A trip to Antarctica has inspired a raft of business deals, charity donations and new networks among a group of more than a hundred Australian entrepreneurs.
The group spent seven days on an expedition ship sailing alongside the Antarctic peninsula workshopping product ideas, forming business alliances, mentoring, and networking as part of a new think tank called The Unstoppables.
Among the eclectic mix of entrepreneurs were those with experience in senior roles within ASX-listed companies through to twenty-somethings just starting out.
The entrepreneurs, who came from a cross-section of sectors including technology, agriculture, fashion, financial services and property development, also raised $651,000 for a Zambian hospital charity run by Perth insurance broker John Elliott.
Unstoppables founder Julio De Laffitte had hoped the trip would kickstart a movement of entrepreneurs and create $1 billion worth of deals over five years.
Gold Coast entrepreneur Mark Deacon, who at 25 was one of the youngest on the trip, was "pretty stoked" to come away with plans for his design and construction business to merge with a student accommodation service to create a property development company.
"I came in with high expectations about what would happen but that whole business deal was additional to what I expected," he said.
Others expressed disappointment at the program's structure and the inclusion of holistic personal development activities.
One annoyed businessman said he didn't get value for the $25,000 he spent on the trip.
"The premise was really good and credit to Julio for putting his proverbials on the line and taking a punt. He took a huge risk and pulled it off, he got us to Antarctica," he said.
"However, I don't feel like his intentions were represented accurately in the lead-up to the program."
Mr De Laffitte described the event as a "total success" and plans to host 150 entrepreneurs in the Amazon next year.
While acknowledging he took "some bullets" about the program from critics, he described the overwhelming feedback as positive.
"The main objective here is to bring back the spirit of entrepreneurship in Australia," he said.
* The author travelled to Antarctica courtesy of The Unstoppables
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