Tonsley abuzz as entrepreneurs and business converge for evening events

Kelly Baker-Jamieson, of Edible Blooms, will be at Tonsley tonight at an Entrepreneurs in Conversation event. Business figures will also be attending a networking event.
Kelly Baker-Jamieson, of Edible Blooms, will be at Tonsley tonight at an Entrepreneurs in Conversation event. Business figures will also be attending a networking event.

Flinders University’s new $120m facility at Tonsley will be buzzing tonight as local business people and entrepreneurs attend two events hosted by the New Venture Institute at Flinders (NVI).

Local business and industry figures will have the opportunity to explore the facility at a Flinders Business Alumni Network event, while entrepreneurs will receive tips and valuable anecdotal experience from the founder of Edible Blooms, Kelly Baker-Jamieson, at an Entrepreneurs in Conversation event.

A business based on bouquets that you can eat, Edible Blooms has won awards including Telstra MYOB Small Business of the Year for Australia 2009, and Ms Baker was SA Business Woman of the Year 2011.

The special guest speaker at the Flinders Business Alumni Network event is Raymond Spencer, Chair of the Economic Development Board SA, who will speak to the economic vision for South Australia and the role that cluster precincts such as Tonsley play in realising this vision.

Attendees at both events will then converge on Tonsley’s Business Engagement space on the building’s ground floor, where they will have the opportunity to network over drinks and nibbles.

NVI Director, Matt Salier, said the events supported Flinders at Tonsley’s objective of fostering interaction and collaboration between the University and Australian business and industry.

“This is a great opportunity for local business people and entrepreneurs to see how Flinders at Tonsley represents a new model for high-value manufacturing in the future, as well as a new framework for investment in infrastructure delivery and partnership with the private sector,” said Mr Salier.

“Events such as these bring together diverse groups of business leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs, with NVI providing an easy to access ‘front door’ to all the University has to offer.

“Flinders is looking to the future, our vision is to build on our excellent research strengths and ensure we deliver innovative solutions to real-world problems that impact on real peoples’ lives.

“There is no better way to do this than finding new and unique ways to engage with businesses, large and small.

“The innovative and entrepreneurial potential from events such as these will enable us all to find new ways of doing business, new ways to create value and new ways to capitalise on our collective talents to stimulate jobs growth.”

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