CREAM OF THE CROP SPEAKER TO HIGHLIGHT WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES
Georgia Beattie might be CEO of Australia’s largest organic mushroom farm but her message about women using their entrepreneurial skills will resonate across all agricultural pursuits.
And she says south-west Victorian women dairy farmers are ready to step up to lead their industry to a sustainable future.
Ms Beattie will be keynote speaker at the inaugural Cream of the Crop event on Tuesday February 22 at the Port Campbell Surf Life Saving Club.
The event will provide opportunity for connection, personal development and education and Ms Beattie’s address will highlight the success of women in CEO roles.
“I believe entrepreneurship is going to solve the fundamental challenges we’re going to see in agriculture over the next 10 years, and I think females are better at it,” she said.
“From a sustainability perspective, the data shows females are a lot more conscious of their contribution to society and will integrate those values into their business as well as achieving 35 per cent higher returns on investment.”
Ms Beattie came to her current role as CEO of the Bulla Park organic mushroom company three years ago after studying entrepreneurship in the United States and heading up wine and tech ventures.
It is her first experience in agriculture but it’s happened in a purpose-driven way. “Rather than coming in from a family business, I’ve come in from an entrepreneurial perspective and with the belief that sustainable food has a great future in Australia,” she said.
She originally rang the farm about buying mushrooms, and wound-up being CEO and a shareholder.
“That’s what an entrepreneur does and I’ve learnt on the fly. There’s 24 hours in the day and there’s YouTube so there’s no excuse for not learning a new industry.”
Now Ms Beattie is focussed on growing sustainable and smart food and promoting roles for female entrepreneurs in business. She has completed the female accelerator program Springboard and has a strong network of female mentors.
Ms Beattie believes the input of female entrepreneurs will be critical in agriculture because of the need to change thinking as climate and consumer demand changes.
“We have to lead the way,” she said. “Because the environment is changing, we have to do things in a sustainable way and think about where our properties will be in 50 years’ time.
“It’s the same across all different agricultural pursuits. At the end of the day, we’re all selling to the same person and agriculture as a whole can learn from different industries and leverage that collective brain.
“Doing things from a data-led entrepreneurial way is going to be the way we move the dial for our industries, rather than looking at the way we have done it in the past.”
Cream of the Crop is being supported by funding partners, including DemoDAIRY Foundation and Fonterra Australia Suppliers Council.
More information about Cream of the Crop can be found at www.creamofthecropau.com