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Smart50 Awards 2024

Small Business Ombudsman and awards alumni join 2024 Smart50 judging panel

Leading Smart50 alumni and Australia’s Small Business Ombudsman Bruce Billson will be among those helping judge the 2024 Smart50 Awards.
Eloise Keating
Eloise Keating
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SMART50 awards judges
L-R: Small Business Ombudsman Bruce Billson, Adore Beauty COO Sarah Mullen, and July co-founder and CEO Richard Li will be among the 2024 Smart50 Awards judges. Source: SmartCompany.

Leading Smart50 alumni and Australia’s Small Business Ombudsman Bruce Billson will be among those helping judge the 2024 Smart50 Awards.

Each year, some of the smartest minds in business join the judging panel for the Smart50 category awards and 2024 will be no different.

Entries for the 2024, presented in partnership with Optus, are currently open for entries from independent, Australian businesses.

A former small business minister and current ombudsman, Billson has had a long association with the Smart50 Awards and his office is sponsoring the Rising Star category in 2024.

“The Smart50 Awards celebrate the innovation, growth, community and leadership shown by our small and medium businesses,” said Billson. 

“Small business is a dynamic and fast-growing sector that allows people with an entrepreneurial spirit to pursue their dreams and own livelihoods,” he added. 

“They come with varied ambitions, backgrounds and experiences but what they have in common is the desire to have a go.”

Joining Billson on the judging panel is Richard Li, co-founder and CEO of fast-growing luggage brand July, which took out first place in the 2022 Smart50 Awards and has gone on to open more shopfronts, partner with iconic Australian brands and supply the official luggage to the Australian Olympic team.

Sarah Mullen, the chief operating officer at ASX-listed Adore Beauty, is also returning to the Smart50 judging panel for another year. Adore Beauty previously made the Smart50 list in 2009, 2014 and 2019.

The 2024 Smart50 judging panel also includes:

  • Dr Marian Makkar, a senior lecturer in marketing at RMIT University;
  • Briony Kennedy, founder of Adorn Cosmetics;
  • Kristi Mansfield, founder and CEO of Seer Data & Analytics;
  • Ben Tyers, founder of The Local Rag; and
  • Rachel Fang, global marketing director at Vudoo.

The Smart50 Awards have celebrated Australia’s fastest-growing SMEs for more than 15 years, and SmartCompany’s editor-in-chief Simon Crerar thinks this year is the most exciting yet.

“SmartCompany champions the 99.8%, the huge cohort of Australian businesses with under 200 staff who generate more than 50% of Australia’s GDP, and employ more than 75% of all Aussie workers,” he said. 

“We’re privileged to partner with Optus Business to recognise the businesses that drive our nation’s real economy and workforce. We’re grateful to our stellar judges who use their expertise and smarts to review the hundreds of applications we have already received.”

The Smart50 Awards include the Smart50 Awards List, which ranks the 50 fastest-growing Australian SMEs based on revenue growth, as well as nine special category awards.

These include the Community Hero Award, sponsored by Optus Business, and the Innovator Award, sponsored by Asana. 

A full list of the Smart50 Award categories and judges, as well as eligibility criteria, is available on the Smart50 Awards website.

A discounted early-bird rate for entry of $150 (plus GST) is now available, with entries set to close on September 13.

The Smart50 Awards will be presented at an event in Melbourne in November.

More information about the Smart50 Awards is available here.

Entries for the 2024 Smart50 Awards are now open. Nominate your business here. 

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Smart50 Awards 2024 group shot

Explore the series

Smart50 Awards 2024

Smart50 is SmartCompany’s suite of award programs for Australian small to medium size businesses. The Smart50 Awards 2024 recognised the top 50 fastest growing companies in its Smart50 list, and celebrated exceptional achievements in community, innovation and more in the Smart50 category awards.

  1. 1. Pay.com.au
  2. 2. Green.com.au
  3. 3. Midnight Health
  4. 4. iCatalyst
  5. 5. HumanX HR
  6. 6. Carma
  7. 7. Acquisitive
  8. 8. Hampr
  9. 9. Goterra
  10. 10. Brew Society
  11. 11. THDR Group
  12. 12. Platinum Outsourcing
  13. 13. Paire
  14. 14. Bridgit
  15. 15. Send Payments
  16. 16. Astralas
  17. 17. Arche Energy
  18. 18. InvestorKit
  19. 19. The Laundry Lady
  20. 20. Tank Stream Labs
  21. 21. STRONG Pilates
  22. 22. Jetlag Remedy
  23. 23. InCorp Advisory
  24. 24. LoanOptions.ai
  25. 25. SustainHealth Recruitment
  26. 26. First Nations Foundation
  27. 27. Beforepay Group
  28. 28. FELLR
  29. 29. MoveActive
  30. 30. Scrub Lab
  31. 31. RESINC Solar
  32. 32. Bullfrog
  33. 33. CreditReboot
  34. 34. Goodbyes
  35. 35. Kimberlin Education
  36. 36. Zeep
  37. 37. Association of Professional Builders
  38. 38. Exa Product Development
  39. 39. Ticketebo
  40. 40. Coolzy.com
  41. 41. The Grout Guy
  42. 42. Hutly
  43. 43. Bi3 Technologies
  44. 44. CJC Management
  45. 45. Equality Media + Marketing
  46. 46. Taskforce Australia
  47. 47. Causeis
  48. 48. CareMaster
  49. 49. CaSE Design
  50. 50. Young Folks
  51. Cleaning up: The Laundry Lady turns to marketing success, new tech to drive growth
  52. From Atlassian to Adore Beauty, Showpo, LVLY and more: 10 success stories from Smart50
  53. Here’s what it means to win a Smart50 Award: Untitled Group
  54. How winning the Smart50 Resilience Award “opened doors” for Charlie’s Fine Food Co.
  55. Pop-up success sees Smart50 finalist Paire commit to bricks-and-mortar flagship
  56. Rewarding night for Pay.com.au as financial services star wins the 2024 Smart50 Awards
  57. Sachet away: Smart50 innovator Zero Co moves from reusable plastics in major rethink
  58. Small Business Ombudsman and awards alumni join 2024 Smart50 judging panel
  59. Smart50 win has helped “attract top talent to our business”: hipages Group
  60. The retail champs, sustainability stars and community heroes: The 2024 Smart50 Awards category shortlist announced
  61. The Smart50 2024 Community Hero Award winner: First Nations Foundation
  62. The Smart50 2024 Innovator Award winner: Carma
  63. The Smart50 2024 Marketing Award winner: The Laundry Lady
  64. The Smart50 2024 People Power Award winner: The Laundry Lady
  65. The Smart50 2024 Resilience Award winner: Bridgit
  66. The Smart50 2024 Retail Award winner: Paire
  67. The Smart50 2024 Rising Star Award winner: Paire
  68. The Smart50 2024 Smart & Lasting winner: Tank Stream Labs
  69. The Smart50 2024 Sustainability Award winner: Coolzy.com
  70. What is business innovation? Smart50 winners Mr Yum, Pickstar and Charlie’s Fine Foods weigh in
  71. Why Smart50 winner July will “never grow the business at all costs”
  72. Why your company should enter the Smart50 Awards 2024

About the author

Eloise Keating

Eloise Keating

News Editor

Prior to joining SmartCompany, Eloise was news editor at Books+Publishing, the trade press for the Australian book industry. Eloise has degrees in media and communications, marketing and business management, and political science. You can follow her on Twitter at @ellykeating.

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2024 Smart50 Awards
bruce billson
Richard Li July
Sarah Mullen
smart50

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