READ MORE: Entrepreneurs win eNVIe awards.
IT HAS been a whirlwind 12 months for Mount Gambier designer Ashlee Kalantarian, who was crowned the gold eNVIe winner on Tuesday night at the inaugural Limestone Coast eNVIe awards.
In September, she landed a coveted invite to New York Fashion Week where she debuted her couture headpieces and soon after pop sensation Ke$ha wore an Ashlee Lauren Designs bespoke crown at the Grammy Awards after party.
As her brand evolved rapidly and her designs were in high demand, Ms Kalantarian found she had less time to invest in scaling up her business.
Enter the Flinders University New Venture Institute (NVI) Venture Dorm program – a seven-week entrepreneur development course offering practical learning with personalised mentors.
Ms Kalantarian was among eight Venture Dorm participants who graduated from the program at the eNVIe awards ceremony on Tuesday night.
As the gold eNVIe winner Ms Kalantarian received $6500 and will visit innovation ecosystems including Silicon Valley, Austin and New York as part of a US tour in March next year.
“Scaling up the business is a big investment of time and money, so it was vital to be led in the right direction,” she said.
“Venture Dorm not only gave me the confidence to take the steps to start scaling, but also really defined my business model and how to project revenue.
“I now have so many plans not only for the domestic market, but also for international expansion and with all the amazing support I will receive after winning the gold eNVIe I will be able to achieve these goals quickly and effectively.”
Ms Kalantarian said the Ashlee Lauren brand had expanded its reach since her participation in the Venture Dorm program.
“Before Venture Dorm we had two confirmed retailers – I’m happy to announce we will now be stocking in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin and Perth,” she said.
“I have also been in discussion with a department store in the west end of London – we aim to be exporting internationally by the end of 2019.”
Ms Kalantarian said she was inspired by her fellow Venture Dorm participants and credited the program with refining her business.
“It is incredible how far you can come when you invest six hours a week into thinking about your business,” she said.
“The advice and access to mentors was just amazing and everyone else who was part of the program feels like my family now.
“I was not sure how I was going to fit this in between running my business and caring for my two young children, but the experience has been invaluable.
“I’m excited to see what the next chapter holds for Ashlee Lauren.”
