Startup to Scaling Up with Women in EO: Stories of Grit and Growth

Women in entrepreneurship are reshaping the business landscape through building, scaling and leading with resilience and purpose. EO Melbourne’s Startup to Scaling Up event placed that journey centre stage as it gathers a dynamic audience of founders, business owners, and aspiring EO members to hear directly from female leaders who’ve done just that.

The discussion pulled back the curtain on what it really takes to grow a business: the hard decisions, the high stakes, and the deeply personal wins. Fresh from the Fireside Chat with The Hon. Julia Gillard AC, the audience was treated to even more insights, this time from female EO members who are leading from the frontlines of business.

Leading the conversation was Tracy Angwin, Marketing and Partnership Director of the EO APAC Regional Council and Founder of Australian Payroll Association. Known for her straight-talking style and strategic mindset, Tracy guided the panel through the question at the heart of the event: What does it really take to grow a business and lead with impact? The answers came from four powerhouse women in EO—Dawn Piebenga (EO Sydney), Melissa Strutt (EO Perth), Leah Akoka (EO Melbourne), and Donna Guest (EO Melbourne)—each with a distinct perspective and a refreshingly honest take on the entrepreneurial journey.

The panel didn’t sugarcoat the experience. Dawn shared how she built and led a national team in the complex world of medico-legal assessments, driven by empathy and precision. Melissa opened up about building and exiting one of Perth’s largest independent agencies, while balancing family and a fierce competitive spirit. Leah lit up the room with her insights on redefining productivity through people, and Donna spoke of building a brand that blends business with beauty, creativity with commerce. The stories resonated because they were real, marked by resilience, evolution, and clarity of purpose.

Throughout the session, what stood out was not just the success, but the solidarity. These women didn’t just build businesses, they built capacity—for themselves and others. They spoke of the pivotal moments where EO helped them level up: the conversations that challenged them, the connections that pushed them forward, and the community that never let them feel alone in the climb.

That spirit of growth was echoed by James Murray, EO Melbourne’s Membership Chair, who took the stage to introduce EO’s unique ecosystem. He walked the audience through the Four Truths of EO and its Four Pillars: Forum, Events, Network, and Leadership. Together, these pillars support a holistic kind of development, one that fuels not only business success but also personal transformation. 

For those in the room, especially the women looking for more than just a business network, Startup to Scaling Up offered a glimpse of what EO truly stands for. It’s a global community that values authenticity, growth, and impact. Whether you're just starting or scaling to the next level, EO is a place where entrepreneurs grow together. Ready to find your tribe? EO is where it begins.

Women of EO ANZ connect with self, others and nature at the inaugural retreat

It’s a retreat like no other as 28 formidable, entrepreneurial South Pacific women from seven EO chapters in Australia and New Zealand, including one from the USA, gathered for four days in the inaugural retreat of the Women of EO ANZ.

Participants from various EO chapters, including those from EO Melbourne, travelled to the unique and beautiful Kuku Yalanji Country, which is the land of the Kubirriwarra people, as they held the Women of EO ANZ 2022 Retreat on 25-28 August at Silky Oaks Lodge at The Daintree, Queensland. With the theme of “Connect with Self, Others and Nature,” the retreat was for the Women of EO ANZ to take stock, re-invigorate and connect with themselves, each other and the natural environment. 

Staying true to its theme, the retreat was structured in a way that provided the participants with the time for reflection, connection, learning, feeding the soul and a sense of fun. The idea of a retreat stemmed from the Women of EO ANZ’s September meeting, where members expressed being overwhelmed with exhaustion and mental and emotional fatigue. They embraced the suggestion for a retreat as it aligned with the group’s goals of creating greater connections and encouraging retention of women members across Australia and New Zealand.

The retreat was facilitated by Kylee Stone of The Performance Co., who is a very successful and respected facilitator and personal development coach. The program consisted of a formal learning day, yarning circles to articulate and process learning, meditations and reflections to embed learning, and informal yarning circles to further explore topics of interest. Participants also enjoyed various activities, such as river drifting, lunch in the rainforest, indigenous art lesson, life story through song, and a silent disco.

“(It’s) such a pleasure to meet in such an incredible location amongst these beautiful women. We are truly privileged to have access to these life-changing experiences,” shared EO Melbourne Member and Mentorship Chair & Key Executive Chair Jeni Clift.

Other participants were also very satisfied with the whole experience. Here are some of their feedback:

“This was my first women’s event and I really get the value that this community has.”

“I’m going to tell every woman in my Chapter that she should join WoEO!”

“What a blessing to meet women from around Oz and NZ! – Loved our friends from across the ditch!!”

EO promotes diversity in its membership and encourages various interests among its members. In fact, EO has a program called MyEO that enables EO members to curate a tailor-made curriculum of groups and events. With MyEO, members get the exact experience they want and value and desire.

MyEO Women is a MyEO Premier Group dedicated to supporting the retention and recruitment of women to the Entrepreneurs’ Organization through building a collaborative, diverse and supportive member community that offers rich networking and learning opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

(Photos from Women of EO ANZ.)