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In a city whose finalists generate by far the highest revenue and profit in the Australian Young Entrepreneur Awards initiative, Dental Boutique co-founder Dr May Chan has won Melbourne's top prize for the fourth year running as her company sunk its teeth into more expansion opportunities.
Chan, who co-founded Dental Boutique with her husband Dr Reuben Sim in 2013, has excelled as an entrepreneur in a year when many others did too. The combined turnover of all finalists in the Victorian capital reached $639 million in FY24, representing a 10 per cent lift year-on-year.
Chan received the 2024 Melbourne Young Entrepreneur Award ahead of other contenders like MA Services founder Micky Ahuja, Biome Australia (ASX: BIO) founder Blake Vega Norfolk, and Cullen Jewellery founder Jordan Cullen, who took out the coveted Trailblazer prize as staff numbers grew from eight to 75 in the past two years alone.
The outstanding calibre of finalists trickled down into tight races within categories as well, even just within the Health & Medicine category which Chan also won.
Rosterfy co-founders Shannan Gove, Bennett Merriman and Christopher Grant rose to the top in a buoyant Technology contest ahead of several worthy rivals, while Vinyl Group (ASX: VNL) and Vampr co-founder Josh Simons received the title of Digital Disruptor in an equally tight battle.
These are but a few of the remarkable founders who took part in the awards, and amidst such high-quality, interesting business models, ideas and impacts, it is anyone's guess who will be in contention in 2025 when the founders of Dental Boutique are no longer eligible on age grounds.
The saga for control of ASX-listed Pacific Smiles (ASX: PSQ) may be the biggest story in the Australian dental industry right now, but this year's accolade for Chan marks the end of an era for Dental Boutique whose founders have been longstanding participants in the initiative, winning the Health & Medicine award seven times.
In reality though, the business may be just getting started when it comes to its true potential and is growing at a mouthwatering speed.
Just as it has transformed tens of thousands of smiles around Australia, and more recently in New Zealand with further international growth plans in its sights, Dental Boutique itself has transformed from a single-chair clinic to a powerhouse in the cosmetic dentistry sector.
"We currently have a team of 99 clinicians and will continue to grow this number to broaden our skill levels and knowledge base. With our rapid expansion both locally and internationally, we plan to grow our team within Dental Boutique Group, ensuring we are effectively converting leads and keeping up with the ever-growing consumer base," Chan says.
"Continuing on our expansion trajectory, we have plans set in place to expand into Perth, the Gold Coast and Malaysia, rooting from the growing demand levels within these communities."
In February this year the group opened its first international clinic in Auckland, which was followed by the launch of its second Sydney clinic in Chatswood and then its second Queensland clinic on the Sunshine Coast.
"The team expanded so rapidly that Dental Boutique Group relocated to new facilities at the beginning of 2024, allowing us to house more employees and ultimately expand our teams," Chan says.
This year the group also developed a dedicated specialist centre established to house orthodontists, prosthodontists, oral surgeons and endodontists under one roof.
"Recognising a gap in the market for efficient specialised dental treatments, which typically require two-to-four months, we identified that this lengthy process can deter many patients from receiving the care they need," Chan adds.
"By consolidating these specialists in a single location, the new centre will enhance treatment fluidity and foster greater professional collaboration, ultimately improving the patient experience."
The 2024 Melbourne Young Entrepreneur Awards were supported by corporate partners EO Melbourne, Coraggio, and iVvy.
See below for all winners from the night, and we thank all participants for sharing their stories with Business News Australia.
All winners at the 2024 Melbourne Young Entrepreneur Awards
- Young Entrepreneur of the Year - Dr May Chan (Dental Boutique)
- Trailblazer - Jordan Cullen (Cullen Jewellery)
- Arts & Culture - Nicholas Greco, Filippo Palermo, Michael Christidis & Christian Serrao (Untitled Group)
- Digital Disruptor - Josh Simons (Vinyl Group, Vampr)
- Fashion & Design - Aron Williams (MERTRA)
- Finance - Nicholas Quinn & Jesse Moors (Spatium Capital)
- Fitness - Michael Ramsey (Strong Pilates)
- Food, Beverage & Hospitality - Ben Circosta (Bippi)
- Health & Medicine - Dr May Chan (Dental Boutique)
- Legal - Mariah Loriente (Flawless HR)
- Manufacturing, Wholesale & Distribution - Jonathan Byrt & Jesse Leeworthy (memobottle)
- Marketing - Ethan Donati (My Million Dollar Funnels)
- PR, Media & Events - Julia Truong (JT. Production Management, Future Events Lab, JT Travel Group)
- Professional Services - Micky Ahuja (MA Services Group)
- Retail & Services - Jordan Cullen (Cullen Jewellery)
- Specialist Services - Costa Vasili (Ethnolink)
- Startup - Mennan Yelkenci (Tierra Consulting Group, Booked Ai)
- Sustainability & Social Responsibility - Mia Bowyer (One Earth Marketing)
- Technology - Shannan Gove, Bennett Merriman & Christopher Grant (Rosterfy)
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