Unleashing growth potential through peer-to-peer knowledge sharing

Name: Department of State Development
Price range: $

As a startup founder, nothing beats advice from those who have ‘been there, done that’.

Fortunately, South Australia has no shortage of generous business leaders willing to share their expertise and lessons learned.

The Innovation Leaders Network (ILN) is designed to bridge the gap between seasoned entrepreneurs and those in the earlier stages of starting and growing a business.

ILN events provide startups with a diverse range of capability-building, knowledge-exchange, and networking opportunities to help them scale and grow.

Four streams of business-building activity

Through the Innovation Leaders Network, members of the South Australian startup and innovation community can access four streams of business-building activity:

Business Acumen Events

Held several times a year in venues across Adelaide and surrounds, the ILN Business Acumen Events are a platform for business leaders to share their journeys and learnings with others who could benefit from this expertise – usually in the form of a speech, presentation or panel discussion.

These free events welcome a diverse group of entrepreneurial minded people, who gather to hear from speakers, ask questions, and network with like-minded business founders and leaders.

Each event is centred on a topic of interest to those starting or scaling a business in South Australia. See below for information on upcoming and past events, or register to receive information on future opportunities.

Business Acumen Events, Innovation Leaders Network

Boardroom Lunches

The ILN Boardroom Lunch series invites startups founders to connect with, and learn from, peers over an informal lunch.

The discussion is led by one or two experienced business leaders who – encouraged by the intimate group setting – are emboldened to be transparent in sharing their business wins and missteps, lessons learned, and advice.

Feedback from a previous participant:

“I thoroughly enjoyed the 'Boardroom Lunch' event on how to attract and retain talent for small businesses. The insights shared and the opportunity to connect with fellow entrepreneurs were incredibly valuable. I learned how to set up effective processes for hiring the right talent. This led to me being able to hire a skilled engineer from overseas to work in Adelaide.” (Harrison Box, Paladin Space)

Boardroom Lunch, Innovation Leaders Network

Leadership Program

The Leadership Program invites a small cohort of South Australian startup founders and leaders to undertake a bespoke leadership course.

This tailored series of workshops and other capability-building opportunities is designed to help participants manage a team, navigate the challenges inherent to starting and growing a business, and realise their growth ambitions.

This new program is being delivered by the Leaders Institute of South Australia at no cost to participants, subsidised by the Department of State Development.

Invitations to participate in the Leadership Program are facilitated through an expression of interest process. Register below to receive information on future expressions of interest and other ILN opportunities.

Leadership Program, Innovation Leaders Network

Mentoring Series

The Innovation Leaders Network Mentoring series provides opportunities for emerging founders to connect with seasoned entrepreneurs and obtain their insights into starting and scaling a business.

Through facilitated, small group discussions, participants can ask questions and seek advice specific to their business challenges. These mentee-mentor relationships may be developed beyond the event, if both parties should wish.

Invitations to participate in the Mentoring Series are facilitated through an expression of interest process. Register below to receive information on future expressions of interest and other ILN opportunities.

Mentoring series, Innovation Leaders Network

Event highlights

Innovation Leaders Network x AI Showcase

Our recent Innovation Leaders Network event brought together leaders to share real experiences, practical insights, and honest conversations about driving innovation in complex environments.

If you couldn’t join us, here’s a video of the discussion — and if you can join us next time, sign up now open for our next Innovation Leaders Network event.

60+Innovation Leaders

19events held since 2024

1100+event attendees

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