Venture UWA – Student Innovation Centre - Entrepreneur in Residence (Contract consultant)
- dylan.panetta
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
The world we live and work in is changing. Venture UWA is a student-led initiative designed to prepare students for this new world. By providing opportunities for students to learn the skills to help them thrive in this future, and to be on the front line building new businesses to grow and thrive.
As the student-led innovation hub at Western Australia’s only world top 100 university and a member of the Group of Eight, Venture UWA prepares students for the future of work by developing entrepreneurial skills, mindsets and networks. UWA has a long history of producing leaders and changemakers – from Nobel Prize-winning scientists and national leaders to global entrepreneurs such as Canva co-founder and CEO Melanie Perkins, iiNet founder Michael Malone, and founders like Mecca Cosmetics' Jo Horgan. Venture UWA is focused on the next generation of that story.
We create pathways for students from any discipline to explore ideas, tackle real-world problems and build ventures with impact. We do this through:
Innovation Consultancy – students work with industry partners to design and deliver solutions to live business and community challenges.
Startup Internships – students gain hands-on experience inside startups to build practical skills, networks and employability.
Venture UWA Incubator Program – a structured program that helps student founders validate problems, build solutions and launch early-stage ventures.
Venture UWA Acceleration Program (new for 2026) – supporting the most promising ventures to scale their impact through deeper mentorship, strategic support and connections.
Alongside these programs, Venture UWA runs skills workshops and flagship events like our Showcase & Pitch Night to connect students into the wider WA innovation and startup ecosystem.
Through a culture of curiosity, creativity, collaboration and student-led action, we champion founders who want to shape WA’s future — and we’re looking for an Entrepreneur in Residence who shares that belief.
Role overview
We are seeking a seasoned entrepreneur to join as an Entrepreneur in Residence (EiR). The EiR will act as a hands-on mentor, strategic advisor, ecosystem connector and community champion — personally consulting with student founders, guiding them through the challenges of early-stage venture building, and helping our incubator and accelerator cohorts meet their acceleration goals.
The EiR will also lead outreach to attract high-potential students and early-career entrepreneurs to Venture UWA, raising the profile of our programs and ensuring a steady pipeline of ambitious, high-quality candidates.
This role is ideal for a founder or operator with a proven track record (ideally including an exit or significant growth journey) who now wants to:
Give back to the next generation of founders.
Help students translate ideas into real ventures and careers.
Contribute to a vibrant, inclusive entrepreneurial community at UWA and across WA.
Key Responsibilities
One-on-one and cohort mentoring — Provide regular, personalised coaching to founding teams in both incubator and accelerator streams, helping refine business models, strategic plans, go-to-market strategies, product-market fit, and growth trajectories.
Program delivery & support — Participate in weekly (or regular) founder check-ins, progress reviews, milestone tracking, group workshops or masterclasses, and provide frank, experience-based feedback — drawing on your own “war stories” to help founders avoid common pitfalls.
Network & ecosystem building — Leverage your personal and professional network to connect student founders with mentors, industry contacts, potential customers, investors, partners, or other relevant stakeholders.
Outreach & program promotion — Represent Venture UWA publicly (campus events, online, external speaking or community networks), help raise awareness of our incubator/accelerator, and attract top-tier founders across all disciplines.
Program design and continuous improvement — Work with the Venture UWA leadership team to shape and refine the structure, content, and delivery of our incubator and accelerator programs; suggest new formats, workshops, or resources based on founder needs and industry trends.
Vetting and selection support — Participate in screening applications, assessing potential candidates for our programs, and contributing to selection and “demo day” or pitch-review processes.
What we’re looking for — ideal candidate profile
Demonstrated track record as a founder, co-founder, or senior executive of a startup (preferably with experience scaling a venture, ideally through growth phases or exit).
Strong business acumen: experience with strategic planning, business model design, market research, revenue strategies, scaling, fundraising, or operations.
Excellent mentoring, coaching, communication, and interpersonal skills — able to build rapport quickly, give honest but constructive feedback, and support a diverse range of founders (across disciplines and stages).
Broad and active professional network (investors, industry contacts, corporate partners, mentors, potential customers) and willingness to leverage it for founders.
Strategic thinking, adaptability, and the capacity to work within an academic/institutional environment — while retaining a startup-style, execution-oriented mindset.
Passion for supporting early-stage ventures, youth entrepreneurship, and mission-driven innovation (aligns with Venture UWA’s broader focus on social/economic impact and youth development).
What we offer
The opportunity to shape and lead Venture UWA’s incubator and accelerator efforts, directly impacting student entrepreneurship culture and outcomes.
Access to the broader UWA community, resources, and interdisciplinary talent across faculties, enabling cross-disciplinary ventures and “moonshot” ideas.
Flexibility to work on a contract basis, enabling EiR to remain active in the startup ecosystem or maintain other professional engagements (if relevant).
The chance to contribute to support the diversification of the economy through transformational ventures.
A great team and culture to work within.
A Renumeration package of $25,000
Application
We welcome expressions of interest from experienced founders or entrepreneurial leaders who are passionate about mentoring the next generation of innovators.
Please contact Chloe at Chloe.Bull@guild.uwa.edu.au to express interest.
