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South Australia’s 40 Under 40 build businesses to help state thrive

These 40 Under 40 Award winners have all taken an idea or problem and ran with it, sprinted actually, to develop a unique answer and build a business.

Jul 05, 2021, updated Jul 05, 2021
From left to right: Lyndsey Jackson, Marissa Schulze, Mathew D’Onofrio, Matt Downie. Photo: Morgan Sette.

From left to right: Lyndsey Jackson, Marissa Schulze, Mathew D’Onofrio, Matt Downie. Photo: Morgan Sette.

Lyndsey Jackson
Platfarm / Chief Technology Officer & Co-founder

Lyndsey Jackson is using technology for good.

In 2016, she helped kick off one of the nation’s biggest grassroots social justice campaigns, starting social media campaign Not My Debt, which aimed to raise awareness of Centrelink’s unlawful algorithmic system known as Robodebt.

Three years later, she co-founded Platfarm – an app that seeks to turn any tractor into a smart tractor through data and enable better workforce management and more sustainable crops.

As a woman in technology, Lyndsey says she continually faces gender-related challenges. She has adapted through creativity and flexibility and says her experiences have encouraged her to be vocal about gender disparities.

Marissa Schulze
Rise High Financial Solutions / Managing Director

What began in 2011 as a dream to inspire and empower others to achieve their financial goals led Marissa Schulze to launch her business Rise High Financial Solutions.

The business has grown to more than 25 people and helps thousands of Australians with their financial literacy in areas including property investment and self-employment.

Marissa has also developed Rise High Rookies, a volunteer initiative running financial literacy workshops in schools, and a financial literacy program for women seeking essential money management skills.

Working in conjunction with local women’s community centres, she says the organisation has empowered hundreds of women to regain financial control of their lives. 

Mathew D’Onofrio
Nightlife First Aid / Founder, CEO & Owner

At 17, Mathew D’Onofrio could see too many young lives were being lost or permanently affected by drugs and alcohol, and so he started Nightlife First Aid.

The first aid service is dedicated to creating safe partying environments for young people by having people with first aid knowledge on site in case of a medical emergency.

Mathew says his Adelaide-based organisation has attended more than 60 events, treated almost 2000 party-goers and prevented the deaths of 25 young Australians. 

His work was recognised in Forbes 30 Under 30 2018 Social Entrepreneurs Asia.

Matt Downie
iElectrical & Communications Pty Ltd / Director

iElectrical & Communications is the business that Matt Downie never thought he’d be brave enough to start. 

In 2016, he built up the courage to take the first step towards building his own electrical company, working by himself on the weekends as he sought to develop and grow his customer base.

Slowly but surely, he was able to leave his full-time position as an electrician and buy his first van, an experience he says was “scary, exhilarating, exhausting and rewarding” all at once. In the past five years, iElectrical & Communications has increased to a staff of 22.

Matt says the company’s success comes from his commitment to see through his tagline: #keepthelightson. 

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