From a One-Day Hobby Store to Community Innovation
Deals Colony's concept started with one question - "What if people could create meaningful work around their lives instead of building their lives around work?"
Deals Colony began in May 2014 as a one-day weekend hobby store at a school fundraising market in North Brisbane.
What started as a small experiment became a growing portfolio of projects, products, services, ventures and community initiatives, all shaped by one belief:
Waste isn't just what goes to landfill. It's untapped human potential.
Today, Deals Colony is an Australian multicultural social enterprise helping people, businesses and communities turn skills, ideas, surplus resources and opportunities into practical projects and measurable social, environmental and economic value.
Phase 1
Why Deals Colony Exists
Too much valuable potential remains underused. People have skills but need experience. Businesses have resources but need new ways to create value. Communities have ideas but often lack the people, tools or infrastructure to turn them into projects. Deals Colony exists to connect those opportunities. Our approach is simple: Identify an opportunity → Create a project → Test it → Build evidence → Grow what works. We believe not every good idea needs to start as a full business, a large investment or a long-term commitment. Sometimes it starts with a skill, hobby, problem, surplus resource or community need.
From Experience to a Practical Model
Over more than 10 years, Deals Colony has developed through real projects rather than theory. Projects across technology, data, business, entrepreneurship, circular economy, youth innovation, community programs and workforce pathways have helped shape our Community Innovation Operating Model™. The model helps people and organisations share, build, prove, grow. Small projects create evidence. Evidence creates confidence. Confidence creates new opportunities.
Real Projects, Real Possibilities
Our portfolio demonstrates how ideas can become practical outcomes. Projects and initiatives have included - community and youth innovation, circular economy and surplus resource projects, digital and technology initiatives, flexible workforce pathways, entrepreneurship and business projects, ESG and social impact initiatives, community programs and workshops, products, services and new ventures, skills-based collaborations, social enterprise initiatives. Each project creates learning that can be applied to the next.
A Proud Moment: Happy Hobby Hour Junior
This is just one example of what our approach to Community Innovation can create.
One example is Happy Hobby Hour Junior (HHHJ) — a youth-led initiative that grew from a simple idea into a wider youth innovation movement.
Starting with the idea of turning screen time into skill time, HHHJ has helped young people explore creativity, entrepreneurship, projects and real-world skills.
What began as one young person's project has grown into a wider community initiative involving young people, organisations and partners across multiple countries.
It demonstrates what can happen when young people are given the opportunity, support and space to turn an idea into action.
HHHJ is one example of the wider potential behind our Community Innovation approach.
Phase 2
From Projects to Prototype
What began as small experiments evolved into a broader social enterprise model. Deals Colony became a registered Australian social enterprise in 2024, formalising a model developed through years of hands-on projects and community work. 100% of Deals Colony profits are reinvested into creating opportunities for people and communities. That includes developing projects, building capability, supporting flexible pathways and creating new opportunities to participate, learn, contribute and earn. Our model is designed to create an exponential cycle: Create value → Reinvest → Create opportunity → Build again
A Portfolio Built Through Action
Deals Colony's work has continued to evolve through projects with individuals, businesses, schools, charities, social enterprises and community organisations. Some projects remain small. Others develop into products, services, programs or ventures. Some create income opportunities. Others create skills, experience, connections or community value. We don't assume every project will become a business. We create the conditions to discover what it could become.
A Proud Moment: From Pilots to Social Enterprise
With this experience and growing confidence, Deals Colony is now focused on building Australia's community innovation infrastructure — developing the systems, partnerships, projects and technology needed to help more ideas move from possibility to practical action.
Over the next two years, we are also developing new concepts and ESG-focused pilot projects with organisations looking to test practical approaches to social, environmental and economic impact.
One project can create the evidence for the next.
The next stage is Australia's Circular Innovation Network™ — a Venture & Capability-Building Network designed to connect people, projects, businesses, organisations and resources.
Meet the Founder
Deals Colony was founded by Monika Kulshrestha, a serial entrepreneur, business and technology consultant, community innovation strategist and social enterprise builder. Monika brings 20+ years of experience across technology, data, business transformation, project management, entrepreneurship and community development. Her experience spans: IT; Data; Business Strategy; Project Management; Digital Transformation; Entrepreneurship; Circular Economy; ESG; CSR; Social Enterprise; Sustainability; Impact Measurement Her professional and sustainability education includes areas such as: Circular Economy and Sustainable Design; ESG and Corporate Sustainability; CSR and Social Impact; SDG and Impact Measurement; Sustainability Strategy; Social Enterprise Development; AI and Digital Transformation; Business and Project Management Her qualifications and professional development include: B.Tech — Electronics & Instrumentation; Certificate IV — Entrepreneurship & New Business; Certificate IV — Project Management; ITIL Foundation; PRINCE2 Foundation; ecoBiz Carbon Certificate; Siemens Circular Design Badge; Macquarie University — Global Sustainability & CSR; Duke University — Impact Measurement for the SDGs; Microsoft AI Product Management; Customer service, business leadership and digital transformation development This combination of technology, business, ESG, CSR, sustainability and community experience informs the Deals Colony approach. The goal is practical: use what already exists, create a real project, test what works, build evidence and create the next opportunity.
Founder's Story
Every Great Opportunity Starts With Untapped Potential
Deals Colony began with one simple belief:
The world's greatest waste isn't products—it's untapped human potential.
After more than 20 years working across technology, engineering, data, business transformation and community sectors, I saw talented people, valuable skills, ideas and opportunities being overlooked every day.
At the same time, businesses, schools, charities and communities were searching for practical ways to create measurable social impact while strengthening ESG, CSR and social procurement outcomes.
Meanwhile, I experienced firsthand how rising financial pressures, family responsibilities, career transitions and migration can leave capable people disconnected from meaningful opportunities—often affecting confidence, identity and wellbeing. That's why I founded Deals Colony.
Today, Deals Colony helps organisations and communities transform underused skills, ideas and resources into projects that create economic, social and environmental value.
Because when people are given the opportunity to contribute, communities thrive.
Phase 3
Why Circular Economy?
We see circular economy as more than materials and waste. It can also apply to skills, ideas, knowledge, experience, resources, products, services, opportunities. Instead of allowing valuable resources to remain unused, we look for ways to reduce, rethink, reuse, repurpose and recover their value. That can mean turning: Skills → Projects Ideas → Ventures Surplus → Products Experience → Opportunities Community Needs → Programs Projects → Evidence
From Deals Colony to Community Innovation Operating Model™
Deals Colony is continuing to build through:
Community Innovation, Circular Economy, Flexible Workforce Pathways, Venture Building, Social Procurement, ESG & Social Impact, Products, Services & Community Offers.
Every project gives us another opportunity to learn. Every useful outcome can help create the next opportunity. And every person, organisation, skill, idea or resource that becomes useful again is one less opportunity wasted.
Our goal is to make community innovation easier to discover, test, document and build on.
We are working towards showcasing 10,000 Community Innovation Case Studies before Brisbane 2032, creating a growing knowledge base of practical examples and opportunities.
The network is being developed around a simple principle:
One Network. More Opportunities. A Happier Future.
