Podcard and SoundSmith awarded new business scholarships

State Library Victoria’s startup support service, StartSpace, has today announced the recipients of the inaugural Lisa Ring and Family Scholarships are Anna Taylor for her business idea, Podcard which creates and sends personalised podcasts and David Hartley for his business idea, SoundSmith which connects musicians with viral creators.

The scholarships will support the two early-stage business founders to grow their knowledge, skills and networks with $10k seed funding, mentoring and StartSpace Loft membership. 

Selected from a pool of 85 applicants, Ms Taylor and Mr Hartley stood out for their ambitious new business ideas, especially with regard to the key criteria around market, solution, fit, traction and impact.

Philanthropist Lisa Ring said she is thrilled to contribute to the growth of these two emerging businesses.

“With so many talented business founders to choose from, selecting the scholars was a tough decision, however both Podcard and SoundSmith stood out for their originality and clear application,” Ms Ring said.

“That they both help foster connection at a time when that is more important than ever is a bonus.”

“I wish them both my congratulations, and I look forward to seeing what they achieve over the coming months.” 

President of the Library Board of Victoria Christine Christian said it was wonderful to see so many early-stage founders put forward their business ideas.

“We had a huge amount of really promising applications, spanning a range of industries – from healthcare, to the arts and logistics – including from members of our very own StartSpace community,” Ms Christian said.

“It goes to show there are many early-stage business founders in Victoria looking for this kind of support. I am so delighted to be able to offer it, in particular to Anna and David, with the generous support of Lisa Ring and her family, and more broadly, through StartSpace’s ongoing programs.”

“With our StartSpace community growing, we are building out its offering to include more in-person workshops and events. We are also looking forward to providing many more opportunities like the Lisa Ring and Family Scholarships in the future.” 

For further information about StartSpace and the Lisa Ring and Family Scholarships visit https://startspacehq.com/scholarships

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About StartSpace
StartSpace is a free business support service specifically for new and early-stage business founders.  Enabled by the Christine Christian Foundation and powered by State Library Victoria, StartSpace provides inspiration, information and practical guidance to help new businesses grow from concept to reality. Free membership offers events, training programs and access to a community of like-minded business and startup founders, as well as use of a coworking space at State Library Victoria. StartSpace membership is open to all new Victorian business founders, entrepreneurs and those with a great business idea looking to start their business journey. 

About State Library Victoria
Established in 1854 as the Melbourne Public Library, State Library Victoria is Australia’s oldest public library and one of the first free libraries in the world. As the custodian of Victoria’s history, each year the library adds more than 70,000 physical and digital items to its rich collection of articles, artworks, photographs, manuscripts, books, journals, artefacts and much more. In 2021, the Library launched a new membership program offering tailored benefits to families, students and culture lovers alongside its flagship free Access membership.