# iGen Foundation

> iGen Foundation is an Australian registered charity that develops young and migrant entrepreneurs through workshops, mentoring and pre-accelerators, while building social inclusion through intercultural practice and research.

- **Founded:** 2015
- **Headquarters:** Yarraville, Australia
- **Founders:** Lynda Ford (Founder; current board advisor), Frank Wyatt (Co-founder; director and AIC co-convenor)
- **Products:** IYE Pre-Accelerator, Cultov8, Keeping it in the Family, Getting Down to Business, Big Ideas Days and Business Builder Workshops
- **Notable:** LaunchVic’s 2016/17 annual report records 18 young entrepreneurs matched with mentors through YourMentor., iGen reports 73 completed youth and migrant program cohorts and 6,300 personalised mentoring hours over eight years., The current IYE program history reports 149 participants and 70 businesses launched.

## Products & services

- **IYE Pre-Accelerator** — Six-month development program for entrepreneurs aged 15-30, with Melbourne workshops and individual mentoring; sponsored access for those unable to pay.
- **Cultov8** — Migrant entrepreneurship workshops and pre-accelerators delivered with Enterprising Partnerships; iGen reports more than 300 participants in 2018-2019.
- **Keeping it in the Family** — Business education for migrant families, delivered with Jesuit Social Services and funded by the City of Melbourne.
- **Getting Down to Business** — Custom youth entrepreneurship programs delivered for partner organisations, including under the partner’s own brand.
- **Big Ideas Days and Business Builder Workshops** — Idea assessment and two-day workshops covering customers, value propositions, costs, revenue and marketing.
- **Australian Intercultural Collaboration** — Open network for practitioners, researchers, councils and businesses, with peer exchange and webinar recordings.
- **Melton Community Leaders Collaboration** — Monthly community-led conversations, initially connecting South Sudanese Australian leaders in Melbourne’s west.

## Achievements

- LaunchVic’s 2016/17 annual report records 18 young entrepreneurs matched with mentors through YourMentor.
- iGen reports 73 completed youth and migrant program cohorts and 6,300 personalised mentoring hours over eight years.
- The current IYE program history reports 149 participants and 70 businesses launched.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — iGen says the first Melton Community Leaders Collaboration gathering followed conversations beginning in January 2026.
- **2026-10** — At research time, registration for the 2026 IYE cohort is closed; the website accepts interest in future programs.

## Links

- Website: https://www.igenfoundation.org.au/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/igen-foundation
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AIC-v3h

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/igen-foundation
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-08