Established in 2015, KIK Innovation embarked on a mission to empower disadvantaged individuals through innovation and entrepreneurship, culminating in the creation of KIK Coffee. This initiative materialised in the form of commercial KIK Coffee stores in Adelaide. These stores not only served as retail outlets but also as training grounds for students, offering invaluable business education and employment opportunities. From 2016 to 2018, KIK Innovation dedicated 15,000 hours to training over 100 participants, resulting in 22,000 hours of paid employment, a testament to the program's effectiveness.

 

In 2020, KIK took its first step towards tech education when our CEO, Louise Nobes, discovered 42; a disruptive education model originating from France. Recognising the alignment between 42's ethos and KIK's mission, KIK obtained the one and only license in Australia. 42 removed barriers, like prior qualifications and socioeconomic status, and offered free education devoid of traditional instructors using a gamified approach. During the 5 years that KIK held the 42 license, 42 Adelaide welcomed more than 1,000 students into its innovative, peer-led coding programs, with half of those students having no prior coding experience, awarded 400+ full scholarships, and saw over 50% of students secure tech jobs before completion.

 

KIK enhanced its tech learning solutions in 2024 by becoming an accredited RTO offering the Diploma of IT (Advanced Programming) course at no cost to students. In the same year it also became the new home of the free online tech learning platform, Grok Academy. With over 1 million unique student users across Australia and New Zealand when it came to KIK, the opportunity to reach more learners and have greater impact through the online platform was clear. The ability to remove the obstacle of location while using technology education as a way to transform lives and build a diverse and inclusive society greatly aligned with KIK’s mission and purpose. 

 

What is clear from our journey is that at KIK we are driven by a single purpose: to remove barriers to education, employment, and opportunity for youth, the disadvantaged and all. With this belief at our heart, we have consistently strived to source and champion the best solutions and vehicles to achieve our purpose and drive impact, and will continue to do so as we empower the next generation of tech talent.