The Plus Eight Pre-Accelerator continues to empower early-stage founders with the clarity, confidence, and community needed to transform ideas into thriving ventures, Australia-wide.
We caught up with founders from previous cohorts to find out how their businesses have grown since embarking on their startup journeys.
Monique Suttie-Norwood, Bad & Boujee Hair- City of Canning
For Monique, joining the Plus Eight City of Canning Pre-Accelerator marked a defining moment in both her business and personal journey.
“I learned so much in such a short time, not only from the weekly mentors but from peers within the group. It was great to finally feel like I fit in somewhere after my previous journey,” she shared.
At the time of the program, Bad & Boujee Hair was run solely by Monique. Today, the business has grown to employ seven staff, participate in the Royal Show for the second year, launch pop-ups and a permanent store in Canningvale, and now ships across Australia and New Zealand.
Monique credits the program for opening doors to networking opportunities, connections, and ongoing mentor support. Her journey is particularly inspiring given her background as a young mum who had been in prison with no prior business experience.
“Spacecubed allowed me to be honest with my story and where I was at and only use my past to push me forward,” concluded Monique.
Ross King, SKTNG - Western Sydney
Ross joined the 2025 Western Sydney program, proudly supported by the NSW Government to develop a new project where people can skate, connect, relax, be creative, and feel part of something.
Ross explained that he entered the program thinking he understood exactly what SKTNG would be until the experience helped him shift from imagination to execution. “The program helped me see things from a founder’s point of view, not just a ‘creative dream’ one.
The diversity of his cohort also inspired Ross, sharing “the people made it even better. A good mix of ideas, backgrounds, and a lot of honesty. I left every session feeling like I’d learnt something useful, and the reading was great too!”
Since recently completing the program, SKTNG has gone from concept to clarity. “I’ve tightened the vision, worked out the real value of the space, and started thinking more like an operator, not just a designer with a dream,” he shared.
Reflecting on his startup journey, Ross believes the program came at the right time, giving him the clarity, confidence and tools to turn his vision into reality.
Nina Karisik, MadeApt - City of Perth
Being part of the City of Perth Pre-Accelerator program was a “great opportunity and genuinely a lot of fun” for Nina Karisik.
“I learned so much, from different approaches to building early-stage products to seeing how other founders tackle traction, storytelling, and iteration,” shared Nina.
Those perspectives helped shape MadeApt’s next evolution, introducing an AI-powered design layer. “Users can clone, design, and create their own fashion sketches and even try their designs before ordering, watching our early MadeApters jump in and start experimenting has been incredibly exciting,” Nina explained.
Nina is grateful to the mentors she has been able to have conversations with thanks to the Pre-Accelerator program. “Those sessions helped us refine our strategy and validated a lot of the assumptions we were making. It’s been incredibly useful and encouraging,” she shared.
MadeApt has since expanded its tailor network into Vietnam, India, and Europe, and launched a collection featuring licensed First Nations artwork, with royalties returning directly to the artists. The platform is now open for early access here, with demand already building.
Emma Kenworthy and Clare Dodds, The Book Club - City of Joondalup
What started as a spark of an idea between two friends who met at a book club has now grown into a community that loves to read, laugh, and connect, an evolution supported through the City of Joondalup Pre-Accelerator program.
Since winning first place at their Pitch Night, Emma and Clare have received Corporate Sponsorship from the City of Joondalup and expanded their series of events. In addition to popular monthly evening events, a new daytime series has launched, designed to be accessible for retirees, shift workers, parents, and anyone seeking meaningful social connection.
“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.
Across the country, the Plus Eight Pre-Accelerator is more than a program, it’s a catalyst for growth, connection, and transformation. By giving founders the tools, mentorship, and community they need, it turns bold ideas into ventures that thrive nationally and internationally.
Applications are now open for 2026 Plus Eight Pre-Accelerator programs Australia-wide! To apply for Western Sydney click here (apply by 23rd January), and for City of Joondalup click here (apply by 31st January).