What we’re about
This group is for you if you have that burning desire to ditch climbing the corporate ladder and instead succeed, prosper and live a meaningful life by becoming your own boss and starting your own business. The group is also for you if your long term passion or life goals include creating your own path and not following someone else’s. So if you feel trapped, unfulfilled and dissatisfied in your current career and/or your drive and motivation have been swallowed by your employer, then sign up and join us! The group is designed to help you gather insights and build relationships. We need to support each other - it's not the type of thing to do alone! While we have the corporate smarts, when it comes to business, we don't know what we don't know! We will meet regularly to discuss what needs to be in your escape plan. You'll meet others on the journey and have an opportunity to hear from those who have been there done that!
There will be a mix of collaborative formats including guest speaker talks, seminars and workshops with a focus on improving your knowledge and awareness of the road ahead. We will also have the opportunity to meet, get to know and support each other and have some fun in an informal environment. It's enticing, it's exciting but it's a whole new world so let’s get together to help each other thrive in chasing our freedom dream and, at the same time, support the growth and success of small business in Australia! #ditchtheladder
Connect and collaborate on our Facebook group too!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CorporateProfessionalsSeekingEntrepreneurship/
Upcoming events (1)
See all- How to Make Your Pre-Seed Startup (Grant) Fundable! (Online)Link visible for attendees
This event is being promoted by many groups.
This is an online event.
Participation is 100% online.
Participants can be located anywhere in the world!
This event is FREE to attend!
Hurry! Slots are limited!
In order to attend, please register here:
(The login link will be sent via email to Eventbrite registrants right before the start of the event.)
Hurry!
Slots are limited!
For ambitious founders juggling a full-time tech job and a startup dream — this one’s for you. Join us for an online deep dive into funding your venture through non-dilutive means, building a minimum viable company, and making smart, budget-conscious decisions to get your startup fundable.
Agenda: 50 minute webinar + up to 40 minutes Q&A
What You'll Learn:
Whether you’re building on weekends or running lean while moonlighting in tech, this webinar will equip you with a roadmap to fundability – without giving up control or equity earlier than necessary.We’ll cover:
- The Minimum Viable Company: The leanest version of your startup that still qualifies for serious funding opportunities.
- Strategic Positioning: Presenting your team, tech, and timing to align with what grant agencies and review panels expect.
- Fundability While Bootstrapped: How to make your startup attractive to grantors and funders, even on a limited budget and while holding a 9-5 job.
- Outsourcing on a Shoestring: Smart ways to contract out non-core but critical work (without hiring a full team).
- Example for outsourcing: scalable contract shops to get you started on your AI-powered tech startup.
- Protecting Your IP on a Budget: Essential tactics to safeguard your innovation early without draining your runway.
- Non-Dilutive Funding 101: Non-dilutive seed- and pre-seed grants don’t cost you equity.
- Anatomy of a grant-fundable project: SBIR and other opportunities, common mistakes that get applications rejected — and how to avoid them.
- Global Advantage: Opportunities in international partnerships to access funding and research collaboration.
Why Attend?
Startups like Qualcomm and Amgen got their first big breaks through federal grants. But getting funding isn’t just about great ideas — it’s about understanding how to navigate the system.
Let us help you cut through the noise and position your venture for success with insights you won’t find in a Google search.About Jurgen Zach:
Jurgen Zach, Startup Funding Coordinator at Ekvacio, is a scientist and entrepreneur who wants to raise awareness and recruit new applicants for this important, merit-based funding opportunity that is oftentimes overlooked in Silicon Valley and other startup ecosystems. He has been guiding startups to successful grant awards for the past six years, and has over twenty years of experience in R&D across energy, sensor technology, and medical devices, and has consulted with many startups in technical projects, grant applications, and as a fractional CTO and business development officer. He has a PhD and MA in physics, is a serial inventor holding over 30 granted or pending patents and has a publication record with dozens of publications across multiple disciplines.About Ekvacio:
Ekvacio is a US-based consulting firm offering comprehensive services to startups and ventures seeking growth and international success. Our expertise includes grant services, seed- and pre-seed growth consulting to optimize fundability, and cross-border joint venture consulting to access international capital. We have a growing network of partners that includes contract software-development and -R&D firms, patent law- and accounting firms, and others. Our business model is such that over 90-95% of our compensation is tied to our customers’ successful non-dilutive funding.For more info on Idea to IPO events, visit:
www.idea-to-ipo.com (our main meetup group among 160 meetup groups globally)
www.youtube.com/ideatoipo (videos of in-person events)
https://www.youtube.com/@ideatoipo2 (videos of online events)
