That's a wrap!

Thanks for coming along for the ride!

We'd like to share with you the significant impact we’re making together in promoting gender equality in entrepreneurship and leadership.

Today we have cultivated a community of over 70,000 individuals – men and women alike – actively working towards economic equality in Australia. As you know, Rare Birds operates on a high-impact, three-pronged approach: mentoring, education, and community.

In the past 12 months, we had over 268 active mentees, spanning entrepreneurs to emerging leaders, of which ninety-eight percent of Mentees reported that they’re highly satisfied with their mentorship, with significant improvements in confidence and goal achievement. As well as supporting individuals, we also partner with corporates to run bespoke programs.

Our Uber Accelerator and Incubator programs are now in their second year. And in 2024 we had a total of 4,672 applications from Uber drivers and delivery partners who were keen to launch or grow a side hustle with the help of a series of business masterclasses and 12 months of one-on-one mentoring. 100 participants were selected and with a total of $100k in prize money up for grabs, the pitch competition that rounded up the masterclasses was an exciting one! 10 lucky finalists were flown to Sydney to pitch at a live event at Uber HQ. 

Teegan has been managing those mentoring partnerships who are all at around the 6-month mark. Feedback so far has been great, with 80% of people saying they are significantly enjoying their mentoring experience and one respondent saying: “I have taken much bigger risks towards growing and scaling than I would have, because I have a mentor.”

Another participant showed the impact on self-confidence, saying: “My biggest takeaway from the mentoring program has been the value of self-directed learning and discovery. While Alex provided me with excellent resources, the program encouraged me to dive deeper into those resources, sparking my curiosity to continue researching and uncovering new knowledge. This process has significantly enhanced my ability to find solutions and opportunities, making me more confident in taking initiative in my business. I can honestly say that I’m a completely different person business-wise compared to before I joined the Rare Birds program. It has truly opened my eyes and given me the direction I needed.”

We just love reading testimonials like this. It shows us our impact and that our programs really work.

We’ve also been partnering with AmEx for a few years now, providing their SME Cardmembers with a 12-month mentoring program. We’re onboarding a cohort of 20 at the moment, with another 20 due to start early next year. Cath is running those programs and if you’re not currently in a mentoring partnership, you may get a tap on the shoulder!

As well as our mentoring programs, another pillar of impact is education and we’ve really been ramping that up this past year. Our monthly business masterclasses have been renamed Mentor Labs and are now running fortnightly from February to November. These sessions provide our community and beyond with free access to business and leadership development. We engage business leaders and experts from the Rare Birds Mentor community to deliver quality, actionable content. In total we ran 11 of these sessions, with 1377 registrations.

We also ran another 20 Masterclasses for the 100 Uber Incubator and Accelerator participants. These 10-week programs saw 97% of participants improve their capabilities, as well as 97% seeing improved confidence. If any Mentors would like to deliver a Mentor Lab for us in your area of expertise next year, please reach out to Teegan who facilitates these sessions and is currently putting a calendar together.

As you all know, Rare Birds is more than a network; it’s a movement. Our community of 70,000+ entrepreneurs, founders, and leaders is supported by over 1,200 Mentors. In just one year, Rare Birds’ community and Mentors have contributed over 9,000 volunteer hours, valued at nearly $1.5 million. From increasing confidence to building stronger, more sustainable businesses, the impact is measurable, meaningful, and lasting.

See you in 2025 for more fun, growth and social impact.

Cheers from Jo and the Rare Birds Team x