Business networking breakfast with Lisa Gorman

Published on 02 May 2024

South-West fashion icon Lisa Gorman will share her entrepreneurial expertise over breakfast in Camperdown next month.

Corangamite Shire Council’s Growth and Prosperity team will present the event at Excuse Me Katie’s on Thursday 30 May.

Lisa said: “I’m looking forward to sharing my experience of growing up in rural Victoria, conquering the very thing I speculated could never have happened.”

She founded the Gorman brand in 1999, as a one-woman operation from her share house with her sewing machine. Holding down two additional jobs across the five years to follow wasn’t just about funding the start-up. It was also a time to explore different career options and test her craft as a business concept.

In recent years, Lisa undertook two of her most comprehensive collaborative projects with artists from marginalised backgrounds.

One is the Mangkaja project with Indigenous Artists from Fitzroy Crossing, and the other is with Arts Project Australia in a collaboration with neuro-diverse artists.

These projects opened up ideas and activities around working together as a community, from individuals to businesses, to celebrate diversity and learn in some very interesting and unique ways that have a ripple effect well beyond the collection itself.

After 23 years at the helm of the Gorman Brand, Lisa has moved on to pursue her other passions, including sculpture, a research project and yoga teaching.

Mayor Kate Makin said Lisa will speak about growing up in rural Victoria and inspiring others from home.

“We will hear about her amazing 20-year business journey from a one-woman operation in 1999 to having 40 stores across Australia,” Cr Makin said. “Lisa strongly believes that great things come to your business when you diversify, trust and learn through collaboration and that organisations should never underestimate the power and reach of a good collaboration.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for business operators to learn practical steps and strategies to grow their business by diversifying and reaching wider audiences.”

The event will be open for all Corangamite businesses and residents to attend.

Light breakfast items will be provided in a grazing style, along with coffee, tea and juice.

Tickets are $20 from Humanitix here.

Where: Excuse Me Katie’s, 243 Manifold Street Camperdown

When: 7.30—9 am, Thursday 30 May.