HEX

I would ask them to show up at every event and absorb as much knowledge as possible that is being provided. A lot is covered in a weeks program which i could hardly find any organization capable of doing so , plus connect with everyone in the program as this is one of a kind chance to meet new brains from all around the world.

It is pretty intense but very interesting and exciting as well. There are sessions that will help you build up on your ideas, guests from huge companies, talk on the recent trends and their experience working at those companies, social events, where you can connect with the participants, and finally, some time to work on your ideas with the help of mentors who are constantly available to help you. Personally, I loved every bit of it.

The fact that the program was held online, I still feared on the fact that I will be engaging with people from all over the world and how am I going to connect with them. Well, this fear lasted just for a couple to minutes as soon as the course started because during the social events , I understood that every participant went through the same thing that I feared and lightened everyone's mood. Every participant was open minded and brilliant, infact we still keep in touch after the program, not to mention have made some amazing friends.

Is it worth doing this Global Innovation Sprint program considering it's only for a week?

Definitely! as the name suggests, it's a Sprint. The program will keep you engaged for almost half of your entire day and you would be excited to work on your idea. After this program, you will come out with life-changing experiences and ideas that you would wish that would have lasted long. This event will you deep into finding your business idea implementing it and finally pitch it in front of investors. This is one of a kind experience that you could use wherever you go. Not to mention again that you'll make some amazing friends during the process.

It's hard to pick just one. We've had students go on to elite incubators like StartMate and others who have been employed at industry giants like Google, Atlassian, Cisco, Microsoft — and of course, The Hacker Exchange!

At the moment, I'm loving watching the journey of one returned student who has launched a space satellite startup, bent on helping the world manage global warming extreme weather events using prolific satellite data.

I adored going to Tel Aviv because it's not only an interesting startup hub but also a rare adventure.

Tel Aviv startup culture prizes resourcefulness, creativity, and global mindset as a result of Israel's relatively small population and geographic isolation from trade partners — which Australians can learn a lot from. They also tackle similar agricultural predicaments farming swathes of desert, so anyone interested in AgTech can really learn a lot there.

Israel also has more startups per capita than anywhere else in the world, so innovation is steeped in their psyche. You can literally have an educated conversation with a random person on the street about startups — and they'll probably be able to introduce you to someone relevant to what you're trying to achieve!

But to answer the question, I'd like to go on every program, because each destination has its own flavor and insights. Silicon Valley is next on my list as the startup mecca. I've been to San Fransisco before but never with inroads into the startup ecosystem.

Steve Jobs said, "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." The Hacker Exchange works in the beautiful space of bringing together different leaders and innovators, to guide them towards their goals at a formative stage of their progress. And who better to do this than a company that is effectively creating its own new genre of education — and enabling traditional tertiary education to tag along for the ride.

I'm proud of my team every time a returned student launches a new product or company or engages with the alumni community to pay it forward — because that is the culture HEX has created.

I believe the most important factor for successful companies in the 2020s is hiring great people — full of ideas and interests as well as skills — and harnessing their individual strengths. Give everyone enough support to achieve the company goals, but enough license to do it their own way and have a voice. With awesome people, this is the way to get the most out and give the most back, in terms of job satisfaction and contributing to a community purpose.