This award recognises business owners from regional areas that have made a significant impact to their community by supporting local organisations or boosting economies with jobs and opportunities.
Higher State Co has taken the top gong in the new Smart50 Regional Award category, with the drinks company making a significant impact on the Geelong and Port Fairy communities in Victoria.
Learn moreHigher State Co is a functional drinks company based in regional Victoria that was born from Samantha Manning’s passion for innovation, business and beautiful drinks. The company began with Manning experimenting on her stove top, and grew to the point where Manning and partner Haydn Farley decided to sell their house in Torquay in order to have some money to inject into growing the endeavour. That leap of faith has turned into a business that is currently going through an equity crowd funding campaign to raise $1.2 million in order to keep up with demand.
Based in regional Victoria, Pop Education began when its founders noticed a gap in services available for education providers. They sought after recognised industry expert and used their own multimedia digital development skills to launch the successful business. Now online education is essential, Pop Education has steadily grown in size.
OtherBirds was born from two agencies whose founders saw a gap in the advertising landscape that prohibited SMEs from receiving the customer service they were paying for and deserved. Today, the company is now a full-service global marketing agency with the ability to produce content for digital and traditional platforms. OtherBirds has raised tens of thousands of dollars for charities including REACH Siem Reap, For Change Co and The Health Collab.
