Studying in Australia as a Launchpad for Entrepreneurial and Social Impact in Indonesia

“Fail as many times as you can while you are young”

March 4th, 2025 - .Astrid Paramita, an alumna of PPIA Australia, is currently running several businesses, including Indopromosi, a promotional product supplier targeting the Indonesian market, and Kiss Promotions, a boutique promotional merchandise supplier based in the Australian market. Beyond her business ventures, Astrid and her husband also founded Foodcycle Indonesia, a non-profit organisation aimed at reducing food waste in Indonesia. The idea for Foodcycle was first conceived in 2017. Inspired by the stark differences between Indonesia and Australia in terms of living standards, social inequality, and food management, Astrid felt compelled to make a meaningful social contribution to Indonesia, particularly in the area of food waste reduction.

Astrid pursued her studies in Food Technology at RMIT University and continued living in Melbourne well into her 30s. After completing her education, she ventured into the business world alongside her husband, managing both Indopromosi and Kiss Promotions. Becoming an entrepreneur and running projects was never something she had initially envisioned while in university. However, Astrid sees building businesses and projects as part of a long journey in life—one that emphasises the importance of lifelong learning. She acknowledges that she is still in the process of learning and believes there is no such thing as instant success. Astrid also emphasises that while technology plays a crucial role in today’s world, students must use it wisely and not become overly dependent on it. Technology, in her view, should be a tool that supports individuals in navigating both their successes and failures in life.

During her time at RMIT, Astrid highlighted several advantages of studying abroad: gaining diverse experiences, living more independently, and having the opportunity to network with people from various backgrounds. She believes that the university years are a time to face challenges and embrace failures. “Failure makes you smarter,” she says—a key point underscoring how setbacks can lead to self-reflection and concrete solutions to problems. Astrid encourages students to discover their life purpose and ideals as early as possible, without always relying on society’s standards or expectations.

Astrid also shared her experiences of securing internships and jobs during her university years, from working as a waitress to landing a research opportunity in the food technology industry. She emphasised that securing these opportunities wasn’t solely based on academics but also on how students develop soft skills and accumulate practical experiences through part-time jobs or involvement in organisations.

At the end of the session, Astrid offered several important pieces of advice: students should work hard, seek out valuable experiences to build their careers, and step outside of their comfort zones to foster personal growth. She also stressed the importance of good career planning, so students can better understand what approaches and strategies will help them achieve their goals in the future.