For a lot of young people, a career in technology feels like it belongs in another universe – somewhere distant, mysterious, and locked away behind closed doors.
At Stone & Chalk, we believe in throwing those doors wide open. Letting the next generation walk right in, explore, and see for themselves what’s possible.
That’s why we love it when our resident startups welcome students into their teams and show them the real side of tech.
Recently, Teamgage (one of our Adelaide-based startups) hosted Year 11 student Hannah Gall for a week of work experience, thanks to their connection with HerTechPath.
A first step into the startup world
Hannah joined Teamgage as part of her South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) requirements.
She could have chosen to do her week at a local business, a government office, or even a retail store. But instead, she found herself walking into the Lot Fourteen innovation precinct – home to some of the most exciting and future-focused organisations in Australia.
Walking into the precinct for the first time, she found herself surrounded by energy, busy workspaces, and people building technology that could change the world.
This was her first peek into not only how a software company runs, but to the entire Stone & Chalk community and the innovative organisations that call Lot Fourteen home.
Learning what tech really looks like
Before that week, Hannah wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to study at university. Like many students, she thought “tech career” meant spending all day coding alone at a desk.
That image changed completely over the course of her placement.
She met developers writing the code, designers creating interfaces, marketing professionals shaping the message, and operations specialists keeping everything running.
She discovered that innovation and technology is far more than computers; it’s people working together to solve problems in creative ways.
Hands on experience in the field
Her main project for the week was a detailed review of the Teamgage website.
She looked at everything from the layout and navigation to accessibility, giving real suggestions on how to make it easier for people to use.
She even spotted a video that didn’t include subtitles and suggested adding them, sparking a conversation about web accessibility and the importance of making technology inclusive for everyone.
She also discovered there’s a whole field dedicated to organising and structuring website content called information architecture.
Alongside the project, she learned to use real-world tools that professionals in the industry rely on every day:
- Confluence – for team collaboration and project planning
- Canva – for designing graphics and visuals
- Microsoft Teams – for communication and teamwork
- Figma – for design and prototyping
- Webflow – for building and editing websites
Using these real industry tools gave her a practical experience of what it could be like working in technology.
Mentorship from Teamgage
One of Hannah’s favourite parts of the week was the mentorship she received from the Teamgage team.
Every day, someone new sat down with her to talk about what they do, how they got into their role, and the skills they use to do it.
Ben Colley, COO, explained how to give constructive feedback and why asking questions is a skill that can make you stand out.
Andy Welsh, Head of Design, showed her that every great design starts with a clear, detailed brief – and introduced her to the design software he uses. He even gave her advice on pursuing a career in design, something Hannah is now seriously considering.
She also spoke with the CEO, software developers, and other key members of the company. Hearing their personal stories helped Hannah realise there are many different pathways into the tech industry, and they don’t all start with coding.
For Hannah, these chats made vague job titles real. Suddenly, she could picture herself in roles she’d never even heard of before the week started – and that she may end up considering as she moved closer towards graduation.
Experiencing the Stone & Chalk community
From the outside, Lot Fourteen’s heritage buildings look calm and historic. But step inside, and it’s like walking into the brain of Australia’s innovation scene.
The precinct is home to the Australian Space Agency, the Australian Institute for Machine Learning, the Bureau of Meteorology, and more.
And inside Stone & Chalk, Hannah joined community events like:
- Test Drive Tuesday – where startups share their latest products and get live feedback. Hannah even contributed to improving the onboarding experience for MyGigsters, a financial toolkit for freelancers.
- Sweet Spot – our weekly celebration of wins, welcomes, and connections. Hannah took the mic to introduce herself to the whole hub — a big confidence moment in a brand-new environment.
Bringing people together sits at the heart of what we do, and experiences like these opened Hannah up to new parts of the innovation community.
Final thoughts
Hannah expected to spend the week fetching coffees or doing filing.
Instead, she left having shaped a tech company’s website, learned industry tools, made connections, and gained confidence in her future.
“Working with Teamgage opened my eyes to how many different careers exist in technology. There’s so much more out there than I realised,” Hannah said.
At Stone & Chalk, we’re here to create spaces where people connect, share knowledge, and open doors for each other.
When a student like Hannah walks in unsure about the future and leaves with new skills, new possibilities, and a clearer vision for what’s out there — that’s the future of Australia’s innovation economy, right there in the making.
