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For the second year running, the founders of fast-expanding cosmetic dentistry clinic Dental Boutique, Dr Reuben Sim and Dr May Chan, have been awarded the top title at the Melbourne Young Entrepreneur Awards.
The founders were named the 2022 Melbourne Young Entrepreneurs of the Year last night at Zinc at Federation Square, beating out a competitive field of finalists during the first in-person gala dinner for the Melbourne cohort since 2019.
This included the winners of the prestigious Trailblazer Award - Untitled Group founders Nicholas Greco, Michael Christidis, Christian Serrao and Filippo Palermo.
For Dr Sim and Dr Chan, receiving the Award follows a year of rapid expansion, with Dental Boutique spreading interstate into Adelaide and Sydney, and down south to the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria.
The Sydney clinic, which boasts 20 dental chairs, was described by Dr Chan as a ‘huge undertaking’, and opened with a 400-person strong waitlist.
The year was essentially one where the husband-and-wife co-founders turned plans devised during Melbourne’s lengthy lockdowns into reality.
“During lockdown we created more capacity, so we added more chairs - but we did that in a controlled way,” Dr Chan told Business News Australia.
The two also added a sleep centre to all of their clinics for those with anxiety about dentistry, including a recovery unit and inbuilt oxygen tanks.
As for what’s next, the founders are looking to continue expanding their clinic footprint, with a site set to open in Geelong soon.
“Our aim is to reach out to Australians everywhere,” Dr Chan said.
“A lot of the time, people do travel to come and see us, but many don’t want to travel. Being in more cities will allow more people to access our services.”
The co-founders were just two of the many winners at the 2022 Melbourne Young Entrepreneur Awards which was sponsored by Go1, Whispir, OSW and Venture Crowd.
See below for all winners from the night, and we thank all participants for sharing their stories with the Business News Australia journalists.
All winners at the 2022 Melbourne Young Entrepreneur Awards
- Young Entrepreneur of the Year - Dr May Chan and Dr Reuben Sim (Dental Boutique)
- Trailblazer - Nicholas Greco, Filippo Palermo, Michael Christidis & Christian Serrao (Untitled Group)
- Arts & Culture - Nicholas Greco, Filippo Palermo, Michael Christidis & Christian Serrao (Untitled Group)
- Digital Disruptor - Sam McConkey & Cale Donovan (Bare)
- Fashion & Design - Bianca Roccisano & Bridgett Roccisano (Bianca & Bridgett, Booby Tape)
- Fitness - Michael Ramsay (Strong Pilates)
- Food & Beverage - Alex Bottomley & Marcus Kellett (Ampersand Projects)
- Health & Medicine - Dr May Chan & Dr Reuben Sim (Dental Boutique)
- Hospitality & Tourism - Anna Dewan & Ishu Singh (Burger Road)
- Manufacturing, Wholesale & Distribution - Ellie Vaisman & Giovanni Pino (Sourci)
- Marketing - Tamara Alaveras (3 Phase Marketing)
- Professional Services - Fergus Creese (My Careers, Go Girls Foundation)
- Property & Construction - Paul Jones (Jones Real Estate)
- Retail & Services - Alex Tyson (Found-Space)
- Specialist Services - Harry Karefilakis (Kare Group, Ethos Electrical Services, All Steel Designs)
- Startup - Daniel Kitay (FUNDAY Natural Sweets)
- Sustainability & Social Responsibility - Adam Sarfati (HeapsGood Packaging)
- Technology - Daniel Pearson (PingCo)
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