• Charles Sturt alumna to inspire next generation of entrepreneurs at free seminar in Wagga on Thursday 12 September
• The EMERGE Program is an AgriTech Incubator initiative

Charles Sturt University (Charles Sturt) alumna Mrs Meredith West will inspire the next generation of small business owners as guest speaker of the University’s free EMERGE Program in Wagga Wagga.

Three years ago, Mrs West had the idea to start a cookie making company with her best friend and turned to a similar program at the University to help get her business off the ground.

After just three years in business, Dough Re Mi has exceeded her wildest expectations and Mrs West is now thriving as director of the company.

Mrs West said in the beginning she had no trouble with creativity or fun ideas for the business, but found she needed the most assistance executing her ideas.

She was unable to enrol in AgriTech Incubator, which provides programs for start-up businesses in Wagga Wagga, but said the program is beneficial for businesses seeking objective opinions on ideas.

 “Those programs, it’s like watching a TED Talk, it’s a buzz of motivation and enthusiasm,” Mrs West said.

 “People are able to get relevant knowledge up front without having to trawl through Google for it.

“It helps you tick a few boxes you didn’t know you needed to tick.”

Mrs West studied a Bachelor of Environmental Science with a minor in forensics at Charles Sturt but quickly strayed from her degree.

“I wanted to do something for me. I found myself thinking I don’t want to work for another person,” she said.

The EMERGE Program, hosted by AgriTech Incubator, gives Charles Sturt students the chance to attend workshops to equip themselves with skills for their futures.

At the next EMERGE event, Mrs West will talk to students about her journey to founding an environmentally-friendly successful start-up company in regional NSW.

The next EMERGE workshop will be held on Thursday 12 September from 1pm to 2pm at the AgriTech Incubator Hub, building 6 at Charles Sturt in Wagga Wagga.

Register for this free event on the Eventbrite website.