Making bikes big business

23 August 2018
Navigating professional life is something that might seem like second nature to Jen Geale, UQ School of Economics alumnus and co-founder of award-winning online retailer Mountain Bikes Direct.

But she’s the first to admit that it hasn’t always been smooth sailing.

"Technology is a challenge. Because it changes so fast, it’s rare that we ‘know’ exactly what we are doing. In these cases, succeeding is about your capacity to learn new things and bring them quickly into your business."

Having navigated a turbulent and ever-evolving environment of changing technology and competitive pressure, Jen credits her time at UQ with equipping her with the skills needed to get where she is today.

"Critical thinking and analysis is at the core of what I do every day, whether I’m making small decisions or huge strategic decisions. And I learned that during my study of economics at UQ."

Since her time at UQ, Jen has built a successful business, launched the Dollars For Dirt community fund, been recognised by the Telstra Business Awards, and been named one of 2018’s Top 50 people in eCommerce.

Tune into her Own The Unknown Podcast to learn more about her story, as well as the knowledge and skills she credits for her success.

Read more about Jen's work with UQ's emerging entrepreneurs. 

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