I believe this is one of the most valuable value propositions (is it redundant to say that?) anyone participating in UQ Ventures activities can experience.
Our mentors are volunteers: they donate their time to guide a new generation of founders and intrapreneurs. After two years working here at UQ Ventures, I often ask myself, "What makes a person, a mentor, who already has a busy career, give up their time to speak with students?"
So, I spoke with two mentors: Matt Anderson (founder of Think Startup and The Corporate Therapy) and Theia Gabatan (Blackbird Foundation Program Lead), professionals who although are super busy consistently and actively contribute to our mentoring programs.
With the above question I mind, I had a quick chat with them and asked them two simple questions. Check their answers below:
Q1. What does it mean to support young founders and students learning about innovation and entrepreneurship?
Matt Anderson, founder of Think Startup & The Corporate Therapy Community (Three-time Curiosity Mentor):
It means showing up at one of the most exhilarating and vulnerable crossroads in someone’s life. This is an age of bold ideas and shaky confidence. One of dreaming big while quietly wondering if you’re full of it. So when I support young founders and students, I’m not just helping them build startups. I’m helping them build belief. I’m giving them the psychological permission to experiment, screw up, and try again.To challenge outdated business BS with fresh eyes and fierce curiosity. That’s a gift - for them and for me.
Theia Gabatan, Grant Programs and Impact Lead @ Blackbird Foundation (Three-time Curiosity Mentor):
One of my core beliefs is that startups and the innovation ecosystem should reflect the people and stories of the wider population. This means we have a responsibility to see diverse people creating their own startups – whether that’s diversity in age, gender, culture, or other forms of identity. Young founders represent the future of the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. The sooner we can get them building, the better and richer our ecosystem will be.
Q2. What Do You Give To The Student Community, And What Do You Receive In Return?
Matt Anderson:
What I give:
- Insider Access – how real businesses pressure-test ideas (and each other).
- Gentle Friction – pushing them to ask better questions, not just jump to answers.
- A Friendly Nudge – to overcome their inner voice screaming “I’m scared crapless.”
What I receive:
- Wings – the raw energy and unbridled enthusiasm, which is contagious.
- Insight – they don’t see the world the way we do, and that’s their superpower.
- Hope – in a time when business can feel fundamentally broken, they show me what’s possible when purpose and creativity collide.
Supporting students and young founders keeps me honest. It reconnects me to why I started doing this work in the first place. Because if we want better businesses tomorrow, we need braver students today.
Theia Gabatan:
I have worked in this space, directly and indirectly, for a long time. In that time, I’ve developed knowledge and insight that only comes through experience and learning. I try to pay this knowledge forward because so much of it is hard to find and access for students. And when it is available, it’s often presented in a way that isn’t relevant to young people.'
In return, I get a lot of energy from hearing people’s ideas and dreams for the future. It makes me optimistic. I also think belief itself is a form of capital, and for me, it’s important to believe in people and their ideas. It’s a force multiplier.
So…that’s the thing. Students often think they are the only ones getting benefits when they speak with mentors who have long experience. But the truth is, it’s an exchange of energy and insight. Talking to a mentor is about giving you space to share your ideas, to learn how to listen, how to pivot, and most importantly, how to share who you are.
Throughout my life, I’ve had many people who I called mentors. Many, if not all, helped me to get here. There are things that tech and AI cannot do for anyone—and one of them is building connections with real people. These people can be mentors, if you allow yourself to connect, listen, and be present with them.
And that’s one of the things we do best at UQ Ventures: we bring people together, from different generations and life experiences, but with the same vision for life.
And, if just like Theia and Matt, you want to get inspired by students and support them in their entrepreneurial journey, leave your details here.