The Art of Innovation: Blending Art with Business for Innovative Ideas
On Friday, 25 July, we brought to life a passion project that’s been years in the making — Turning Art Into Innovative Business Ideas, a workshop that blends everything I love about entrepreneurship, creativity, and teaching into one unforgettable experience.
As someone who has walked both the entrepreneurial and academic path, this workshop felt like the perfect intersection of everything I’ve learned, practiced, and believed in. And the result? A vibrant space full of creativity, purpose, and community.
This sold-out workshop was more than an event — it was a shared creative mission. Hosted by P&CO, with the support of Macondo Studio and artist Eddie White Jr., this session invited migrants, artists, and aspiring entrepreneurs to explore how creativity can become not just a passion — but a powerful business tool.
🌱 From Exotik to P&CO — Where It All Began
My journey started with Exotik, a Latin restaurant that became part of the cultural fabric of Newtown for over a decade. That experience — rich with both challenges and triumphs — planted the seed for what would eventually become P&CO: a platform to support creative entrepreneurs in transforming bold ideas into meaningful business ventures.
Over the past few years, I’ve also had the privilege of working as a mentor and educator at institutions like Macquarie University, University of Sydney, UBSS, and Torrens University, where I’ve guided students and founders through the early stages of business development and innovation.
This workshop is the natural evolution of that journey — a space where lived experience, strategy, and creativity converge.
🎨 Where Vision Meets Action
The idea for this workshop truly came together when Eddie White reached out as part of his Australia tour. The timing was perfect! After spending time as an academic and mentor at several Australian universities, I was increasingly inspired by the power of strategic creativity and innovation.
My work as a mentor for MQ Incubator and other programs further fuelled this inspiration. Then, Macondo stepped in, helping me transform this vision into a tangible reality with their incredible marketing and creative direction.
Rather than focus on theory, we invited participants to start with themselves — their stories, challenges, and passions — and then worked to turn those into ideas with real-world potential.
From emotional sketching to business ideation, from identifying problems to designing solutions — the energy in the room was collaborative, bold, and full of promise.
🙌 Gratitude
A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this possible:
Macondo Studio, Eddie White Jr., our generous sponsors (Dulcitos, Delights in Grazing, Delata), and Haven Coffee – Green Square, for offering us the perfect space to connect, create, and grow.
And of course — to every participant who brought their full self to the workshop: thank you. You made it what it was.
🚀 What’s Next?
This was just the beginning.
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and we're already working on new workshops to continue building this creative business community.
👉 Want to stay in the loop for future events?
Sign up here: https://www.pinzonand.co/pagei
Sergio Pinzón
Founder, P&CO