Atena Pegler’s Journey: From GovHack Participant in 2016 & 2017 to Volunteer in 2023

Part 1: My Journey Begins

As someone who had been deeply entrenched in the Australian startup community for many years, I had witnessed a plethora of stories unfold. I was a digital advisor, providing mentorship on digital marketing to startups in Fishburners, a thriving entrepreneurial hub. Through my lens, I saw dreams materialise into reality, brilliant ideas fizzle out, and the perpetual oscillation between success and failure.

Through my experiences, one statistic remained consistent: an estimated 90% of startups fail. But why? Some might argue that it’s the inherent risk of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. I, however, saw it differently. I saw a gap in market knowledge, a lack of understanding of target demographics, and often a disconnect between what startups were offering and what their audiences actually needed.

Part 2: My First Encounter with GovHack

During my time at university, while pursuing my Master’s in IT at UTS, I often found myself grappling with the uncertainty of which field within IT to specialise in. The decision seemed daunting, with considerations about future salary prospects, demand in the market, and personal interest playing on my mind.

Then GovHack happened. In 2016, I decided to participate in the GovHack Hackathon, a 48-hour marathon designed to address real-life challenges using open government data. As a participant, my goal wasn’t to code, but rather, to provide an innovative solution to a pertinent challenge using my industry knowledge and insights.

I was part of a team that developed “Edugate,” an intelligent software solution aimed at identifying the vector of skill-gaps in the market, vis-à-vis the emerging student workforce. The idea was to help students make informed decisions about their courses, TAFE classes in their final years of high school, and degree applications, thereby increasing their chances of employability.

We identified this as a critical problem that data could help solve. The rate of unemployment among students completing secondary and tertiary education could be improved through predictive analytics and data matching. By smartly aligning qualifications with the ever-evolving employment opportunities, we could help bridge the gap and minimise chances of unemployment.

Much to our delight, Edugate won a state award for this project! The journey from ideation to creating a viable solution was both challenging and exhilarating, laying the groundwork for many more successes to follow.

Link to Edugate Project: https://edugate365.wordpress.com

Part 3: The Birth of an Idea

Fast forward to 2017, when I stumbled upon a GovHack challenge that resonated deeply with me. The challenge was centred around the small business and startup industry. The moment I saw it, I knew this was the project I wanted to dedicate myself to. But I needed the right team.

During the opening ceremony, I managed to connect with some talented data analysts who shared my vision. Together, we created “Search(t+1)” – an innovative data application designed to enable businesses to make accurate predictions about their target markets and gauge their chances of success.

Part 4: About Search(t+1)

So, what does Search(t+1) do? It leverages comprehensive ABS data on suburb demographics and historical data of New Enterprise Incentive Scheme businesses to predict the best Australian startups type and their potential success.

Our user-friendly dashboard displays market growth predictions, recent demographic insights, and a “Startup Success” feature which forecasts the chances of a particular business plan succeeding. These accurate predictions help startups and investors alike to reduce risk.

Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX40V-bFJY8

Github Link to this project: https://github.com/pthiem/gh-17

Part 5: Triumph and Beyond

Much to our delight, Search(t+1) ended up winning a national award for this project! The red carpet award ceremony in Brisbane was a surreal experience and the moment when I held the award in my hands is etched in my memory.

But the GovHack experience did much more than just give me a trophy; it gave me the confidence and courage to execute an idea from start to finish. A year later, I launched my own consulting business Digital Help Desk which I recently branded to Atena Pegler Coaching, coaching startups to execute their ideas and leverage marketing for success.

Part 6: The Takeaway

GovHack wasn’t just a competition. It was a learning experience, an opportunity to make an impact, and most importantly, a catalyst for personal growth. And the most beautiful part? You don’t need to be a technical whiz to participate. All you need is an idea about a particular industry and the will to see it through.

So, if you’re hesitating about participating in GovHack or any hackathon for that matter, take it from someone who’s been there and come out the other side – it can change your life in ways you can’t even begin to imagine. As I always say, the first step to success is showing up. See you at the next GovHack!

Part 7: Giving Back to the Community

In a beautiful twist of fate, my journey with GovHack didn’t stop after winning the national award. In fact, it took a new turn. Today, I find myself not just as a former participant but also as a volunteer for GovHack, serving as the NSW Regional Lead and Deputy Operation Lead.

Despite my bustling schedule, I dedicate a significant amount of time each week to ensure the smooth execution of GovHack. Why, you ask? Because I believe that by facilitating this platform, I can impact many more lives, helping them discover opportunities just like I did.

In this role, I get to channel my energy towards enabling countless individuals to leverage this unique platform, bringing their innovative ideas to life. I see my younger self in many of these participants and it gives me immense joy to guide them through their journey.

My experience has taught me that the more we give to the community, the more we receive in return. It’s not about the tangible rewards, but the innumerable life lessons, the shared knowledge, and the beautiful connections we form along the way.

My journey has come full circle – from a participant to a successful business owner, from receiving guidance to providing it. It’s a testament to GovHack’s impact – creating leaders and givers out of dreamers and doers. Here’s to many more years of giving, learning, and succeeding together.

– Interview with Maz Heidari regarding his experience participating in GovHack 2019.

Here is the Link to the Maz Project:
https://2019.hackerspace.govhack.org/projects/small_business_solutions

What initially motivated you to participate in GovHack and how did you first hear about it?

Pizza! I was on the UTS campus one day I think it was in 2017, a saw a bunch of pizza boxes, as a student, wherever there is pizza, you are automatically drawn to it, at least that was the case for me. When I asked about what GovHack is, one of the GovHack team members told me that it’s a 3-day hackathon and you can win prizes by attempting challenges that are addressed using data. I thought to myself, there is probably more free food, I get to mingle with other individuals there and experience a hackathon and maybe win some money as well.

Could you share a little bit about your experience during GovHack? What were some of the highlights and challenges you encountered?

Well, I consider myself a wannabe entrepreneur and I am always trying to find solutions for problems I see in the world around me. But, sometimes, people like me, come up with a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist and that could be very demoralizing. So naturally, I started looking for problems that already exist that people and organisations are looking to solve. I then started reading the news and talking to business people to identify problems so I could attempt to fix them. I found a handful of issues I thought could be fixed. One of those was for a large state organisation. I put a lot of thought into it, sought advice from my professors on how to address them and I came up with a pitch. I was naïve enough that I thought people from that organisation are going to call me and bring me to fix the problem I found. I was never contacted. I thought to myself, maybe my solution wasn’t correct, maybe my pitch was unprofessional.
 
Having gone through these experiences, I saw the benefit of GovHack. As someone who wants to be an entrepreneur or someone that wants to have a meaningful impact on society, I found GovHack very insightful. Those problems or challenges I was trying to find, are already defined by organisations, and the resources to attempt those challenges are made available, I was able to showcase my solution to the organisation as the projects are presented to them after the competition and there are likeminded individuals to share this path with to work towards a common goal. And, that is the highlight I encountered, I befriended people I would have most likely never met outside this event and now I have multiple entities with those individuals and we have co-founded businesses together.

How did the supportive environment and networking opportunities at GovHack contribute to your overall experience and project development?

The mentors and volunteers I had the privilege to get to know, have made a big impact on how I have been able to direct my vision to come up with a solution that I get to work. An example would be a gentleman from ATO, telling us and some of the other participants the wealth of knowledge and data that is accessible to everyone prepared by ATO to refine our project. The data is out there, but knowing the story behind it and where and how to find it is something I was able to learn in GovHack.

Could you tell us about the project you worked on during GovHack? What was its main focus or objective?

The project that our team worked on was about using data to identify the ideal location to start a business. Our solution used government data to provide insights for users to make impactful decisions before starting a business. It also attempted to help existing business owners to assess and evaluate their business location and to align their strategy with the trends of their surroundings including demographics, transport access and etc.

How did you come up with the idea for your project? Was it something you had been working on prior to the event, or did it develop during the hackathon?

In my professional career, I knew the business location was important. However, formulating this importance never crossed my mind, because I didn’t know where to begin and what resources I needed or are available to me and if they are, it’s probably expensive. The idea for our project came from GovHack. It was right there, it was one of the challenges. It was the proof I needed that the need for this solution exists.

What were some of the key features or innovations incorporated into your project? How did they contribute to addressing the problem or challenge you were trying to solve?

One of the features we were able to incorporate into our project was using geo-mapping and visualisation of open data such as data by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This helped provide a more holistic approach to the challenge defined by the Victorian state government, by combining siloed data on federal government-level data with state data.

How did you leverage open data and technology resources available at GovHack to enhance your project? Did they play a significant role in its success?

Our project would not have been possible without state and federal government data, and the custodians of those assets with GovHack. Those datasets that were used in this project, are now made available and it has been a golden resource that has fueled our success to this day.

Looking back, what would you say was the most rewarding aspect of participating in GovHack?

Connections and friendships formed by embracing open data initiatives have been the most rewarding of participating in GovHack and I plan to be part of the initiative of removing data silos and for the general public to know how to utilise such a wealth of resources that could one way or another better our lives.

In what ways did participating in GovHack benefit you personally and professionally?

Participating in GovHack has made me and our organisation to be more data-driven and make more informed decisions while having a transparent approach to our decision-making.

How has participating in GovHack influenced your career or educational path? Have you seen any tangible outcomes or opportunities as a result?

Our company, BizVision has been the result of our project. We are able to stand out from the crowd in our industry by utilising a resource available to everyone, however, simply having access or knowing this resource exists is not the entire story. For us, it has been knowing what the data represents and how it all fits together.

Can you share any specific ways in which the skills and experiences gained from GovHack have positively impacted your professional journey since the event?

Theoretically, I was adequately equipped to reason and plan for the project we had developed, due to my academic background. It was having a limited timeframe of two and a half days and the collaborative nature of the competition with other individuals with complementary skillsets to come up with the solution to implement the project that was key.

What would you say to someone who is hesitant about registering for GovHack? Why should they take the leap and be part of this event?

 There is food for one, and you have the chance to meet people from all walks of life that you would probably not cross paths with in your regular daily routine. You will also get to action and beat procrastination and possibly come up with an idea that will lead to employment opportunities for yourself and other people as well.