Make your start

Chief Student Entrepreneur, Varun Pillai (2026).

Varun Pillai is balancing more than most students take on in a year as he completes his undergraduate degree at The University of Queensland and builds his path in entrepreneurship. At just 21, Varun is building and scaling his travel startup Tripzy through the ilab Accelerator, working part-time in the corporate world, exploring venture capital through a Brisbane fellowship, and collaborating across early-stage tech ventures. Now, he is focused on encouraging more students to step into entrepreneurship and realise what is possible in his role as Chief Student Entrepreneur. 

Varun’s journey into entrepreneurship didn’t start with certainty. After joining the Ventures Validate program in 2024, what began as curiosity quickly became a turning point, shaping how he thinks about building, learning, and backing himself.

“It’s not always about starting a business, it’s about challenging yourself to see a different future. The biggest shift for me was realising these skills aren’t just for founders, they’re life skills.

“It's not always about starting a business, it's about challenging yourself to see a different future. The biggest shift for me was realising these skills aren't just for founders, they're life skills.”