Jewish innovation hub
The Eden Project, the first Australian Jewish innovation hub for entrepreneurs, social innovators and change-makers, will be launched in Melbourne this week.
Amanda Miller and Malki Rose at an innovators’ day
The brainchild of a group of community leaders and entrepreneurs, including Danny Almagor, Deon Kamien, Amanda Miller, Malki Rose and Tracie Olcha, this idea was borne out of a Jewish Innovation Day staged last year by the Australian Jewish Funders, the ROI Community and the Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. In addition to support from those organisations, The Eden Project has also received support from Debbie Dadon, Danny Almagor & Berry Liberman, Nathan and Camit Cher & Family and the Jack & Robert Smorgon Families Foundation.
The project aims to inspire, engage and develop a new generation of Jewish leaders to enable them to address challenges facing the Jewish community through social entrepreneurship and innovation.
The Eden Project will support the complete innovation life cycle, from ideas generation and project development to facilitating crowdfunding* campaigns, ongoing support and mentoring for project leaders. The Eden Project’s crowdfunding platform will promote collaboration within the Jewish community including existing Jewish community organizations, to develop and implement projects by or for the Australian Jewish community or Israel that address a social, environmental or community issue.
According to Danny Almagor, “We believe that development and crowd support of these ideas will be an investment in the future of the Australian Jewish community, its organisations and its leaders”.
The Eden Project will select the most innovative and compelling projects (applications open in August) to be launched as month-long crowd-funding campaigns. The Australian Jewish community will have the unique opportunity to engage with these projects by supporting the campaigns and their leaders.
The Eden Project encourages all interested applicants and community members to attend the launch night ‘Innovation Journeys’ on Thursday 4 July 2013 at 8pm, Small Giants, 11 Princes Street St Kilda. Ticket Registration at: www.edenproject.eventbrite.com.au. At the launch, guests will be inspired by four young Jewish innovators who will share their journey.
Website: www.theedenproject.com.au *What is Crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding allows campaign managers which include people, businesses and non-profits, to gain support and to finance their ideas and projects through contributions collected online across their online social networks. Projects, ideas and causes can come from any field – cultural or technological, secular, for a small business, a social enterprise a community project, or an educational initiative – as long as the project is BY or FOR the Australian Jewish community or Israel.
Our crowdfunding platform will integrate social media and online fundraising techniques which not only allow for traditional crowdfunding but also facilitate community engagement and support.
For more information on The Eden Project please contact Romy Grace, the Project Manager, at edenproject1@gmail.com.
