XERO Award for Outstanding Micro Business
Winner: Kiddo
Kiddo is a platform that connects parents to fully verified, local babysitters, nannies and National Disability Insurance Scheme carers for in-home care for children.
Kiddo is proudly headquartered in Brisbane and led by Rebecca Dredge, a mother of two. It was through her own struggle to find a trusted babysitter that she knew there had to be a better way for parents. Kiddo uses the latest technology to provide parents a safe and efficient way to find trusted care for their children.
Since launching in late 2019, it now has over 18,000 active users and proudly continues to
grow communities, build connections and give parents that much needed support every day.
Kiddo can be downloaded on app stores and is available throughout Australia.
CCIQ Award for Outstanding Small Business
Winner: Audeara
Audeara is a global hearing health leader, specialising in innovative listening solutions for people with hearing challenges.
It is passionate about redefining hearing health, with a focus on products that deliver world-class tailored listening experiences. Audeara works with a team of industry leaders in audiology and engineering to develop products that connect people in meaningful ways to the experiences and people they love — whether that’s watching a favourite TV show, FaceTiming family or listening to music.
Its products are carefully crafted to the needs of each individual, with precision detail and state-of-the-art technology to deliver a unique, personalised listening experience.
Hutchinson Builders Award for Outstanding Social Enterprise
Winner: Australian Spatial Analytics
Australian Spatial Analytics (ASA) is a unique data services provider because its purpose is to use data to employ diversity. As one of Australia’s largest and fastest-growing social enterprises, it adds value to corporations and governments by training and employing young autistic adults to process and analyse big data. ASA focuses on the societal need to digitise for diversity.
Spatial and data analytics are forward-looking sectors, and ASA believes neurodiverse people should not only be a part of the digital ecosystem, but also can use distinct cognitive talents to add value. With over 100 employees, 80 per cent of whom live with a disability and reside in Brisbane, ASA is contributing significant social and economic impact to this great city.
Urban Utilities Award for Environmental Sustainability in Business
Winner: Save Our Supplies
Save Our Supplies (SOS) is a not-for-profit charity that uses a “circular approach” to improve the lives of thousands of disadvantaged people by providing them with free medical supplies. Australia’s high standards of medical care mean that once packaging is opened and the contents are no longer sterile, the remaining unused, clean supplies cannot be used and are simply dumped. SOS achieves its goals by repurposing the clean waste generated by our hospitals that previously would have been dumped as landfill. It sorts and repurposes this waste into usable medical supplies. Not only does this help people in need, but it also helps “save the planet” at the same time.
Australia Pacific LNG Award for Business Innovation
Winner: DoubleTake Sports
Traditionally, production of a sports broadcast would always happen at the stadium, court, or venue, with all equipment and crew onsite. This is inefficient and costly, making high-quality production out of the reach of all but the elite leagues. DoubleTake Sports innovated to meet surging demand for low-cost, high-quality sports content by becoming the firstmover in remote production for sub-elite sports.
Remote production requires only the cameras to be at the venue. The same onscreen product can be produced with a far lighter environmental impact, and at a higher quality. This means that more sports and leagues can access higher-quality production at a time when broadcast and digital revenue is critical to the health and vitality of all sports, and the uplift of sport for women and girls. DoubleTake Sports pursued remote production with the endorsement of key sports partners and rightsholders and has remotely produced hundreds of broadcasts nationwide since early 2021.
Port of Brisbane Award for Young Business Person of the Year
Winner: Dr James Fielding – Audeara
Dr James Fielding is a passionate advocate of hearing health as the CEO of ASX-listed Audeara. His vision is a world where hearing impairment rates reduce rather than expand, where all people use a personalised sound experience to bring joy and connection.
James believes that a relentless optimism and willingness to learn are the two personal characteristics that have contributed to his success. Since graduating from medical school, James established five Brisbane-based companies; Field Orthopaedics, Yumm!, RER 360, RER labs and Audeara. Audeara’s products are now available in over 1,300 hearing health clinics around Australia, with international expansion underway, placing Brisbane on the world stage.
HSBC Award for Excellence in International Business
Winner: Populous
Populous opened its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Brisbane in 1999 after winning the design of the Sydney Olympic Stadium – the catalyst to commence exporting creative and professional services. Growing to 200 designers with offices throughout the Asia-Pacific, Populous is the largest employer of Queensland architects and designers involved in export, where every dollar earned in the Asia-Pacific creates jobs for Queenslanders. Populous’ unique expertise in designing iconic, cityshaping places sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, arts and culture. It designs places where people love to be together like Suncorp Stadium, Kai Tak Sports Park, Yankee Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Accenture Australia Award for Product Innovation
Winner: Vaxxas
Technology developed and manufactured by Brisbane biotech company Vaxxas could potentially transform vaccination globally by applying vaccines to the skin using a small patch.
Vaxxas’ needle-free microarray patch (MAP) is applied briefly to the skin using a small applicator. Thousands of vaccine-coated micro-projections deliver the vaccine directly to abundant populations of immune cells just under the skin surface.
Enhanced immune response, eliminating the need for deep refrigeration, low-skilled or self-administration, and reduced patient anxiety, are benefits of the technology attracting global attention from leading health, philanthropic and government organisations.
Vaxxas was founded in 2011 on research from The University of Queensland.
ANZ Award for High-Growth Business + Optus Platinum Award
Winner: simPRO
simPRO provides field service management software solutions to trade and specialty contracting industries. Its verticals broadly include security professionals, plumbers, electricians, HVAC, solar, and data networking.
simPRO’s cloud-based software streamlines field service workflows to increase efficiency, improve cash flow and enable business growth. It has more than 7,000 clients, 200,000 users and 480 employees over six global offices.
Over the past year, simPRO has seen tremendous global growth when it acquired Clockshark, a USbased time sheeting and scheduling platform, and AroFlo, an Australian-based job management software provider, grew its global employee team by 25 per cent and opened two additional offices.
ISPT Award for Investment in Brisbane
Winner: The Princess Theatre
After laying largely dormant for over 70 years, Queensland’s oldest surviving and only 19th century theatre, The Princess Theatre, has been given a new life.
This stunning state-heritage-listed building was acquired in early 2021 by the owners of The Tivoli, Steve and Dave Sleswick, and prominent local businessman, Steve Wilson, who collectively shared a vision to transform the theatre into Brisbane’s newest home for music, entertainment and the arts.
Together, they overcame the extraordinary challenges posed by the Covid pandemic on the live industry to complete a timeless restoration of “The Princess” for future generations to enjoy.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Winner: Jonathon Stoddart – Stoddart Group
As Australia’s largest supplier and installer of building products, Stoddart Group is an integral part of today’s housing landscape, servicing over 30,000 each year – one quarter of all new homes built across Australia annually.
With a company mission all about creating solutions that deliver a better way to build, managing director Jon Stoddart is passionate about helping builders deliver better performing, more environmentally responsible houses.
Under Jon’s leadership, this family-owned business has evolved from its humble beginnings to now turn over $400 million per annum and employ over 600 employees and 2,000 plus subcontractors, with 31 branches across the eastern and western seaboards of Australia.
The Courier-Mail Award for Business Person of the Year
Winner: Elena Gosse – AIS Water
Elena Gosse is the charismatic Chief Executive Officer of AIS Water, an innovative, multi-award-winning manufacturer of water disinfection technology and anode material for swimming pools and future clean energy applications. Under Elena’s leadership, AIS Water constructed and opened its third Brisbane manufacturing facility in 2022 at a cost of $9 million.
AIS’ reputation is recognised worldwide, with its technology exported to over 55 countries. Elena gives back to her community by empowering other women to find their voice and embrace female leadership. Elena is also an acclaimed public speaker and advocate against domestic and family violence.
