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A Sydney founder who has sought to reimagine over-50s communities with a $3 billion pipeline of resorts, alongside a groundbreaking construction robotics technology venture, has won the 2025 Sydney Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Vivacity Property Group founder Jonathon Mendez edged out the top prize last night in a highly competitive cohort, including MAISON de SABRÉ founders Omar and Zane Sabré who won the coveted Trailblazer accolade, as well as Qure Skincare founders Kristina Orlic-Edmonds and Matt Orlic who won the event's inaugural Beauty & Wellness award.
The Sabré brothers' fashion house has risen to global cultural relevance as it challenges luxury heavyweights from Paris to New York to Tokyo, while the siblings behind Qure continue to innovate after their FDA-cleared LED mask was named in Time Magazine's best inventions of 2024.
These entrepreneurs were among award recipients at a gala event held at Number 10 in Rushcutters Bay, where the initiative's first-ever Energy & Cleantech prize was also given to Daniel Lazarus of solar maintenance company Industrias Services Group.
An esteemed judging panel put forward a wide variety of views on which entrepreneurs they found the most impressive, but in the end it was Mendez who ranked the highest most consistently.
"Huge risk, huge execution," was the catchline of one judge about Mendez's achievements since founding Vivacity in 2020, "delivering in one of the toughest, most regulated sectors".
Mendez drew inspiration for Vivacity from his grandfather who "lived later life with energy and curiosity".
"I saw how much better ageing could be, yet most housing for over-50s felt transactional and uninspired," Mendez says.
"My love of architecture and welcoming design gave me creative drive, but it was the impact on residents’ lives that gave me purpose."
Vivacity Group opened its first resort in Tallowood Medowie in the Port Stephens region in December 2021 and has already delivered more than 800 dwellings, with a further 3,000 homes in a development pipeline across 11 resorts in NSW, QLD and SA, in addition to two major apartment projects on the Central Coast and in Newcastle.
"These are large-scale projects with five-plus year build programs, but our staged delivery model allows efficient capital recycling," says Mendez, who has secured significant equity commitments to carry out his vision.
"At the foundation is the land lease model, which allows residents to own their home while leasing the land beneath it. This creates affordability and security by eliminating deferred management fees, entry or exit fees, stamp duty, and transaction costs.
"Homes remain willable family assets, and residents avoid body corporate fees, strata levies, and council rates - paying just one straightforward site rent, often partly offset by government rent assistance."
Combined with his passion for design, the entrepreneur has embraced technology by developing the Vivacity app as a "digital concierge" to connect residents to services, events and each other, while also introducing robotic lawnmowers and facial recognition access.
"One resident told me her vertigo disappeared after moving in, because through our app she felt supported by neighbours who helped with groceries, easing her worry about burdening her children," Mendez explains.
"We combine architectural quality with details competitors overlook, from perforated ceilings in country clubs so residents with hearing aids can participate comfortably, to landscaped paths that balance mobility with enjoyment. Every community is designed to foster belonging, not just occupancy."
He says Vivacity's communities are designed for connection, wellness, and sustainability, helping residents adapt to generational shifts and live with vitality and purpose.
"While our focus has been on the over 50s market, our long-term we plan is to move into other demographics. Our long-term stewardship model ensures we remain invested in each community for decades, curating services and experiences that enrich lives," he says.
Mendez has also co-founded an innovative construction technology company called Earthbuilt with Jan Golembiewski, which has been working on a joint venture (JV) with Crest Robotics that has been supported by a $500,000 NSW Space+ Program grant.
At the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2025 in Sydney the JV showcased its spider-like robot "Charlotte", a first-of-its-kind designed to advance lunar exploration and provide low-cost, low-carbon housing capabilities on Earth.
Mendez says the technology uses sophisticated automated earth bagging, which means bulk material doesn't need to be transported from off-site for construction, eliminating concrete costs as well.
"At Earthbuilt, we believe that if we can build sustainably on the Moon, we can certainly do better here at home," he says.
"Charlotte bridges two frontiers – space innovation and the urgent need for affordable, sustainable housing. By solving for the extreme – low gravity, zero waste, no excess – we’re creating cleaner, faster ways to build that shrink supply chains, boost productivity and make housing more accessible for everyone.”
The 2025 Sydney Young Entrepreneur Awards were supported by its corporate partners - the Australian Government’s Industry Growth Program, RSM and iVvy.
The judging panel comprised Vita Group founder Maxine Horne, Greencross founder Dr Glen Richards, Acusensus co-founder Alexander Jannink, Go1 co-founder Andrew Barnes, CitrusAd co-founder Brad Moran, Dental Boutique co-founders Dr Reuben Sim and Dr May Chan, Loanezi founder Renee Tocco, and Business News Australia founder Camilla Westerlund.
See below for all winners from the night, and we thank all participants for sharing their stories with Business News Australia.
- Sydney Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Jonathon Mendez - Vivacity Property, MHE Property Co, Land Lease SPV, Earthbuilt
- Trailblazer: Omar Sabré and Zane Sabré - MAISON de SABRÉ
- Beauty & Wellness: Kristina Orlic-Edmonds & Matt Orlic - Qure Skincare
- Deep Tech: William Crowe & Hiranya Jayakody - HEO
- Digital Disruptor: Samuel Wood - Azura Fashion Group
- Energy & Cleantech: Daniel Lazarus - Industrias Services Group
- Fashion & Design: Omar Sabré and Zane Sabré - MAISON de SABRÉ
- Finance & Fintech: Scott O'Neill - Rethink Group
- Fitness: Jarron Aizen - Hapana
- Food & Beverage: Sanjay Sundarjee - Damican
- Health & Medicine: Amanda Wickramage & Gayan Herath - Mandy The Physio
- Legal: Hayder Shkara - The Justice Network
- Marketing: Jacob Ritchie - Two Birds Social
- PR, Media & Events: Matt Purcell - KYU Media
- Professional Services: - Sam Jamsheedi - Trademark Group of Companies
- Property & Construction: Jonathon Mendez - Vivacity Property, MHE Property Co, Land Lease SPV, Earthbuilt
- Specialist Services: Tahlia Carlyle - Empowered Living Care
- Startup: Alexis Oujani - Lion's Den Collectibles
- Sustainability & Social Responsibility: Henrique Turra - Radish Events
- Technology: Johan Misquitta - Simplyai
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