Hindsight is 2020, what now?

2020, what a year. Like everyone else, we were thrown for a loop as workplaces closed and in person events across all industries were cancelled. Our hybrid program plans were put aside as the entire ecosystem was thrusted into the digital sphere and, before we knew it, we found ourselves running an online event company!

Now, with the year nearly behind us, we’re looking back on some of the lessons we’ve learned about the program, our founders and the future. When we kicked off our Pre-Accelerator program in May, we were intent on getting back into the swing of things. While we were able to recruit an amazing cohort and did the best we could to transfer the program online, establishing a sense of community and facilitating relationships within the cohort was difficult.

Similarly when we ran our Accelerate program in September, our Melbourne teams were still in lockdown and the fatigue from the frequency of Zoom meetings was taking a toll on everyone. With the learnings from the Pre-Accelerator we were able to make some progress on the community front with online mixers and other interactive events but, the demand for face-to-face interaction remained constant if not higher.

A common struggle throughout the year, shared by all cohorts and the Catalysr team, was with mental health. With representation from approximately 40+ countries, our founders were affected by more than just COVID. This year we have witnessed political uprisings and protests, rapid economic downturns and devastating environmental events across the globe. The life of an entrepreneur is stressful enough as it is and these only added pressure. We were privileged to have our mentors Megan Flamer, CEO of Mindful Under Fire, & Peter Huynh, Co-Founder of Qualgro VC, host mindfulness workshops with our cohorts on how to meditate and manage founder life.

With these learnings under our belt, we’re in full planning mode for 2021. Our 2021 Pre-Accelerator is scheduled to go live in April and will be open to startups across Australia, with our masterclass content available online and community sessions to be held in local chapters in major cities. Our Accelerate program in the second half of 2021 and will also be a national program.

We’re recruiting for two significant roles to support our community’s growth in the new year. Community Manager and Chapter Leads in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth, Darwin & Hobart. Reach out to us at hello@catalysr.com.au to discuss further!