Awards success for Moreton mums

Published 9:00am 22 September 2021

Business women from across the Moreton Bay Region have been honoured in this year’s AusMumpreneur Awards.

The AusMumpreneur Awards, presented by The Women’s Business School, recognise women who successfully balance motherhood and business in a way that suits their life and family.

Samford’s Fiona Holmstrom, who started her business STEM Punks in her garage with husband Michael won three awards this year, following a win in the Making a Difference (education) category at last year’s awards.

Building on success

This year Fiona took out the Digital Innovation, Global Brand and Children’s Education awards, adding to a swag of gongs at the annual Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards earlier this year, including gold in the Most Innovative Startup of the Year - Consumer Product Industries and the Most Innovative Startup of the Year - Consumer Service Industries categories.

STEM Punks was created to provide kids and adults with a mindset of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship to enable them to solve the problems of tomorrow today.

Initially delivered face to face in schools, STEM Punks was forced to rethink its business model when COVID-19 hit and now delivers its programs online as well as in person, allowing it to grow to become a global concern.

Giving back to community

Kylie-Lee Bradford started Kakadu Tiny Tots as a children’s wear business with clothing adorned with Indigenous designs from Kakadu artists.

But in the past six years it has evolved to include wellbeing products for mothers, organic bush teas and soaps, candles, skincare and eco products and Kylie-Lee says much of the profits are channelled into the community in Kakadu.

Her dedication has earnt her three awards at this year’s Ausmumpreneur Awards - she won gold in the Fashion and Retail Business categories and silver in Women’s Business School Excellence.

Eatons Hill mum Danni Van Den Heever, founder of Eatons Hill-based My Fit Tribe, won the Fitness and Wellbeing category, while Sarah Middlecoat of Murrumba Downs, took out the Business Pivot category with It’s Rocket Science, which offers aerospace-based STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) activities.

Rounding out the winning Moreton Bay mums were Donna Thistlethwaite of Mentally WELLthy at Everton Hills, who came second in the People’s Choice- - Making a Difference (health and wellbeing) category and Lyla Tuwhangai of Mamako, who came third in the Beauty category with her vegan-friendly haircare products.