It has been a busy and hectic first 17 months for Startup Tasmania.

We started with a new wave of energy and enthusiasm as the elected board of ten first met in August 2012. We talked vision, direction and growth, and we set our sights high.

Over the course of the following months, we were overwhelmed with the administrative requirements of the changing organisation, causing a standstill as competing priorities saw the board reduce to just 5. 

We lost touch with our members and our regular meetups (once the cornerstone of our community) suffered as we spent months in the background, trying to make the organisational machine operate once more. We were forced to re-evaluate our skyward vision and focus on the grassroots of the organisation and the community we had left behind.

We set ourselves a new agenda and a new vision. A new, leaner organisation. Less time wrangling admin, more time helping Tasmania’s startups; working with other organisations instead of against them; and providing for our members rather than asking them to provide for us.

So, what have we actually done?

We supported The Typewriter Factory in their establishment of the Loft coworking space. We continue to support The Catalyst Project and in particular their Macquarie House project. We supported the establishment of Cradle Coast Innovation and their successful application to run a Business Enterprise Centre. We supported the Breath of Fresh Air festival, sponsoring the Tasmanian Action Day and committing to working with the ideas and outcomes discussed. We hosted a number of inspirational guest speakers at free and paid events. We launched a new website and are in the process of consolidating our events & membership into one system.

But, by far our biggest achievement was in running a series of events during the Australia-wide Startup Spring festival. Working with a number of partners, sponsors and supporters we put together the second biggest calendar of events in the country (second only to Sydney, where the festival originates), drawing national attention to the innovation culture in Tasmania and re-engaging with the startup community. Our efforts allowed nearly all events to be free for participants.

We have a vision for the next 12 months, to continue the grass roots efforts and community support. We’d like to share it with you at our AGM in two weeks’ time at The Typewriter Factory.

RSVP here: http://suptas.nationbuilder.com/startup_tasmania_2013_agm