Umbrellus

I’ve always thought of myself as more of a thinker than a talker. But this year has invited me to do both: to share not only my story but also that of the women who raised me, and the purpose that continues to guide my life. Standing on stage at the State Library Victoria to receive the Lisa Ring and Family Scholarship was a moment of grace. A reminder that what begins quietly, with faith, endurance, and love, can grow into something far greater than we imagine. Umbrellus began from that place of love and frustration. From watching women like my mum and aunt, who I look up to more than anyone, create and endure with so little, and still lead with strength and honour. Their spirit continues to shape this work to build systems of dignity through design and hope through action. My deepest gratitude to StartSpace, State Library Victoria, and the Lisa Ring family for creating platforms that uplift stories like mine: stories rooted in purpose, community, and care. And a huge congratulations to my co-recipients, who are doing such important work helping clinicians personalise chemotherapy dosing, making treatment safer, more effective, and truly individual. Incredible work from the team at PredicTx Health.

Congratulations to the 2026 Lisa Ring and Family Scholarship recipients! 🎉   Aliet Bior, founder of Umbrellus, is designing modular, regenerative infrastructure that shields livestock and vineyards from climate extremes, while Abhijeet Waykar and Justin Yeung, are using AI to personalise chemotherapy dosing from routine CT scans - making cancer treatment safer and more effective at PredicTx Health.   Now in its fifth year, the Lisa Ring and Family Scholarships provide each recipient with $10,000 in seed funding, bespoke business coaching, and a StartSpace Loft Membership, giving them the tools and community to take their ventures to the next level.   Learn more about their groundbreaking work. 👇

Yesterday, we came together at StartSpace powered by State Library Victoria, for the Lisa Ring and Family Scholarships 2026 Celebration Breakfast. Now in its fifth year, the Lisa Ring and Family Scholarships champion early-stage founders, providing $10,000 in equity-free funding, StartSpace Loft membership, and tailored business support to accelerate their growth. We’re proud to introduce the 2026 Scholars:  ⭐ Aliet B., Founder and CEO of Umbrellus — creating modular, regenerative infrastructure that protects livestock and vineyards from climate extremes while restoring soil health and reducing waste. ⭐ Abhijeet Waykar and Justin Yeung, Co-Founders of PredicTx Health — using AI to personalise chemotherapy dosing from routine CT scans, reducing toxicity, improving outcomes, and making cancer treatment safer for patients. Both ventures represent the creativity, diversity, and purpose-driven innovation that define Victoria’s thriving founder community.  A heartfelt thank you to Lisa Ring and her family for their vision and generous support over the past five years to help courageous founders turn ideas into impact. Your belief in emerging entrepreneurs continues to shape the future of Victoria’s startup ecosystem.  And thank you to everyone who joined us at the celebration, for connecting, sharing stories, and celebrating this year’s scholars. Read more about the 2026 Lisa Ring and Family Scholars here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gvKPTn9b #LisaRingandFamilyScholarships #earlystagefounders #startups #startupecosystem #startupcommunity

Hands in. Stories over strawberries. Laughter with lampshades. We recently completed the second part of our 'Sculpting Light with Living Materials' workshop in partnership with Space2b Social Design. And it felt different in the best of ways. Women gathered in one corner, chatting softly over tea, coffee, and cut fruit. In another, heads bent over sculpted forms, hands deeply engaged in shaping light from fungi and farm waste. Someone danced with a lampshade on her head. I laughed while holding two freshly unmoulded pieces, overwhelmed by what we’ve created both in form and feeling. This workshop was about presence, and reimagining what craft can be: tactile, joyful, quiet, generous, and open to all. We worked with agricultural by-products and living mycelium. Even our wrap was compostable, made from food waste, thanks to @The Great Wrap. I keep returning to the atmosphere. The conversations. The rhythm of focused hands. The dancing. The lightness of play. Thank you to every person who joined us and made the space feel both grounded and expansive. You are shaping what Umbrellus is growing into...pun intended. We’ll be opening more workshops soon, just in time for Summer. If you’re curious about regenerative materials, circular design, or simply want to make something that grows, I’d love to hear from you 💃 🍄

Recently, we visited the RMIT University lab to dive deeper into the science behind our work, from early bio-based prototyping to exploring 3D printing techniques. A heartfelt thank you to Professor Shadi, the Bundoora Lab supervisors, and the incredible students who bring such passion to this work. Preparing for demonstrations and experimenting together has been both challenging and deeply rewarding. Working in a relatively new space like climate-adaptive infrastructure made from organic materials is far from easy, but it’s in this difficulty that the potential for real impact is revealed. These moments remind me to pause, and to imagine what becomes possible when we look more to nature for inspiration. So far, so good! Australia is known as a global hub of innovation, yet bridging the gap between research and market remains one of our greatest challenges. That’s exactly where we stand today: moving out of research with something promising. While I feel the weight of those hurdles, I’m grateful for how far we’ve come, and for the extraordinary work already achieved together. More to come. Umbrellus #umbrellus #regenerativeagriculture #climateinnovation #LinkedinNewsAustralia