4.8
(3K reviews)

Kickstart your career after high school.

A one-day business and leadership conference for high school students
  • A full day in-person, live and off campus
  • Schools from across the region, in one room
  • 100% real-world + career advice from industry
  • Keynotes, panels and workshops across the day
  • Direct pathway into FutureHack, our six-week entrepreneurship program
4.8
(3K reviews)
FRIDAY • 15 MAY 2026 • MELBOURN

From curious to your first idea.

A one-day innovation and leadership conference for high school students. Students hear directly from Australia’s leading founders, investors and leaders, and their lessons in business.

Doors open in

14
Days
06
Hours
22
Minutes
09
Seconds
Green gradient square with the letters EC in light green at the center.
Luke Anderson

CEO, Fair Threads

ENTREPRENEUR
Green gradient square with large light green letters EC in the center.
Diana Zhang

CEO, Preview Health

ENTREPRENEUR
Green gradient background with large light green letters EC centered.
Bianca La Serra

Partner, Revenge Capital

INVESTOR
Green gradient square with large letters 'EC' in the center.
Stuart Thomson

CEO, Good Business Foundation

INVESTOR

The innovation program for Restless students

The Innovation Summit is a one-day innovation and leadership conference for high school students, delivered in regional and metropolitan Australia. Students hear directly from Australia’s leading founders, investors and leaders, and their lessons in business. Every session is someone who has built a company, walking students through the failures, the near-misses and how they made it work.

Choose your next step

Building a business or venture will tell you more than any careers night. You’ll get the mentors, the industry context and the real experience to work out a path that actually suits you, instead of choosing a degree and hoping.

Immerse yourself in industry

Our secret sauce is 100% real world and industry learning. That means founders in front of you every week, meeting investors and pitching to judges from across Australia who can back your ideas.

Accelerate your job-readiness

By the end, you’ll have a business idea, an early-stage pitch, a mentor, and something real to put in front of an employer or a university. That holds whether you go to uni, explore new careers or decide to go all-in on business.

Program Details

It runs for a full day excursion, rather than a term schedule. Students learn from industry leaders, get inspired by young founders, and share their own ideas to a room of their peers. Built for Years 9 to 12, including students with no background in business or enterprise.

Who
Students in Years 9 to 12
Great for
The restless, the builders, the curious
What
Keynotes, founder firesides and interactive workshops to spark innovation
Where
Geelong West Town Hall

who should join?

The Summit is designed to ignite passion and excitement for every student, whether they have an idea or have never thought about one. Everyone leaves having heard what is actually possible.

School leavers

Weighing up uni, work, or a venture. Hear from people who chose each path in the last two years.

Students, Years 9-12

Curious, building something, or itching to start. Bring the idea, leave with a clearer picture and people who get it.

Teachers &  careers coordinators

Teaching business, STEM or guiding careers. Bring your students, leave with a day they will bring up for the rest of the year.

The Program

8:45 AM
Doors Open
9:15 AM
Welcome
The Innovator’s Mindset
Opening Keynote: Self-Belief
10:50 AM
Break
11:30 AM
Solving Like a Leader
Solving Like a Leader
Building Forward
Keynote: Building For Your Community
12:40 PM
Lunch
1:20 PM
Student Agency & Innovation
Closing Keynote
Event Wrapup
2:30 PM
Event Concludes

Please note: this agenda is subject to change without prior notice.

Speakers & Facilitators

Every part of this Summit is led by founders, investors and operators. People who have actually built, funded and scaled real businesses. They share advice, stories, and answer any questions you might have about the world of entrepreneurship. Our facilitators are young people who have built things themselves. Many of them started businesses while they were still in school, so they know exactly where your students are sitting right now.

2026
Nathaniel Diong
CEO
Future Minds Network
2026
Luke Anderson
CEO
Fair Threads
2026
Stuart Mkojera-Thomson
CEO
Good Business Foundation
2024
Mika Koelma
CEO
Hey Zomi
2024
Ryan Muir
Founder & CEO
RAM Manufacturing
2024
Dominic May
CEO
CoastXP
2024
Jonathan Milgate
CTO
Camplify
2024
Sarah Frazer
Head of Operations
Newy Tech People
2024
Lauren Pollock
National Manager
The Y Australia
2024
Abid Khan
Managing Director
Thermalog
2024
Elizabeth Adamczyk
Councillor
City of Newcastle
2024
Bianca Bartlett
Co-founder
The Full Circle Collective
2026
Michael Burgess
CEO
The David Burgess Foundation
from the schools

teachers keep bringing group back

Every school sends a teacher to run the day with us. They watch students who normally sit at the back stand up and pitch, and they are the ones who notice when that carries into the classroom afterwards. These three will tell you what changed for their students.

Green and white stars on gray background

"The atmosphere was alive. It was so well facilitated and presented. Our students were so engaged, and loved every minute. I would not be surprised if some of these ideas make it into reality."

Woman with blonde hair tied back wearing a black jacket and a blue lanyard with pins.
Danielle

Makerspace Manager, Sacred Heart College Geelong

Green and white stars on gray background

"It's an opportunity for students to have real-world experiences and address problems that matter to them in their futures. They were so engaged, in meaningful discussions with their peers and the energy was amazing.

Smiling man in a dark suit and tie standing indoors against a light background.
Csaba

HSIE Teacher, Whitebridge High School

Green and white stars on gray background

"I've really enjoyed seeing the students problem solve in real time. The biggest thing was seeing them collaborate, form teams, and go through real-world problem in a unique environment and that's something you don't get in a classroom.

Smiling young man in a graduation gown and tie with green foliage background.
Rowan

Business Economics Teacher, Newcastle Grammar School

TICKETS

Register your school

One form. One teacher. One day that your students will talk about for the rest of the year.

Student
$50

per ticket, GST included

Full-day access to Innovation Summit
Access to all talks and workshops
Lunch, snacks, and coffee included
Entry to the live pitch competition
Workbook and speaker contact list
Get a Ticket
MOST STUDENTS
Educator & Industry
$450

for 10 tickets, GST included

10 Innovation Summit tickets
Save compared to purchasing individually
Full-day access for all attendees
Access to all talks and workshops
Lunch, snacks, and coffee included
Get 10-Ticket Bundle

Questions we get asked

Find quick answers to the most common questions about our programs, process, and learning experience.

Need Guidance?

Inspire your school's
next generation of leaders.

You students spend a day learning from founders who have built real-businesses, learn with students from  schools across the region, and leave with bright ideas for their own communities.

QUESTION 1 OF 4

First up, who's asking?

QUESTION 2 OF 4

What are you after?

QUESTION 3 OF 4

How much time have you got?

QUESTION 3 OF 4

How much time have you got?

QUESTION 3 OF 4

How much time have you got?

QUESTION 3 OF 4

How much time have you got?

Start with a Summit

The Innovation Summit is a one-day event that brings students from different schools together to work on a real problem. Most people start here, because it takes a single day and helps you deep dive into the world of innovation and entrepreneurship.

FutureHack is built for this

FutureHack is a six-week program where teams build and launch a real venture, then pitch it to real industry. Most people arrive with a rough idea and leave with a business, a pitch, and proof they can do it again.

Young Artists Centre

Young Artists Centre is an immersive, extracurricular retail program where you learn to price, sell and scale the things you make. Most people arrive thinking their work is a hobby and leave running a small business.

Let's have a conversation

Whether you're looking at joining a cohort, running something with your team, or exploring a longer partnership, the honest next step is a chat. We’d love to learn what you’re looking for.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Hello! Have any questions?