in STEM – making cutting-edge learning accessible to every young person, not just a few. We want every student, regardless of background, to have the tools and confidence to explore technology.
• Inspire future innovators – nurturing the next wave of creators, engineers, and problem-solvers. By fostering curiosity and creativity today, we’re helping shape the leaders and innovators of tomorrow.

We’re excited to join forces with Ro/Box to make STEM education more inclusive, practical, and inspiring.

Stay tuned for what’s next!

Did you hear? A new, exciting community is coming to life

We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with NARU, a community-tech startup on a mission to build meaningful connections.

Through this partnership, Future Minds Network will host our community on the NARU platform. This will allow us to turn short-term programs into long-term, sustainable communities that are scalable, deeply engaging, and built to last.

Together, we’ll be working to:

• Create digital safe spaces – empowering the next generation to grow through social accountability and authentic connections. Participants will have a supportive environment where they can share ideas, ask questions, and feel part of a vibrant community.
• Scale sustainable communities – turning programs into vibrant ecosystems that thrive well beyond their launch. This ensures learners can continue to engage, collaborate, and grow over time, creating lasting relationships and networks.
• Showcase real impact – giving partners and funders measurable insights into the social change being created. Seeing the difference they make motivates participants to contribute actively and build stronger connections.

As Co-founder of NARU, Michelle Ew, shares:

“We believe that by partnering with Future Minds Network, we can take a big leap forwards in reaching the next generation of learners and community leaders, while giving them a safe space to grow, experiment and thrive.”

With NARU, we’re giving our participants a safe, inspiring platform to connect, learn, and feel part of a growing ecosystem.

Stay tuned to see how young people are building connections and making an impact together!

Ashan Industries from Logan (QLD) and Stulete from Melbourne (VIC) were crowned the winners of the FutureHack Grand Final, on 24 June 2026.

The evening marked the conclusion of FutureHack, FMN's six-week entrepreneurship accelerator, which backs high school students to turn the issues they care about real-world businesses. Over the program, the teams move from a raw idea through prototyping and customer testing to a pitch they deliver live - and this year's cohort proved just how far young founders can travel in six weeks.

Five teams of high school founders took to the stage to pitch their bold and scalable venture ideas, before answering tough questions from judges: Sinead Fitzgerald (Senior Partnerships Lead, Microsoft), Sam Monkhouse (Investment Associate, Startmate), and Katarina Persic (Senior Coordinator, Toyota Community Trust).

The evening was only made possible thanks to the generous backing of Toyota Community Trust, Newsboys Foundation, Waratah Education Foundation and a nd a lineup of partners and sponsors who give these young founders the funding, networks and belief to carry their ideas well beyond the classroom.

Reflecting on the night's pitches, judge Sinead Fitzgerald said "Congratulations to everybody! It's so hard at any stage to get up and pitch a business idea to people you don't know. I'm so proud that you've all done this.”

The Best Impact award went to Ashan Industries and their product PEETA. Inspired by his non-verbal brother Vishan, Ashutosh Vaitha is building PEETA - an affordable, accessible AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) tool that brings together speech, sign language and body language to help neurodiverse people communicate more effectively.

The Best Innovation award went to Stulete, a sport-to-life pathways platform designed to give every high school athlete a clear plan for what comes next - and the sense of closure that's so hard to find when a sporting chapter ends before you're ready.

The other incredible teams to take to the stage were Gradu8M8 (Rutherford Technology High School, NSW), ShiftForge (Goondiwindi High School, QLD), and BeOrganised (North Geelong Secondary, VIC).

Both winners walked away with a $500 acceleration grant to keep building their ventures and scaling their impact. It's early-stage backing designed to carry these founders past the pitch - into prototyping, testing with real customers, and getting their ideas into the hands of the people they're built for.

Watch the five pitches for the FutureHack Grand Final on FMN's YouTube channel.