Skill Builder - Building Resilient & Competitive Impact Businesses in Regional Queensland

Calling all Social Enterprises and Impact Businesses

Across regional Queensland, social enterprises and impact-driven businesses are operating in an increasingly complex environment.

·       Rising operating costs

·       Workforce constraints

·       Tighter grant funding

·       Higher expectations around governance, transparency and measurable impact

At the same time, opportunity is growing.

·       Procurement is placing greater emphasis on ethical practice and social value.

·       Corporate partners are seeking credible, community-aligned suppliers.

·       Philanthropic and Treasury-backed initiatives are sharpening expectations around structure, accountability and outcomes.

This is your opportunity to understand what that means and how to respond strategically.

Join us for an exclusive Lunch & Learn session with Adele Laughton, CEO of the Queensland Social Enterprise Council

Adele is an experienced leader across the social enterprise, not-for-profit and agriculture sectors, with a strong track record in strategy development, revenue diversification, sustainability frameworks and impact measurement. As CEO of the Queensland Social Enterprise Council, she champions social innovation, advocates for policy that strengthens both community and economy, and works to build deeper connections between government and the social enterprise sector. She also serves as a Non-Executive Director of Ability Agriculture and contributes to advisory boards focused on commercialisation, ecosystem design and the future economy.

What you can expect from the session

In this practical and insight-rich Lunch & Learn session, Adele will unpack the current operating environment for social enterprises and impact businesses in regional Queensland and what you should be doing now to strengthen your position.

Fast-track your knowledge from the comfort of your office in this practical learning discussion.

Leave with practical actions you can implement to strengthen credibility and competitiveness.

What We’ll Cover

Over 90 minutes, this focused session will explore:

·       The current operating environment for social enterprises in regional Queensland

·       What’s changing in funding, procurement and policy expectations

·       Business structure considerations and governance trade-offs

·       Strengthening revenue resilience and market credibility

·       Immediate actions you can take to improve competitiveness

·       Live Q&A with Adele Laughton

Who should attend?

This session is designed specifically for:

·       Social enterprises

·       Impact founders

·       Small business owners embedding social value

·       Community-led organisations

·       Anyone interested in better understanding this critical and growing sector

If you’re building a purpose-led organisation in regional Queensland, this session will give you practical insights, sharper positioning and clearer direction.

·       Date: 10 March 2026

·       Time: 11.30 - 1pm

·       Where: Online only

·       Cost: Free

This event is brought to you by Smart Precinct NQ and the Queensland Social Enterprise Council