The Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast Pty Ltd is a company of the University of the Sunshine Coast.

The mission of the company is to support the start-up and growth of knowledge economy and technology based businesses on the Sunshine Coast and to promote beneficial interaction between these businesses and the University.

Board of Directors

• Prof Paul Thomas AM, Vice-chancellor of the University of the Sunshine Coast (Chairman)
• Dr Karen Woolley, CEO, Proscribe
• Dr Jim Clark, Chairman and CEO, Cloverworxs

Management team

CEO
Colin Graham

Colin is the founding CEO of the Innovation Centre. He is responsible for the Business Accelerator and building connections between businesses at the Innovation Centre and the University as well as supporting the Student Enterprise and Business Incubator Programs.

Colin has a degree in Marketing from the University of Strathclyde and a Masters in Entrepreneurship from Glasgow Caledonian University. He is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

His first job after graduating was with ICI Paints near London, quickly becoming International Product Manager for Dulux – ranked number 57 in the world’s top 500 brands in the recent Superbrand listings.

After three years, he left Dulux to be the co-founder and CEO of Yellowbrick, a niche consulting firm delivering graduate recruitment, training and retention services to corporate clients in the UK and North America.

Colin was a Project Leader with the Career Innovation Company and is the author of 'ePeople - engaging talent in the entrepreneurial age', the Times newspaper review said “All CEOs should read it and heed it.”

Before relocating to Australia in 2002, Colin established an award-winning Business Incubator for the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen and ran the MBA Entrepreneurship class.

Manager, Business Incubator
Nigel Hall

Nigel manages the Innovation Centre’s Business Incubator, attracting and developing growth oriented start-up companies.

Nigel began his career at Ernst & Young in Germany and then joined Biosym Technologies, a Molecular Design software company.

He left Biosym to start Xpedite Systems Germany, a data and telecommunications services company. Following the trade sale of Xpedite in 1997, Nigel started HighwayOne Germany and became CEO of the European network operator and data service provider.  HighwayOne was sold to Telefonica, the Spanish incumbent, in 2001. During this period Nigel worked closely with several Venture Capital companies, advising them on investments in the telecommunications, wireless and IT sectors.

Prior to joining Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast, Nigel was Managing Director of Equator Investments Pty Ltd, a VC advisory and seed capital provider in Cape Town, South Africa. Nigel has been involved in raising over A$160 million in funding for various businesses since 1994.  

Nigel is a Bachelor of Arts graduate of Leeds Metropolitan University, England and Betriebswirt (Business Economics) graduate of Fachhochschule Bremen, Germany and received his MBA in International Business from Clemson University, South Carolina, USA.

Operations Manager
Laura Clair

Laura manages the Innovation Centre facility and office systems, ensuring a smooth path for new businesses entering the building and supporting their needs as they grow. Laura plays a key role in organising the Enterprise Program, including the Enterprisers course run in collaboration with the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning at the University of Cambridge.

Laura is a Science graduate from the University of the Sunshine Coast and has experience in customer service and business administration roles, including 18 months working in London for River Publishing and at the Head Office of Marks & Spencer. 

Front Desk Administrator & Marketing Assistant
Emma Boyle

Emma runs the reception for the Innovation Centre - welcoming visitors, handling requests from client companies and managing systems to help run the whole facility. On the marketing side, Emma manages the Innovation Centre's extensive database of business contacts, assists on public relations and event management, produces the Centre's regular newsletters and manages our website.

Emma is a marketing graduate from the University of the Sunshine Coast and as part of her degree conducted market research projects for a wine region and an art gallery.