Spotlight on a Member - Female Entrepreneurship in ACT
March marks the Women's History Month, a time dedicated to commemorate and celebrate the social, economic and domestic accomplishments of women. In light of the month-long recognition of women, here at AIM we are delighted to profile two female entrepreneurs, Kimberley Britt AFAIM and Zoe Piper FAIM. Kimberley is previously a member of the AIM Young Manager Advisory Board and Chair of AIM's Emerging Leaders Board. Zoe is the former Chair of the AIM ACT Regional Advisory Committee and a finalist in the Emerging Entrepreneur category of NAB Women's Agenda Leadership Awards.
Kimberley Britt AFAIM
Kimberley Britt is a highly engaged AIM Member and an emerging leader with a passion to make a difference. In February 2014, Kimberley was appointed to the AIM Young Manager Advisory Board as the first representative from the ACT/NSW region and Chair from January 2016 to January 2017.
As Chair of AIM’s Emerging Leaders Board, Kimberley has been proactive in fostering engagement and opportunities for young and emerging leaders to reach their potential. She has a passion for gender equity and diversity and increasing workforce engagement.
Kimberley was also a Mentor in our Member Exchange, Mentoring Program, for a fellow AIM Member, Lauren Stokoe, who was a graduate recruit in Deloitte’s risk management team. Kimberley helped guide Lauren along her career journey, from goal setting to networking and many other useful skills to prepare Lauren for a successful career in the future.
This year, Kimberley launched The Pop Inn – Canberra’s first pop-up wine bar. The Pop Inn aims to bring life to hidden and under-utilised (but spectacular) spots around Canberra while also engaging and delighting customers with local and international wines. Kimberley’s background is in communication and project management – not your typical wine bar owner. However, Kimberley is a passionate entrepreneur with an interest in learning about wine and wanted to share that passion by creating a unique and welcoming place for like-minded people to relax, chat, laugh, and enjoy good wines together.
Kimberley is quick to recognise the contributions of others in bringing the Pop Inn to life through the significant contributions of partners along the way - from DJAS Architects who developed Kimberley’s idea into an innovative and stylish concept; to the fabricators and builders who brought the concept to life; and everyone in between from designers to wine-makers, the ACT Government and wonderful friends and family who supported throughout.
In addition to launching The Pop Inn, Kimberley also works in stakeholder engagement for government. ‘It has been challenging to balance full-time work with launching a new venture, but I am lucky to have had great support from family, friends and across my networks’
‘To me, entrepreneurship is about persistence and tenacity. There are a lot of people who will say no, a lot of people who will tell why it won’t work but it is important to back yourself and find others who will too.’ - Kimberley Britt
Zoe Piper FAIM
Zoe Piper has over 18 years of experience across management consulting, technology, manufacturing and investment. She has a strong interest in cross-sector collaboration and is actively engaged in a range of roles and appointments.
Zoe is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management (formerly chairing the AIM ACT Regional Advisory Committee) and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She has studied in the USA, Europe and China, and has completed several academic qualifications. In 2016, Zoe served as a judge for the Australian Institute of Management Leadership Excellence Awards.
Highly experienced in assisting organisations (both public and private) to analyse and enhance performance, Zoe regularly facilitates professional connections and collaborations. She is currently developing the overarching strategy for the Data61Partnership Program “D61+”, and is a Director of the Canberra Innovation Network (CBRIN). Zoe previously managed the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) Productivity Unit, designing and delivering initiatives to boost firm level productivity (focusing on management and leadership, human capital, innovation & technology, sustainability and trade). In this role Zoe engaged stakeholders from business, academia and government to jointly address Australia’s productivity challenge.
An active investor, Zoe draws on her previous private equity experience to identify investment and joint venture opportunities where she can add value. In 2009 she co-founded Ecolour, an Australian based manufacturer of premium quality, non-toxic paint that is now distributed across the country. In 2015 Zoe was named as a finalist in the Emerging Entrepreneur category of NAB Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards.
“My mantra in business is: just don’t stop. No matter how challenging it gets, or how big the workload grows, always keep focused on moving things forward. Pivot, adjust and adapt when you need to, but just don’t stop.” – Zoe Piper