Simon Schmidtke is the Lead Innovator at YFS’ social enterprise, Substation33, and has been a core member of Tony’s [Substation33 Founder] team for almost a decade. With a professional background in electronics and information technologies, when Simon first stumbled across Substation33 in late 2014, he knew he had found something special.
“I initially came across Substation33 at the Logan Eco Action Festival [LEAF] where they had quite a big presence.”
“I am passionate about sustainability – I sponsor several green groups and charities and run my own solar farm – so Substation33’s emphasis on recycling really drew me in.”
“I met Tony and the rest of the team, and I told them how much potential they had with all the e-waste they had collected. They were intrigued, so we decided to do some projects together – we started with an e-bike and 3D printers after that – and the relationship just grew from there.”
“I was volunteering there initially; I was just happy to be doing exciting work. After a few projects, Tony and I decided to make the position official, and we started the Innovation Centre.”
Simon and the innovation team have spearheaded numerous endeavours, all of which make meaningful impacts on people’s lives.
Substation33 is widely renowned for producing flooded road signs that are distributed across QLD, NSW, and recently to New Zealand. And Simon takes specific pride in the PowerWells that repurpose used lithium-ion batteries to deliver affordable, off-grid energy and lighting to communities without power in Northern Queensland and Southeast Asia. Regardless of the project, Simon is passionate about innovations with positive outcomes.
“Working at Substation33 has been an eye-opening experience. It’s been a great journey for me to support Tony with his vision of actually trying to help people.”
“The projects we do are quite special. We did a recent trip up to Cairns where we installed PowerWells in remote communities. Seeing the impact that had was incredible. Those units go to Indonesia as well; it’s life changing to see the effects it has for people over there.”
“Getting the opportunity to help run projects that are actually impactful; that’s something quite special in my life.”
Importantly for Simon, Substation33 gives him and others the safety and freedom to grow.
“I’m a lot less stressed since working here; it’s made such a difference in my life.”
“Substation33 is really aligned with my goals and ambitions and Tony has been incredibly supportive of that.”
“I’ve typically been more focussed on the environmental and technological aspects of my work, but seeing the change in people at Substation33, their progress as they move through the enterprise – it’s a powerful experience.”
