Bachelor of Commerce alum receives young entrepreneur award
Martin received the Entrepreneurial Talent Award for his role in founding Stepping Stones Education, which offers tutoring to high school students studying mathematics, English, physics and chemistry.
Martin co-founded the tutoring centre in 2014 shortly after graduating from high school, with friend Chris Chiu and his brother, Thomas S Phabmixay. But the idea was sparked two years prior, when Martin was volunteering to tutor refugee students in Auburn.
"I believe that education is life-changing in so many capacities. I wanted to create something that would allow students to achieve academically in order to step forward into the next stages of their lives," Martin says.
Since beginning his undergraduate Commerce degree at the University of Sydney Business School in 2014, Martin has immersed himself in the opportunities offered by the university.
He was the winner of both the 2019 Who Is Sydney? Film Competition and the Advertising: Creative Principles (MKTG3121) Oral Pitch, a leader of the University of Sydney Language and Cultures Film and Videography Society and a group leader to Japanese student through ISA Japan.
Freedom is a home called Sydney
Martin Phabmixay and Sota Maehara's winning entry in the 2019 Who is Sydney? student film competition.
Martin is currently a Senior Industry Mentor for the Genesis Startup Program, where he shares his knowledge with emerging startups developed by the University of Sydney community.
"Being an entrepreneur means that you are always willing to seek out new opportunities," Martin says.
Studying at the Business School is extremely rewarding as there are all these opportunities to go above and beyond.
Martin's Bachelor of Commerce studies also supported his entrepreneurship. His favourite unit of study was Intellectual Property for Business (CLAW2209), undertaken as part of his Business Law major.
"This unit was the epitome of being an active entrepreneur. It gave me the in-depth skills to assess how certain business activities translated to long-term growth and success," Martin says.
Having graduated in 2019, Martin is looking forward to growing Stepping Stones Education while applying for graduate roles and exploring further business opportunities in his passion for filmography.
Though proud of his award, Martin has no intention of resting on his laurels.
"I see this award as an encouragement to keep achieving more," Martin says. "I am honoured to be recognised for my efforts, but at the same time I believe that I have much more to offer my local community."