VMDO announce successful applicants for Leg Up 2025
Published 26 March, 2025
Leg Up upskills Victorian music professionals
One pathway for a thriving business is to have a sound grasp of financial planning and responsibilities.
Through our Leg Up program, in 2025 we are upskilling 37 Victorian music professionals to develop their financial confidence and capabilities.
Leg Up supports selected applicants with access to grants for micro-investments, expert advice, professional development and capacity building.
Victorian music professionals welcomed the support through Leg Up, as it provided quick, easy and vital assistance to prevent any potential financial insecurities.
Over 50% of the 2025 applicants are mid-career professionals aged 25-40 and we received positive interest from across a range of music professions, including First Nations and LGBTI+ people.
Supported over two streams, the 2025 Leg Up recipients represent a broad portion of the music industry, including managers, bookers, studios, publicists and digital marketers.
Maryos Syawish and Corey Kikos from record label Butter Sessions plan to invest in royalty software to streamline profit and loss reporting for represented artists.
Caitlin Reilly is seeking advice from Considered Law to discuss the most efficient business structure for event marketing agency In Cahoots.
Quick grants up to $1k
The following 2025 Leg Up recipients can make targeted and quick micro-investments that support their financial capabilities, like accounting software and subscriptions:
Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt
Amanda Blue
Mahala Bond
Fei Chen
Caitlin Crawley
Angela H Evans
Emma Graham
Sarah Hamilton
Emily Kelly
Kerry Kennell
Summer King
Yasin Leflef
Stephanie Linsdell
Alyse Newman
Alessandra Peach
Charlotte Ried
Sean Simmons
Maryos Syawish
Darve Smith
Darvid Thor
Ali Webb
One-hour consultations
The following 2025 Leg Up recipients can seek financial advice from experts at established Victorian-based accounting and law firms: Darkwave, White Sky, The Gild Group and Considered Law about managing budgets, salaries, superannuation, tax, royalties, investments, debt and expenditure:
Jacqueline Anderson
Bec Armstrong
Romanie Assez
Georgina Fiske
Tina Parker Jacques
George Kay
Del Ly
Bridie O'Malley
Elissa Parsons
Nathalie Pavlovic
Patrick Quinlan
Caitlin Reilly
Chitra Ridwan
Hayden Ryan
Jack Viveiros
Cara Williams
Other support to develop your financial skills
Business Victoria – offers workshops, mentoring and courses to improve skills, network with others and get advice from an expert or mentor.
business.gov.au – provides support to help Australian businesses succeed, including offering information, grants and other services.
Support Act Money Moves – is a free, self-paced, online program about financial management and wellbeing.