The Groundswell Collective’s co-founders Anna Noon and Mark Colquhoun (middle) win the Taronga Hatch $50, 000 grant
Credit: Guy Dixon
The Groundswell Collective has been announced as this year’s winner of the $50,000 Hatch: Taronga Accelerator Program (Hatch) grant. On Wednesday 19 June, 13 founders of six start-ups went head-to-head for the chance to win the grant in a competitive pitch event held at Taronga Zoo Sydney.
A not-for-profit organisation based in Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, The Groundswell Collective focuses on creating densely packed patches of diverse, native vegetation in urban areas through their Tiny Forest initiative to support a thriving, connected and sustainable future for Lake Macquarie and beyond. The Groundswell Collective is co-founded by Anna Noon and Mark Colquhoun.
Winner of the grant co-founder Anna Noon said “We’re thrilled to be awarded the $50,000 prize from Taronga’s incredible Hatch program. It’s been a privilege and fantastic opportunity to engage with likeminded changemakers, subject matter experts and the wider Taronga network. We can’t wait to continue The Groundswell Collective’s purpose of bringing people together to create a better planet by building two new school-based tiny forest with the funding.”
Now in its fourth year, Hatch is the world’s only accelerator program that is led by a conservation zoo. The program is designed to help ecopreneurs take their idea from vision to reality and support innovators who are tackling some of the most pressing environmental and conservation challenges currently facing our planet. Over 14 weeks, the 13 founders were immersed in masterclasses and workshops led by Taronga’s network of subject matter experts. The program culminated in a pitch event, attended by more than 200 guests at the Taronga Institute of Science and Learning at Taronga Zoo Sydney.
Taronga Conservation Society Australia CEO Cameron Kerr AO and moderator of the 2024 Hatch pitch event said “We were so impressed with the calibre of this year’s cohort. Each of the start-up founders demonstrated a way forward for our world – whether that’s addressing the way we rethink food waste elimination through digital labelling systems, addressing challenges related to solar panel waste, redirecting medical supplies from landfill, and so much more. The Hatch founders have proven that when there is support, we can come up with innovative solutions that can benefit our environment and humanity. Last night’s judges were so impressed with The Groundswell Collective’s co-founders Anna Noon and Mark Colquhoun. Their impressive knowledge of the ecosystem and scalability is inspiring. The rewilding of urban spaces is so important and I cannot wait to see what they achieve. I am so grateful to our generous donors for their leadership and recognising the need to nurture and support innovative minds to ensure that together, we can make these ideas a reality.”
The six teams of ecoprenuers delivered their pitches to a judging panel which included philanthropist, businesswoman and urbanist Lucy Turnbull AO, one of Hatch’s founding donors Alexandra Holcomb, climate change and sustainability leader Andy Marks, and marine biologist and advertising legend John Preston.
In addition to the $50,000 Hatch grant awarded by the judges, the team behind Medical Pantry took home the additional $5,000 People’s Choice Award.
A key partner of Hatch, CEO and Founder of investment company BridgeLane Markus Kahlbetzer said “Hatch has become a leading accelerator for environmental and conservation projects globally and we couldn’t be prouder at BridgeLane to have supported an inspiring set of cohorts over the past four years. Hatch has a lot more to give and we welcome more entrepreneurs to apply to the program to contribute their impressive ideas to help conserve our environment.”
CEO and Director of Wollemi Capital Group, Victoria Denholm, has proudly partnered with Hatch for two years. “We’re proud to partner with an innovative and unique program that supports entrepreneurs to bring their vision to life. We know that navigating the startup process is challenging, particularly for women as they are traditionally overlooked in this space. The access the cohort has to experts is unparalleled and they’ve certainly succeeded in creating a supportive and diverse network of mentors and alumni. For us, Hatch embodies our mission of creating a better world for generations to come. It’s truly inspiring to see how people are blending technology, sustainability and conservation to achieve this goal.”
Across more than a decade, Taronga has continued to be a leader in identifying and supporting innovative conservation ideas. In 2011, Taronga launched the Taronga Green Grant program. Inaugural winner of the Taronga Green Grant, Take 3 for the Sea, was recently named the winner of the 2023 NSW Sustainable Tourism at the NSW Sustainability Awards. In 2020, the Taronga Green Grant program evolved into the Hatch: Taronga Accelerator Program. Over four years since its launch, Hatch has granted $199,000 in funding, and has connected 17 teams with more than 95 mentors and subject matter experts. Past Hatch initiatives include edible coffee cups Good-Edi and Xylo Systems, a cloud-based platform that uses AI for tracking and managing conservation programs.
Hatch is made possible with the support of Taronga’s donors BridgeLane Group Foundation, Wollemi Capital Group, Alexandra Holcomb, Auxilium Foundation, and the incredible mentors, guest speakers and subject matter experts who inspire our wonderful founders, including Tom Allen and Impact Boom.
About Taronga Conservation Society Australia
Taronga Conservation Society Australia (Taronga) is a leader in the fields of conservation, research, animal welfare, wildlife rehabilitation and environmental education. Taronga is a not-for-profit organisation with an absolute commitment to conservation and securing a shared future for wildlife and people. Taronga is the largest contributor to veterinary services in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation in NSW, and every year, 1,500 animals are admitted to the Taronga Wildlife Hospitals in Sydney and Dubbo.
About the 2024 Hatch: Taronga Accelerator Program cohort
In 2024, 13 founders of six start-ups competed for 2024 Hatch grant. More about the start-ups can be found below:
- The Groundswell Collective – Tiny Forests – Small yet complete ecosystems, Tiny Forests boast a plethora of environmental and social benefits that bring communities together in a unique and inspiring way. Pitch team: Anna Noon (Co-founder Partnerships and Programs), Mark Colquhoun (Co-founder Energy and Innovation)
- ZeroTag – A refill management platform that connects online refill brands with consumers to avoid waste across the value chain. Pitch team: Shimroth John Thomas (Co-founder), Joseph Yap (Co-founder), Felix Toohey (Chief Operating Officer)
- Woop Woop for Nature – Catalysing practical action for nature by transforming the way restoration is delivered, so that together we can grow a brighter future for everyone. Pitch team: Dr Elisa Raulings (CEO and Founder)
- Medical Pantry – Providing sustainable healthcare to all – big and small. We collect surplus unused medical supplies destined for landfill and deliver them to animal rescues across Australia. Pitch team: Dr Martin Nguyen (Founder and CEO), Olivia Lee (Funding and Operations)
- Circular PV Alliance – Revolutionising the solar industry through sustainable and circular practices. Offering a unifying voice that drives environmental stewardship, economic growth, and social responsibility within the solar sector, whilst tackling solar PV waste. Pitch team: Megan Jones (Co-founder), Steve Owens (Co-founder), Gokce Yilmaz (Co-founder), Laura Jones (Co-founder)
- Pledge for the Planet – Motivates collective climate action via community and sports events to restore our planet for future generations. They make climate action simple, fun and tangible via a series of “Missions” which you can get involved with to motivate change to protect our planet within your community. Pitch team: Alice Kendall (Founder)
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