Our legacy - Emerging and Energised

STEM Punks

Meet Telstra Business Awards 2019 Queensland State Winner in the Emerging & Energised category.

Empowering the next generation of innovators

It’s not often you'd associate science with fun, but that was exactly Michael Holmstrom’s mission. He created STEM Punks, a group of passionate educators inspiring kids and adults to learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in a fun and interactive environment.

Getting future-ready with STEM

After spending 15 years in the innovation and commercialisation market, Michael wanted to share his knowledge and empower the next generation of innovators. Along with his wife Fiona, together they noticed a significant gap between what students are taught today and what they'll need for future-ready careers.

Aimed at inspiring tomorrow’s innovators, the team of educators help children develop skills in STEM to prepare them for a future where they can make a difference.

There’s no lack of ideas out there. Everyone has ideas. The challenge is to embrace the mindset of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship to turn those ideas into valuable outcomes for people. And that’s what we’re all about here.

The combined experience in the team of 15+ years in education and global innovation projects has inspired them to build the business into a change maker in STEM education.

In 2019, the team won the Telstra Business Awards Queensland Emerging & Energised Award.

“Winning a Telstra Award has been amazing for us. As a fast-growing small business, the PR opportunities and media attention have put us on the map both in Australia and around the world. It’s a journey we went through as a team that has helped us achieve an even better culture and means we can get through any hurdle as a tight, strong team,” said Holmstrom.

Fail fast in a cost-effective way

Holmstrom’s approach to business has always been to “fail fast, in a cost-effective way” enabling rapid customer-validation of an idea before going too far. It’s how STEM Punks has become such a success.

Today, with a much larger team delivering STEM programs all over Australasia, they still apply the same business development principle.

During COVID-19 with face-to-face classes being cancelled, the business was forced to transform. The team fast-tracked its online expansion in six weeks instead of two years, reaching students all over the world in the middle of a pandemic that forced many to stay home.

From drone flying workshops to learning how to make robotics, STEM Punks continues to provide fun and hands-on learning experience through online and in-person workshops. It builds confidence in young students so they can solve the problems of the future.