10x10 BNE | Project Committee Member Presents At TEDxBrisbane

Just two days after co-leading and MC’ing the 10×10 Brisbane committee alongside Delfina Moresco to smash global crowd-funding records, Yasmin Grigaliunas was up on the Tedx Brisbane stage. 

Yas is founder of Circonomy (formerly World’s Biggest Garage Sale), a profit-for-purpose that champions the circular economy by bringing together leading retailers, resource recovery partners, resale channels and everyday Australians, to give new life to still useful things. But her journey to majority shareholder and Chief Evangelist of Circonomy wasn’t easy – it was characterised by disheartening statistics about investment in female-led businesses, and problems which are harder to quantify; the diminishing of worth experienced by most female founders. 

Having nurtured Circonomy for 5 years, Yas was confronted with the decision to close its doors during the pandemic, or go all in. She rallied to raise $4 million in capital in 4 weeks, despite not having equitable access to funding support as a woman. “The statistics were not going to determine whether I succeeded in executing my vision. If anything, I used it as motivation to move the dial and be an example that went against the trend.” 

We admire Yas and thank her for her contribution to 10×10 this year. To read the full transcript, click here.