Program Design + Delivery
Western Sydney University
Building an inclusive innovation program for Western Sydney's next generation of founders, small business owners and side hustlers — the Women Multicultural Entrepreneurial Skills Training Program.
Workshops and events delivered
Registrations
Locations
Grant funding distributed
The challenge
Women and multicultural entrepreneurs can face unequal access to networks, role models, funding, skills training and confidence-building opportunities. For many aspiring founders, particularly those at the idea stage, entrepreneurship can feel inaccessible or difficult to navigate. Western Sydney University Launch Pad wanted to build a program that made entrepreneurial learning more inclusive, practical and locally accessible. It needed to reach diverse communities beyond a single campus or central business district, create meaningful partnerships across the region and offer participants more than one-off inspiration.
What Forestlyn did
Forestlyn's founder, Lucy Lin, served as Entrepreneur in Residence and provided program strategy, design, facilitation, partnership development, communications and on-the-ground delivery. Over two years, we designed and delivered an entrepreneurial skills program across Western Sydney, developing 13 events and workshops on topics including personal branding, networking, pitching, funding, digital tools, performance and inclusion in emerging technology. We sourced and convened 35 speakers, mentors and founders — prioritising diverse and relatable role models — delivered sessions across 6 Western Sydney campus locations to improve local access, and built partnerships with councils, government agencies, chambers of commerce, community organisations, women's groups, multicultural organisations and university departments. The program also supported a community and student grant program that distributed funding to help founders test, build and grow their ideas.
The result
The program created an inclusive innovation community that connected people with skills, networks, role models and practical pathways to start. It generated 1,500+ registrations, surpassing initial attendance expectations. 65% of attendees were women; participants represented 49 multicultural backgrounds, spoke 71 languages, and came from 153 postcodes. Participant feedback showed a measurable lift in confidence: average skill confidence increased from 3.1 to 4.0 out of 5 following workshops, while the program recorded an average usefulness rating of 4.0 out of 5. The program also distributed $152,000 in grant funding to 36 student and community founders, helping participants fund early-stage business needs such as product development, validation, marketing, tools and equipment.
Outcomes
- 13 workshops and events delivered across six locations over two years
- 1,500+ registrations — 65% women, 49 multicultural backgrounds, 71 languages, 153 postcodes
- 35 diverse speakers, mentors and founders sourced and convened
- $152,000 in grant funding distributed to 36 student and community founders
- Average skill confidence lifted from 3.1 to 4.0 out of 5
One organisation can't do it alone. We're proud collaborators of the Women Multicultural Program and look forward to continuing to work with Lucy and Launch Pad to build an inclusive innovation ecosystem in Western Sydney.
Michael Azzi
Vice President, Liverpool Chamber of Commerce · Founder, Intaus Group
Client perspective
Western Sydney University partnered with Forestlyn for strategic project leadership and communications expertise.
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