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Thinking Bigger at EO Ignite
By Kevin Porter | EO Queensland
Port Stephens • 16–19 October 2026
I booked EO Ignite because I wanted to spend time with people outside my usual circles. I came home with a bigger view of what was possible.
I love being part of EO Queensland. But I was curious about the community beyond our chapter. Four days at The Anchorage in Port Stephens, from 16–19 October, gave me the opportunity to experience it.
Different cities, familiar people
There were entrepreneurs from technology, professional services, manufacturing and plenty of industries in between. Different businesses, different cities, but a familiar curiosity and drive.
It was slightly surreal to meet people I’d never spoken to and feel that same connection I enjoy in Queensland.
One of my biggest takeaways was simply to think bigger. Hearing what other members were building, exploring and working towards expanded my own sense of possibility. These were people putting ideas into practice every day, and spending time around them was energising.
I went looking for new connections. What I also found was a reminder of why I’m drawn to entrepreneurship in the first place.
Different cities, shared ambition and entrepreneurial spirit.
Getting beyond business
The conversations weren’t limited to running a business. We talked about property, travel, family, emotional intelligence and what was happening in our lives.
That’s something I value about EO. Our shared Forum background meant there was already an understanding of confidentiality, listening and speaking honestly. We could move beyond introductions and get into the things that actually mattered.
For me, thinking bigger wasn’t just about business ambition. It was also about the experiences I wanted to have, the relationships I wanted to build and the person I wanted to become.
Time outside the conference room: quad biking in Port Stephens.
Ideas that stayed with me
The speakers brought plenty to reflect on, too.
Jelena Dokic — resilience and self-worth
Her openness about mental health, vulnerability and rebuilding was powerful. The distinction between achievement and self-worth stood out: how we perform and how we value ourselves are not the same thing.
A conversation on stage at EO Ignite.
Philip Lowe and Sam Roggeveen — taking the longer view
Apparently, I’ve reached the stage of life where I’m fanboying over a former RBA governor. Philip Lowe was frank about Australia’s challenges, but I came away reminded to look beyond the daily headlines. My takeaway wasn’t that everything would be easy. It was that I could recognise the problems and still have confidence in Australia’s ability to work through them over time. Sam’s emphasis on long-term trends rather than individual events reinforced that perspective.
Philip Lowe in conversation at EO Ignite.
Ben Ross and David Hajdu — putting AI to work
Ben showed how entrepreneurs are using AI to rethink how work gets done. David’s workshop took that a step further: we were sitting together with our laptops open, actually building. We weren’t just hearing about what AI might do for our businesses. We could walk away with something we’d already built, rather than another idea on the to-do list.
Laptops open, putting ideas into practice.
Dan Monheit — questioning familiar advice
His session challenged assumptions about what customers value, from offering more choice to how an experience ends. It was a useful reminder that what seems logical to us isn’t necessarily what makes a decision easier for someone else.
What I brought home
A big thank you to Heidi and the EO team for the organisation behind Ignite. Bringing people together is one thing; creating an experience where learning and genuine connection can happen takes care.
I came home with new connections, ideas to explore and renewed energy. But the lasting value was the perspective.
Queensland is my EO home. Ignite reminded me that the same openness, ambition and depth of connection exist well beyond it.
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Sometimes, thinking bigger starts with widening the circle of people you learn alongside.