As a Regional Judge for the 2017 Talent Unleashed Awards, Frances Valintine is looking forward to the opportunity to gain insight from founders and startup teams, and seeing the diversity of business ideas coming to life at this year’s APAC awards ceremony in Melbourne.
But, it was only three years ago when Valintine found herself on the other side of the judging panel. In it’s second year of business, The Mind Lab was announced as a 2014 Talent Unleashed Finalist and invited along to the Awards Ceremony.
Frances Valintine speaks with Startup Daily
Speaking with Startup Daily about this experience, Valintine admitted she hadn’t known quite what to expect; when she found out The Mind Lab had been nominated for the Best Startup category. She admits had little expectation and simply decided to take a friend to the Awards night – she didn’t even tell her team.
“I have to say I went along to the Awards evening with absolutely zero expectations of anything. I thought, we’re a one year old business, how can people have faith in what we’re doing at this stage? Even though we knew that what we were doing was game changing, it was so early,” she said.
But The Mind Lab went on the be named as the 2014 Talent Unleashed Awards Best Startup, announced live across the globe by none other than Sir Richard Branson.
“The fact it wasn’t just some local guy saying, ‘congratulations, you’ve won’, it was Richard Branson saying it on a video feed across the world just felt so surreal, it was off the charts… In whatever way it came about that Richard Branson and Steve Wozniak thought The Mind Lab should win, then wow, that was the best motivator I’ve ever had to go full speed ahead.”
Read the full article on Startup Daily here.
If you’re interested in entering your business into the Talent Unleashed Awards, click here for more information. Be quick, entries close 31 August!