Hacker Exchange: Born Global

Earlier this year, I had one of those moments.

I was just about to book my flights to our startup program in Tel Aviv, Israel, when I paused for a second and thought, 'how did this become my job?' Just 12 months ago I was still employed part-time at ANZ, spending the rest of my days (and nights!) working with my US-based co-founder to build The Hacker Exchange. It was the ultimate side-hustle cliché.

Today, with four global destinations, six team members, local and international university partners, and a powerful alumni network of over 150 founders and professionals, The Hacker Exchange (HEX) is thriving. Beyond being an educational provider, our goal is to move the needle on Australia's global innovation ranking and grow the economy by nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders. 

For me, one of the most rewarding outcomes so far has been the chance to create a highly personal set of values that pave our way to these goals and shape the experiential education we provide to our students.

These values -- Drive global citizenship. Pursue life-long learning. Bring an abundance mindset. Have a bias towards action. Champion diverse leadership. Create alternative career pathways.

It's particularly exciting that in the first few months of 2019, our team delivered outcomes directly reflecting these values, proving we're all about action and results. Read on...

Lifelong learning -- more than a catchphrase

From teenagers through to octogenarians, HEX is proud to play a part in lifelong learning journeys.

• Secondary learning -- We are honoured to be a key partner for Monash University's Women in Stem and Entrepreneurship (WISE) Program, where hundreds of Year 10 girls will explore IoT and entrepreneurship skills. We'll be working alongside micro:bit, the Victorian Space Science Education Centre and others to deliver this very cool program.
• Tertiary learning -- In Q1, we consolidated a number of new university partnerships, including the regional superstars at University of Wollongong. We also confirmed support from the Australian Government's Endeavour Grants and New Columbo Plan, securing high-value grants and scholarships for 80 x students attending the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Deakin University, and Griffith University.
• Professional learning & beyond -- We believe that learning goes beyond university, and we're delighted to have formalised an agreement with industry leaders, DeakinCo., to offer stackable micro-credentials for professionals who complete a HEX program. (Is it possible to spend two weeks learning in Silicon Valley and emerge with a globally recognised Graduate Certificate? We think so! Watch this space...)

Diverse leadership -- walking the talk

Changing the face of business is important to everyone at HEX, and we continue to press for progress.

• Student diversity -- One exciting new partnerships is with the Australian National University (ANU), which will be offering 10 x Endeavour Grant scholarships for women to build future-ready skills through our Silicon Valley program.
• Mentor diversity -- We know that you can't be what you can't see, so we pay attention to who we put in front of our students. We often highlight experts who are women and people of colour in fields where they are underrepresented, such as venture capital and engineering. I'm proud that our speaker gender balance is at 55% female. 
• Leadership at HEX -- Diverse leadership is also personal for me, and in March 2019 I was honoured to be a Victorian finalist at the Telstra Business Women's Awards from a pool of over 8,500 nominations, and an invited speaker at the Universities Australia Conference in Canberra.

Born Global. Really.

Thinking globally is embedded in our DNA, and we've started the year by expanding our international networks.

• Return to the Startup Nation -- Those plane tickets I booked led me back to Tel Aviv, Israel, where we ran our second successful program for university students and early-stage founders.
• Welcome to the Lion City -- We launched our first Asian HEX program, and have hit maximum capacity with two full cohorts heading to Singapore in June 2019.
• Home town advantage -- I'm personally thrilled that we also launched our Melbourne program, and cannot wait to show off our thriving startup ecosystem and beautiful city. We've received applications from as far as Russia, Canada, China, and as close as Brisbane and Geelong. More to come...
• East Coast, West Coast, USA -- With our flagship San Francisco program on lock, HEX VP of Partnerships and Engagement, Chris Hoffmann, has relocated to North America to launch strategic partnerships with forward-thinking universities. We are pumped to add American and Canadian college students into the mix with our existing Asia-Pacific students!
• Next-level partnerships -- I'm very proud to announce that my talented co-founder, Bevis Cheng, has been appointed as a Partner at technology advisory firm, ANZA Partners, providing Hacker Exchange founders with direct access to US market entry expertise, capital raising support and mentorship. Bevis will continue to be based in San Francisco and active at The Hacker Exchange in an Executive Director capacity.

Leading from the front

Looking to the future and with all these opportunities on the table, I am honoured to share that I will be leading The Hacker Exchange vision and operations in the role of CEO. My deepest thanks to my team (Bevis, Chris, Jaclyn Benstead, Dom Alvaro, Matt Kwong and Kate Abbott - you're all rockstars), and to everyone who has been a part of our 'Hexcellent' journey so far!

One of the things we tell our students is that there is no shame in being outrageously ambitious; in thinking globally; in wanting to change the game. Growing up, I believed my education and career pathway were set -- that there was only one linear version of acceptable career success. Today, as I embrace the role of CEO of an international EdTech company with an amazing team, I know that our pathways are fluid and our futures are exciting. I relish the opportunity to create meaningful change and spark inspiration.

The Hacker Exchange is open for business globally, and we're shaking up education and creating leaders who will thrive in the future of work. If you're an inquisitive student, forward-thinking educator, innovative corporate professional, or next generation policy-maker, we think you're part of the change -- so please get in touch!

Jeanette Cheah is the co-founder and CEO of the Hacker Exchange, a company created to advance entrepreneurial education for tertiary students and curious professionals in Australia and beyond. The Hacker Exchange partners with leading universities, businesses and startups to give students the opportunity to immerse themselves in world-class innovation ecosystems like Silicon Valley, Tel Aviv, Singapore and beyond.