When we talk about strengthening Western Australia’s innovation ecosystem, we often focus on funding, programs and infrastructure.
But just as important are the moments where founders and ecosystem leaders step outside their immediate environment, to test their thinking, challenge assumptions, and connect with new ideas shaping the future of innovation.
That’s exactly what SOUTHSTART offered.
Through Meshpoints, backed by Spacecubed and Lotterywest, five Western Australian founders and ecosystem leaders, Rochelle Bacon (Tempo Co), Stephanie Clarke (Multi-Coached), Alice Abba (ROMI), Martin McGinty (Relait) and Harry Kwon (Fogarty Foundation), were supported to attend the Adelaide-based event, joining a national community of entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and ecosystem builders. What followed wasn’t just attendance, it was immersion, reflection, and a deeper understanding of how WA can continue to evolve.
Building for people, not just growth
A clear theme that emerged across the cohort was the need to stay grounded in purpose, especially as technology accelerates and expectations shift.
For Stephanie, the experience reinforced the importance of building with both long-term strategy and real human need in mind. “Strong businesses don’t just respond to every piece of feedback or chase growth blindly. They stay anchored to a clear mission, a defined end goal, and a deliberate strategy.”
In sectors like health and allied health, this becomes even more critical. Innovation must not only be functional, but trusted, scalable, and genuinely improve lives in a way that people can access and sustain.
This idea extended beyond health, pointing to a broader shift also reflected in Harry Kwon’s experience, the growing intersection between impact and innovation.
Reflecting on a session exploring impact-driven business models, Harry shared that while creating positive change is often the starting point, “the product and the value it delivers still has to come first for a business to succeed.”
As innovation ecosystems evolve, this balance between purpose and performance is becoming increasingly important, not just building meaningful solutions, but ensuring they are viable, scalable and able to create lasting impact.
AI is here, but people still matter
Another dominant theme across SOUTHSTART was the role of AI, not as a future concept, but as present-day infrastructure.
Rochelle reflected on how this shift is already reshaping how businesses operate. “AI is no longer a ‘nice to have’, it’s becoming operational infrastructure. It’s not just a service offering, it’s a layer across everything we deliver.”
But alongside this rapid adoption came a strong reminder: technology cannot replace the human element.
“While AI is transforming how we work and creating huge efficiencies, we can’t lose sight of the human element. People still want to connect with people, and ultimately, our teams are our biggest asset.”
For WA’s ecosystem, this presents both an opportunity and a responsibility, to embrace emerging technologies while continuing to prioritise human connection, trust, and capability-building.
From ideas to execution: bridging the gap earlier
Across multiple sessions and conversations, one gap became increasingly clear, the distance between strong ideas and successful execution.
Stephanie highlighted the importance of connecting innovation with sector expertise and commercial strategy much earlier in the journey. “A strong idea on its own is not enough. The businesses that stand out are the ones that pair vision with execution, clear market positioning, and trusted partnerships.”
This is an important signal for WA’s ecosystem. While there is no shortage of talent and ideas, growth depends on how effectively we:
From an ecosystem perspective, Harry also reflected on the opportunity to strengthen collaboration between sectors, particularly between corporate and innovation communities, to unlock more pathways for ideas to translate into real-world impact.
Collaboration over competition
One of the most consistent reflections from the cohort wasn’t about a single session, but about the overall environment.
SOUTHSTART created space for open, honest conversations, where founders, operators and ecosystem leaders shared what was working, what wasn’t, and what they were still figuring out.
For Rochelle, this stood out as a key differentiator. “Some of the most valuable conversations came from people openly sharing what’s working and what’s not without the usual gatekeeping.”
This openness is something WA is well-positioned to build on. “If we can create more of that here, where founders, operators, and service providers are genuinely building alongside each other, we’ll accelerate growth across the ecosystem much faster.”
It’s a simple idea, but a powerful one: ecosystems grow stronger when knowledge flows more freely.
Looking back, while the experience offered reflection, it also created momentum.
For founders like Stephanie and Rochelle, the next step is applying these insights directly into their ventures, from refining strategy and positioning, to embedding AI more deeply into operations, to strengthening partnerships and adoption pathways.
“SOUTHSTART reinforced that I need to focus not just on product development, but also on evidence, partnerships, communication, and adoption pathways,” Stephanie shared.
“We’ll be doubling down on embedding AI and automation into the operational layer of our clients’ businesses, combining human support with technology so they can focus on higher-value work,” expressed Rochelle.
For Harry, this translates into shaping the next generation of innovators. He plans to embed these learnings into the Fogarty Ripple program, supporting young people in Western Australia to explore social entrepreneurship and better understand the role innovation can play in creating meaningful change.
When founders and ecosystem leaders return with new perspectives, connections, and ways of thinking, those insights don’t stay isolated. They influence conversations, partnerships, and future initiatives across the ecosystem.
As Stephanie reflected, “Events like this matter because they create space not only for ideas, but for reflection, connection, and momentum.”
For WA, continuing to create opportunities for cross-state engagement, and ensuring those learnings are shared and applied locally will be key to building a more connected, resilient and forward-thinking innovation ecosystem.
Meshpoints brings together organisations and leaders working to strengthen innovation across Western Australia. Join 190+ organisations already involved by learning more and signing up for free via our website here!