Sydneysider to promote Aussie start-ups at G20 Young Entrepreneur Summit

Sydney-based entrepreneur Jeremy Liddle will lead the Australian delegation at the G20 Young Entrepreneur Summit in Mexico next month, with plans to push the plight of local start-ups.

Liddle, 30, launched his first business when he was 24, and is just about to release his first book, which is designed to help budding entrepreneurs turn their ideas into businesses.

He is also involved as founder, director and consultant in a range of new start-ups.

Liddle has been selected to lead the Australian delegation at the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Summit in Mexico, which will take place from June 2-5.

According to Liddle, the way in which he was selected was “a little bit random”.

“I looked it up and saw that the Australian delegation only had members from ENYA (the Enterprise Network for Young Australians), which is a not-for-profit organisation here,” he says.

“Each country is asked to have a partner organisation. ENYA’s the [Australian] organization they partnered up with two years ago.”

“Each partner organisation is supposed to form a delegation of 13 young entrepreneurs, a head delegate and a government representative.”

“I contacted Vivian Prokop – she founded the G20 Young Entrepreneur Alliance and the Young Entrepreneur Summit.”

After expressing his concern to Prokop, Liddle was selected to head the Australian delegation at this year’s summit, and was also charged with the task of forming the delegation.

“I’ve had a lot of interest, with three or four delegates [almost confirmed], and another six or seven keen to go,” Liddle says.

“No one’s 100% yet. I’m hoping to get Jodie Fox from Shoes of Prey, and I’m talking to [members of the team] from Spreets.”

However, Liddle is unimpressed with the lack of support from the Federal Government.

“It is embarrassing that the Australian government can spend $40 million sending politicians to the G20 summit in 2011, but Australia’s entrepreneurs are yet to be fully represented at such an important event on the global stage,” Liddle says.

According to Liddle, the goal of the conference is to “come to some conclusions” about young entrepreneurs, namely their impact on the global economy.

The findings will be discussed two weeks later at the G20 Summit, attended by world leaders. Liddle says there are several issues he plans to raise at the G20 Young Entrepreneur Summit.

“For me personally, I am interested in sustainability and environmental issues. That has always been a focus for me,” he says.

“[But] the most important thing is saying, ‘Hey, we actually exist and we’ve got some of the best entrepreneurs in the world’.”

“[After the summit], I’ll be meeting with Vivian to talk about the best structure for ENYA, the non-profit partner in Australia.”

“There are a lot of incubators and organisations in Australia that help entrepreneurs, but tech start-ups take pretty much all the focus when it comes to funding.”

“ENYA is on the right track as it is broad enough in its scope to help all entrepreneurs, not just that industry.”