The City of Joondalup Plus Eight Sprint is a six-week skill-building and business growth program, exclusive and free for residents and businesses in the City of Joondalup.
We sat down with Emma Kenworthy and Clare Dodds, cofounders of The Book Club and recent participants of the latest Pre-Accelerator, to find out how the startup evolved through the program and plans for continued growth.
With new funding secured and a growing community, the team shared how the six-week program helped sharpen their focus, build confidence, and drive impact.
Emma and Clare applied for the program as they saw it as an opportunity to learn from experienced mentors, test ideas, and strengthen the foundations of The Book Club. “Our motivation was to take our idea for a community event and explore how we could grow it into a sustainable social enterprise with real social impact,” they shared.
Over the six weeks, The Book Club became more focused, with the team gaining the skills and confidence to approach opportunities more strategically.
“When we joined, we had run our first two events; by the end, the program had helped us shape a clear vision and business model for long-term growth. That included daytime events, digital products, and partnerships,” Emma and Clare explained.
The program concluded with a celebratory Pitch Night at Riff, powered by Spacecubed, where the cohort all showcased their businesses to Perth’s wider innovation community. Emma and Clare shared that the feedback was overwhelmingly positive from the judges, fellow founders and from the audience on the night.
The judges recognised both the strength of The Book Club’s community vision and the potential social impact of connecting people through books, awarding the startup the third place prize.
“Winning third place gave us the confidence to keep moving forward, and since then we’ve had the exciting outcome of the City of Joondalup supporting us through their Corporate Sponsorship Program,” announced Emma.
“The program gave us not just tools and strategies, but also a positive community of inspiring founders to learn alongside. We’re incredibly grateful to the City of Joondalup, Plus Eight Pre-Accelerator program, Spacecubed, and the mentors for their time, expertise, and encouragement,” The Book Club team concluded.
Thanks to Corporate Sponsorship from the City of Joondalup, The Book Club is expanding. Known for its popular monthly evening events, the team is now launching a new daytime series designed to be accessible for retirees, shift workers, parents, and anyone seeking friendly, meaningful social connection.
The first lunchtime event will be held on Friday 17th October at RISQ Small Bar, where the book of the month is The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer. Reserve your spot here!