Our Story
Why read this page?
This page explains why Deals Colony exists. If you're looking to understand how our methodology works, visit Our Model. If you're exploring a partnership, visit Partner With Us.
From One Idea to Australia's Community Innovation Partner
For more than a decade, Deals Colony has been transforming untapped human potential into measurable community impact.
What began as one person's search for a more flexible way to live and work has evolved into a registered social enterprise designing practical community innovation that helps organisations create measurable social, environmental and economic outcomes.
Today, Deals Colony partners with businesses, governments, schools, charities and local communities to design, deliver and measure projects that strengthen wellbeing, reduce waste, improve workforce participation and unlock new opportunities.
Everything we build is guided by one belief:
Nothing should go to waste — not skills, stories or resources.
It Started With One Question
In 2014, our founder, Monika Kulshrestha, asked a simple question:
<<What if people could create meaningful work around their lives instead of building their lives around work?>>
After more than 20 years working across technology, business and community sectors, Monika had seen the same challenge everywhere.
Talented people.
Brilliant ideas.
Valuable experience.
Communities full of potential.
Yet many people struggled to find flexible opportunities that recognised their skills beyond traditional employment.
At the same time, organisations were looking for better ways to create measurable community impact.
Rather than seeing these as separate challenges, Deals Colony was created to connect them.
From One Project to a Proven Operating Model
Deals Colony didn't begin with a large grant or corporate funding.
It began with one small community project.
Our first initiative was a one-day school fundraiser in Brisbane.
Since then, every six months we have continued testing, refining and expanding new ideas using the same philosophy:
Start small. Learn quickly. Build what works.
Over the past decade this approach has evolved into more than 1,000 community innovation projects, four community innovation portfolios and a practical Community Innovation Operating Model™ that continues to grow through real-world partnerships.
Every project strengthens the next.
Every lesson improves the model.
Every partnership creates new opportunities.
Why We're Different
Most organisations either provide consulting or deliver community programs.
Deals Colony does both.
We combine technology, business strategy and lived community experience to design practical projects that organisations can measure, improve and scale.
Rather than creating dependency, we build community capability.
Rather than delivering one-off events, we create repeatable systems.
Rather than starting from scratch, we reuse successful pilots, partnerships and infrastructure to reduce costs and increase long-term impact.
🌍 Becoming a Social Enterprise
In 2024, Deals Colony became a registered Australian social enterprise.
This reflected more than a change in legal structure.
It recognised over a decade of community innovation, continuous learning and practical experimentation.
Today, 100% of our profits are reinvested into strengthening community wellbeing, developing new opportunities and expanding practical pathways that help people, organisations and communities thrive together.
Our Community Innovation Journey
Over the past decade our projects have naturally evolved into four connected community innovation portfolios.
Each portfolio addresses different community challenges while contributing to one Community Innovation Operating Model.
1) Environmental Impact
Circular economy, surplus recovery and zero-waste innovation.
2) Community Wellbeing
Digital inclusion, mentoring, community connection and confidence.
3) Youth Innovation
Future-ready skills, entrepreneurship and ethical digital participation.
4) Future Workforce & Business Innovation
Flexible careers, mentoring, AI adoption and business growth.
Real Projects, Real Possibilities
Ideas only create impact when they are implemented.
Over the years Deals Colony has supported more than 1,000 community innovation projects including:
• Circular retail initiatives
• Community wellbeing programs
• Youth innovation
• Digital inclusion
• Employee volunteering
• Mentoring
• Business innovation
• Entrepreneurship
• eCommerce & eBay
• AI adoption
• Circular economy pilots
• Workforce participation
Each project strengthens our operating model while creating measurable environmental, social and economic outcomes.
Meet Our Founder
Deals Colony was founded by Monika Kulshrestha, an engineer, technology professional and community innovator with more than two decades of experience across business, technology and community development.
Her career spans electronics engineering, IT consulting, project management, entrepreneurship, digital transformation, circular economy and community innovation.
By combining professional expertise with lived experience as a migrant, mother and entrepreneur, Monika has developed a practical approach to community innovation that bridges technology, business and social impact.
This unique combination became the foundation of the Community Innovation Operating Model™.
Her qualifications include:
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Bachelor of Technology (Electronics & Instrumentation)
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Certificate IV in Entrepreneurship & New Business
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Eco Biz - Carbon Cert. (Business Chamber QLD)
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Siemens Circular Design Badge
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Sustainable Product Dev. Cert.
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ESG Value Creation for Business Impact
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Global Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility: Be Sustainable
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Impact Measurement & Management for the SDGs
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Microsoft AI Product Manager Specialisation
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Certificate IV in Project Management
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ITIL & PRINCE2 Foundation Certifications
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Community Digital Mentoring Cert.
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Associate Member Of Customer Service Institute of Australia (CSIA) since 2012
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Workplace Resilience and Wellbeing Award Cert.
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Effective Workplace Leadership Cert.
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Cultural Responsiveness: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture in the Workplace Cert.
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Workforce Support: Supporting Mature Age People, Young People, People Re‑entering the Workforce Cert. NDIS Workforce Fundamentals Award Cert.
Innovation Begins at Home
One of the best examples of our operating model in action is Happy Hobby Hour Junior (HHHJ).
What began as a small project between Monika and her son to reduce screen time has grown into an award-recognised youth initiative inspiring young people to turn hobbies into life skills, entrepreneurship and community impact.
Rather than relying on paid advertising, the initiative has grown through partnerships, community engagement and practical outcomes—demonstrating how small pilots can evolve into scalable programs.
Looking Forward
Building Australia's Community Innovation Infrastructure
Today Deals Colony continues to refine and expand its Community Innovation Operating Model while progressively building the long-term vision behind the Happy Platform.
By partnering with businesses, governments, universities, charities and communities, we're creating practical pathways that transform untapped human potential into measurable social, environmental and economic outcomes.
Every pilot.
Every partnership.
Every portfolio.
Brings us one step closer to building a future where nothing should go to waste — not skills, stories or resources.
Let's Build the Future Together
Whether you're looking to strengthen your ESG strategy, create a community innovation partnership, support Brisbane 2032 legacy programs or explore research collaboration, we'd love to connect.
Together we can create measurable impact that benefits people, organisations and communities.