Page 31 - Tropic Magazine Issue 11

Hit FM host and co-founder
of Guilt Free Comedy Is Cairns a good place for young entrepreneurs to
Shad Age start new ventures?
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We were lucky in many ways because comedy fits
Wicka straight into the huge hospitality and tourism industry
here. I feel that you do need to really back yourself in
Cairns and if you can show that to some of the decision
makers here (in our case it was venue owners) than
they will give you a go. I know that there are so many
Talent / Playing for laughs people younger than me that have ripped in with apps,
Passion / Creating a comedy scene in TNQ businesses and charities so there must be something
in the water here!
Challenges of starting up a comedy scene in Cairns? Do we need to see more under-40s in leadership roles
When I first came to Cairns there was no comedy in politics and business?
scene at all. The few people keen to do comedy would Definitely! I'm a huge fan of getting more youth in
perform either in intervals at the Cairns Dinner politics. The ideas that are getting thrown around by
Theatre shows or at open mic nights between the guys high schoolers right now are better than half the
playing Wonderwall covers. We were taken in by Cath dribble in Canberra! We should be making the pathway
at Eato's and Guilt Free Comedy was born. So, we then to politics clear for the big thinkers of this generation
kicked off on building an awesome group of comedians and the next. You always hear pollies say they want to
and making comedy a viable option for a night out. make things better for the next generation and their
Over a year and a half in and now there is a thriving children’s children, blah blah. Well, maybe it's time for
scene with some of our comedy mates even starting the youth to get their hands on the wheel and steer the
their own nights! It's awesome! ship a little.

Natural Evolution Food Age
Krista & 32 &

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Rob Watkins

What inspires you?
We have a real passion for solving problems and
the work that we do not only solves problems
such as food waste it also makes people's lives
better by providing alternative nutrition and of
course functional food and cosmetic extracts for
better health and wellbeing. We work every day in
nature and you can’t go wrong with that!
Is there a supportive culture of young people in
TNQ?
It’s really impressive to see it growing. When we
first started we may have had only a few people
brave enough to support a “banana's idea”. But
that also pushed us as a very determined team.
Now we see start-ups gaining massive support
from the “get go” and that is fabulous as it should
help their journey grow much faster.
What are some of the unique attributes and
advantages you bring to the work you do?
I think we are yet to have a “normal” day in the
office yet, there’s always a science experiment
going on in the office, test kitchen or factory! We
enjoy creating products that enrich people’s lives
naturally. We get the opportunity to provide
opportunities to sectors across manufacturing,
health, agriculture, design, and R&D.
What do people under-40 have to contribute to
the future of Cairns?
Where do we stop? *laughs* You know it really is
up to this generation now to forge a positive
change in the TNQ economy that has long term
sustainability and scalability. We have visitors
every week from all over the globe looking at
transferring and spreading the knowledge we
have created. What better place to host business
than in beautiful TNQ!