The Exchange is a social impact organisation supporting a diverse and at times, geographically isolated, community of founders. We provide coworking desks, private offices, meeting rooms and event space, as well as upskilling programs and a vast community network that gives people in regional Australia the best chance at commercial success in their own business.
Coming to life in Dubbo in 2018, The Exchange began after the purchase and renovation of the main street, heritage Clock Tower building. In 2022, The Exchange grew, with CEO and Founder Jillian Kilby and her team moving operations to a second site in Narrabri after the purchase and restoration of the former Faulkners Ice and Cold Storage Building in Maitland Street.
Reviving and protecting this precinct in Narrabri is of great importance to Jillian and The Exchange team, as they seek to protect our regional heritage and town’s beautiful buildings.
The Exchange’s vision is that 10 years from now, people all around regional Australia will turn around and say “I started my business at The Exchange - and that made all the difference.”
With this firmly in mind, in 2022 The Exchange Narrabri went into partnership with the Narrabri Shire Council and University of New England to design and deliver The Exchange Business Activator (TEBA) Program to businesses, businesses to be and individuals of Narrabri and the surrounding area - a project that will enable continued economic recovery in the region by providing the space and expert support for local businesses (established and emerging) to build confidence, capability and growth.
Across 12 months The Exchange provided a networking and collaboration space, delivering Business Circles, Learning Lunches, Networking hours, The Leverage Program, The Hatch program and Mentoring Program with 58 events and over 680 attendees.
The collaboration between the 3 funding bodies enabled a diverse community to grow within The Exchange space and its wider community, a connection and collaboration The Exchange is keen to keep providing to its community and to the town of Narrabri through an extension of the TEBA program for at least another 12 months.
Our experience with working with Narrabri Council, in particular its Economic Development Team, has been one of incredible collaboration, continual growth and positive development towards a shared vision. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with the shire …. A collaboration that we look forward to continuing well into the future.
The Exchange Narrabri Website
