ALUMNI FOCUS
Jess Ruhfus – BA alumna turns her dreams into reality
Alumna Jess Ruhfus (BA 2013) is the founder and CEO of Collabosaurus, a successful marketing platform that match-makes brands for clever collaborations and partnerships, and has now attracted over 6000 brands including Porsche, ASOS, Olay and Topshop, to name a few.
Jess was recently a guest speaker at the Alumni Learning & Networking Opportunity at Venture Café on 5 September, where she ran a workshop on how to tap into the world of collaborative marketing to make your brand and campaigns thrive. She shared tips and tricks on using creative collaborations to grow and engage your community; harnessing the power of your customers to create authentic and meaningful brand impact; and aligning with like-minded collaborators that fit your business and audience objectives.
Jess’s road to success was not that easy and straightforward and she had to take a leap of faith to start up her business. After graduating from Macquarie with a Bachelor of Media and Communications, she did internships and work experience at the university as well as for PR firms and a film studio. Jess set up her own tutoring business from 2010 (her first year of uni) through to 2015. In 2015, already with a wealth of experience, Jess shut down the tutoring business (she also worked for a PR firm during this time) and started Collabosaurus.
Still in her twenties, Jess has achieved remarkable things. As well as running the Collabosaurus platform, she manages entrepreneurial events around Australia, is a guest lecturer at the College for Event Management, an industry partner for Ducere Global Business School, a marketing educator for Australian Style Institute, a mentor for Think BOLD and a curator for The Fetch.
When asked for her favourite quote, Jess said “I love the quote ‘don’t wait for opportunity, create it’ – it’s so true. Hustle your way to greatness and out-effort everyone!”
She is a great example of a BA grad who has used the transferable skills in communications, presentation and critical analysis afforded by a Bachelor of Arts to blossom in industry and forge her own career path.
Learn more about the new Bachelor of Arts 2020.
Words: Jackie Gent