Futures Isle

16/08/2026

The 2026 Startup Muster is now open, and there’s a pretty simple reason we’re encouraging fellow startups to take part: If we’re not in the data, we’re much harder to see.

Startup Muster is Australia’s largest survey of the startup ecosystem, building the evidence that governments, universities, industry and ecosystem organisations use to understand where startups are, who is supporting them, what they need, and where investment and support should go next.

For those of us working in regional Australia, we know that visibility matters. Good decisions need good data.

If you’re running a startup in Australia, or supporting startups in Australia, we’d love you to make sure you are counted.

The 2026 Startup Muster closes 24 August 2026.

Complete the survey here: https://startupmuster.com/

(Fair warning: this is not a two-minute survey. Grab a beverage and some snacks. But you can save your progress and come back to it, and you’ll get some useful comparison data along the way.)

25/03/2026

This is your chance, Launnie! What a time, we can’t wait to gather tonight ❤

Hey Launceston, come celebrate what our community has built together!

Since 2020, the Great Regional City Challenge (GRCC) has helped fund over 40 community-led projects, raising more than $650,000 to support ideas that make our city even better.

Join us for the launch of the Fifth Round of GRCC Projects, where we will showcase the people, ideas and initiatives helping shape Launceston into one of the great regional cities of the world.

The evening will feature:
• A photographic exhibition highlighting 25 projects that have made a real difference
• Short updates from project leaders sharing what they have achieved
• The launch of our new 2026 direction, to make Launceston the most connected city in Australia, tackling loneliness and social isolation through stronger community connections

📍 Experientia Populi Gallery Theatre, 15 Quadrant Mall
📅 Wednesday 25 March
⏰ 5:30 – 7:00 pm

This is a chance to celebrate local changemakers and see what is possible when a community backs great ideas.

Register for your FREE ticket:
https://events.humanitix.com/grcc-launch

23/12/2025

As we wrap up 2025, we’re reflecting on a year that was full, busy, meaningful, and hard.

Through it all, we’re really proud of how we’ve deliberately chosen joy every step of the way. Joy keeps us connected, energised, and able to do good work together, even when things are complex. This is why fun is and always will be a core value at Futures Isle. (and also because we both just love to laugh and dance).

This year, joy showed up in big conversations, unexpected dance breaks, shared wins, and moments that reminded us why we do what we do. We truly have the best jobs and get to work with people that we adore.

Here’s to the joy of 2025.

And here’s to even more joy, curiosity, and good work together in 2026. Hopefully we’ll see you there!

Lots of love - Taz and Em x

14/09/2025

We love small business. We love Tasmanian ingenuity and resilience. We love opportunities for Tasmanian voices to be heard.

That’s why Startup Muster is so important. Startup Muster is the longest running Startup survey in Australia. Why is this so important? The better the data, the better the decisions can be made. Meaning more relevant support based upon what people actually need (hooray!).

Sounds good? Pour yourself a delicious beverage, sit down for 20 minutes and let your voice be heard here: https://startupmuster.com/

P.S Once you’ve completed it, help us spread the word and share it with 2 people who should complete the survey. You won’t win a prize, but you’ll be a bloody legend 😉

01/07/2025

Today is a sad day at Futures Isle. It is the first working day that we have started our work day without a phone call from James Mccormack to discuss all things employment, NNW Tasmania and what we can do to help. James has now retired and with it comes the end of an era.

We have posted about this on LinkedIn (follow us if you haven’t seen some some of the beautiful comments m😜), but didnt want anyone to miss out!

James has led the Local Jobs Program in our region with integrity, warmth, and razor-sharp strategy. He has brought stakeholders together across industries, towns, and challenges, always focused on what matters most: creating real, meaningful opportunities for people.

Working with James over the past five years has taught us so much. To fully summarise the way he has shaped our work would be impossible, but we want to share three lessons that will remain with us. Think of these as just a small part of James’ ongoing legacy:

1. James taught us to find a way to get it done. Paperwork or process should never hinder your ability to have an impact. James quietly modelled a relentless commitment to the “we can make it work” mindset, which helped get countless projects off the ground for jobseekers in our region.

2. James taught us to give the crazy idea a shot. Despite decades of experience, he never let himself become cynical or jaded. He embraced new ideas with curiosity and optimism, seeing potential where others might have seen a dead end.

3. James taught us that real leaders give others the credit. As young business owners forging a path in northern Tassie, James constantly made space for us to shine. He trusted us, cheered us on, and brought us into the Local Jobs team as partners, setting a best practice example for other Employment Regions to follow.

It has been a true honour to work with James. His title may have been Employment Facilitator, but we all saw him as a master of momentum, a champion of community, and one of the most quietly impactful people we've ever had the privilege of working alongside.

Something that has been so evident to us is his care for this region. Whenever we meet someone new in the sector, their first words are often about James being one of the first people to welcome them to the area and immediately open up so many connections for them. The region will not be the same without his care.

So, in the words of our good friends Captain and Tennille (one of many important music lessons from James): we never really say goodbye.

We wish all the best for you and Louise in this next season. Thank you both for your care, resilience, support and ongoing friendship, we have loved working with you both ❤️

13/11/2024

Hey, Future Seekers! Unfortunately, due to pesky illness, we need to hit pause on tomorrow’s Launceston Futures Club: Drop In Edition.

The good news? You can still catch us 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗬 for a jam-packed Australian Entrepreneurship Alliance PD session with us (because you can’t catch an illness over Zoom, am I right?)!

💥 Join us as we dive into 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 —It’s the ultimate power hour for boosting your big ideas and nailing down a winning action plan. 🏆

👉 RSVP now at https://events.humanitix.com/pd-session-with-taz-and-emily-planning-and-executing-your-strategy and let’s make magic happen together!

AEA PD Session - Mastering the Art of Planning and Executing your Strategy

13/10/2024

🥸 Fun fact: Taz and Em met way back in 2012, working together for a youth organisation focussed on training young people in meaningful political advocacy. It formed the basis of our friendship, and we haven't looked back. 🥰

So, our question is this... want to be best friends? 🫶

We're so excited to be working with the Australian Entrepreneurship Alliance and the incredible Anne Pleash to provide the upcoming PD session on Advocacy and Government Relationships 101 (the place where real friendships are formed, right?).

The official blurb reads: "Are you looking to enhance your skills in advocacy and government relations? We invite AEA Members and Potential members to join us for a comprehensive session led by Anne Pleash from Mission Consulting Solutions, a seasoned expert in navigating the complexities of government relations. In this session, Anne will break down the fundamentals of effective advocacy, offering practical tips and strategies to help you build stronger relationships with government stakeholders. Whether you're new to advocacy or looking to refine your approach, this session will provide you with the knowledge and tools to influence policy and drive change within your sector."

The unofficial (Futures Isle) blurb is: come along, be inspired, and maybe find your new best friend in the process...!

👉 Either way, it's a FREE online event. You can register here: https://events.humanitix.com/pd-session-with-anne-pleash-advocacy-and-government-relations-101

See you soon, besties x (Too much? Did we push the best friend thing, too far?)

AEA PD Session with Anne Pleash

27/09/2024

So, we just survived… I mean 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 a week in the Latrobe Valley for ABC Takeover! ✨

We got to work with 𝟯𝟰 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 who had the guts to stand up and share their stories (while we tried our best to remember all the latest TikTok trends so we looked calm, cool... demure and cutesy). These guys teamed up with 𝟲 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 to figure out how to make the region better— just casually co-designing solutions to real problems! Meanwhile, our task was to provide high-energy dance breaks and space-themed challenges... because why not shoot for the stars? 🚀🌌

We might have gotten a little too hyped as MCs during the PACKED Cinema Screening—meaning over 500 people witnessed our first-ever attempt at cosplay... We then MC'd the Youth Ideas Launch, which was challenging because we were left speechless by how these incredible young guns stepped up to share their ideas for the region 😮

𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: It was pure chaos, but the good kind. We’re still trying to process how awesome these young legends are and what’s next for them. Our brains are fried, but our hearts? Completely full. ❤️❤️❤️

Big thanks to everyone who helped pull off this madness. You all deserve a medal 🏅(...or, at the very least, a nap!)

👉 And if reading about this has left you feeling all inspired, check out the incredible stories of the young people here: https://www.abc.net.au/takeover/programs/takeover-latrobe-valley