The Mill House Ventures Ltd.

29/10/2026

Hey...

So what are you up to in November? We are just adding to our diary.

27/10/2026

At our final Impact After Hours for 2026, Canberra social enterprise founders Maria Jerez and Heidi Prowse OAM shared the honest side of telling your founder story.

From freezing in front of a camera to squeezing your entire business into one introduction, even experienced communicators get stuck.

Our latest Founders Field Notes brings together their practical lessons on what to share, how to connect with different audiences and why your message might need another outing before you retire it.

If you’ve ever walked away from a conversation thinking, “That’s not quite what I meant,” this one’s for you.

25/10/2026

This November, we invite you to celebrate a decade of social enterprise in the ACT and surrounding region. Join alumni, entrepreneurs, supporters and friends for an evening of local enterprise showcases, stories and reconnection.

We are also excited to showcase local social enterprises, starting with some scrumptious food by Cafe Stepping Stone and HerKitchen Table.

But that is only the beginning of our local social enterprise community. Make sure you have your ticket so you don’t miss out!

Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/the-mill-house-ventures-turns-10

22/10/2026

“I didn’t need to do this, and no one was asking for it. I just thought, ‘No, but it needs to exist.’”

For Maria Jerez, the idea behind Accessilife began with the everyday challenge of finding support for her son, Mateo.

Disability providers, products and community activities were scattered across different places. Finding them took time and energy her family already had little to spare.

So she began building the platform she wished existed.

In our latest Founder Spotlight, Maria shares how lived experience shaped Accessilife, what she learnt about explaining its value, and the response at a Canberra disability expo that encouraged her to keep going.

A story for anyone who has spotted a problem and wondered whether they could help solve it.

Read Maria’s full story on the Mill House Ventures website. 💚

21/10/2026

HAAAAVVVEEE you got your tickets yet?

12/10/2026

Every founder has a story. The good, the bad, the long nights and mighty dreams.

This Thursday at Impact After Hours, two Canberra founders who tell stories for a living are turning the lens on themselves.

🎤 Maria Jerez, founder of Accessilife, an online platform bringing disability providers, products and events together in one place, so navigating the disability ecosystem is less overwhelming.

🎤 Heidi Prowse OAM, founder of Purpose Media Canberra, a social enterprise that tells the stories of Canberrans making a difference, while helping for-purpose organisations build their own capability.

They’ll get into the real stuff: which parts of your story do you share, and with whom? What do people actually connect with? And what surprised them most about having to talk about themselves in public? Expect a few confessions about where they still get stuck.

📅 Thursday 15 October, 5–6:30pm
📍 Social Enterprise Hub, University of Canberra, Bruce
🎟️ Free, just register so we can plan numbers: https://events.humanitix.com/impact-after-hours

Building a social enterprise? Sitting on an idea? Or just keen to be in a room full of people creating positive change? Come along. Kids welcome too (chocolate biscuit negotiations are your responsibility 🍪).

Tag someone you will bring along?

06/10/2026

Join us for a special day of storytelling, connection and reflection as we shine a light on the people and enterprises creating social impact across Canberra.

The Mill House Ventures is collecting digital stories from social entrepreneurs to help tell the collective story of social enterprise in our region. These stories will showcase what local social entrepreneurs are doing and the impact they are creating. These will be shared at our upcoming 10-year celebration, as well as through future communications and promotional activities.

The day will begin with a special presentation and Q&A with Sarah Mak, Co-founder of Folktale, a digital storytelling platform designed to help organisations capture and share authentic stories of impact.

Schedule
9:30am - 10:30am: Presentation and Q&A with Sarah Mak
10:30am onwards: Pre-booked storytelling interviews and photos with social entrepreneurs, facilitated by the Mill House team

Whether you've participated in a Mill House program or are simply part of Canberra's social enterprise community, we'd love to hear your story.

Come along to learn about digital storytelling, connect with fellow changemakers, and help us celebrate the impact of social enterprise in Canberra.

Refreshments provided!

Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/social-enterprise-story-sharing-day

22/09/2026

Thinking about applying for the 2026 ACT Social Enterprise Grant Program, but have a few questions first?

Am I eligible? Does my business qualify as a social enterprise? What makes a strong application? And what actually happens after I hit submit?

Bring your questions to one of our upcoming online information sessions.

We’ll walk you through the grant program, eligibility requirements, Expression of Interest process, key dates and assessment process, with plenty of time to ask questions along the way.

Sessions are running online every Monday until 5 October.

Register now ➡️

Join The Mill House Ventures for an online information session about applying for the 2026 ACT Social Enterprise Grant Program

21/09/2026

Finding the right people and the right support when starting or building your social enterprise can be tricky.

That’s why we developed the Find Your People mini guide.

Inside, you’ll find practical tools to help you understand the support you need, identify the people who can help, make meaningful connections and build relationships that last.

Whether you’re starting something new, growing an idea or looking for the right people to help you take the next step, this guide is a good place to start.

Download your free copy and find your people ✨
https://millhouseventures.com.au/find-your-people-a-practical-guide-to-building-the-right-support-around-you/

16/09/2026

You’ve got the idea. Now, how do you turn it into a social enterprise that works?

CATALYSE Workshop 2: Designing your Social Enterprise Model is for people with an emerging idea who are ready to move beyond brainstorming and start shaping a practical model.

Through guided activities, you’ll explore your purpose, who you’re serving, the value you’ll create, and how your enterprise could be delivered and sustained.

You’ll leave with a one-page summary of your social enterprise model, a clearer understanding of what needs testing, and practical next steps to keep developing your idea.

Friday 2 October | 9:30am–3pm
Register now: https://events.humanitix.com/catalyse-workshop-2-designing-your-social-enterprise-model