Question 1

What's the difference between Founders & Practitioners and Expert membership?

Accepted Answer

Founders & Practitioners ($79/month) is full community membership — Expert Pods, all events and connection formats, pod hosting (one guaranteed slot per year, additional on availability), social media amplification, and the collaboration and referral network. Expert ($99/month, invite only) includes everything in Founders & Practitioners, plus exclusivity in your specialty, two guaranteed pod hosting slots per year, a booking link so members can find and hire you directly, first consideration for project delivery work that comes through The IC, and nomination for paid speaking opportunities if a program launches. Expert membership requires a minimum commitment of two hosted pods per year to hold the exclusivity.

Question 2

I really need community right now but I can't afford membership yet. Are there any options?

Accepted Answer

Yes — a few, depending on your situation. The lowest barrier in is a $5 visitor pass. That gets you access to an Expert Pod plus full community membership for that month, including a welcome tour with Abbey. If you join during that first month, you will receive 10% off your ongoing membership fee. Our public events are also free or low-cost. Speed Friending (online, monthly) and our Sydney in-person events are open to guests. If you are running a registered social enterprise or not-for-profit, our Global Goalies program offers sponsored access twice a year. See Our Impact for details. If you are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander founder, full scholarships are available — contact abbey@impactcollab.com.au to discuss. And if the timing genuinely is not right yet — apply anyway and let us know. We would rather know you are interested and find a way to make it work.

Question 3

How does The IC know what programming is right for me?

Accepted Answer

During onboarding you complete a short diagnostic — about three minutes. It asks you to rate yourself across five areas: Product Design, Visibility, Impact, Systems and Wellbeing. Your answers tell us where you are strong, where you are building, and what kind of support will make the biggest difference right now. Based on your results we route you to the right programming — Foundation Pods where building a strong base will make the most difference, and Expert Pods where you are ready to go deeper. The diagnostic is reshared every six months so your programming evolves as you do.

Question 4

What are the Global Goals?

Accepted Answer

The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals — a shared framework for the change the world needs by 2030. Our members map their businesses to the goals they genuinely contribute to, and measure it honestly. See where the community is putting its weight on Our Impact.

Question 5

How can I pay?

Accepted Answer

By card, through Stripe. Membership bills automatically — $79 a month, or $237 a quarter if you would rather pay three months at a time. You can switch between the two, and change the card, from Membership in the portal. We also accept membership by bank transfer — email abbey@impactcollab.com.au with your name and the amount ($79 monthly or $237 quarterly). Those payments are reconciled manually outside Stripe; your portal membership will not update automatically until we have matched your transfer.

Question 6

What is The Impact Collab?

Accepted Answer

A curated community for purpose-led consultants, coaches, fractional leaders and service-based founders building businesses at the intersection of income and impact. We launched in 2022 and cap the community at 150 members.

We are not where you summit. We are the base camp that makes summiting possible.

Question 7

What runs each month?

Accepted Answer

Foundation Pod masterclasses (two live sessions a month, one per pillar in rotation), Expert Pod sessions, coworking and body-doubling, Speed Friending, and monthly in-person events. The live calendar is on our events page.

Question 8

What happens after I sign up?

Accepted Answer

Your membership starts with a personalised 1:1 onboarding call with Abbey, where you will talk through your goals, your first month, and register for anything you are immediately interested in. In your first month we will connect you with three members who are genuinely worth knowing. From there, the community is yours to navigate. Abbey is your community concierge throughout your membership.

Question 9

Can I pause my membership?

Accepted Answer

Pausing is available for Founders & Practitioners members in exceptional circumstances — get in touch to discuss. Pausing is not available if you are sponsoring a Global Goalie (your membership supports their community access), or if you are an Expert member during the planning, delivery and wrap-up period of a pod, which runs for approximately 12 weeks.

Question 10

Can non-members attend?

Accepted Answer

Yes — for the sessions we list as open on our events calendar. Speed Friending, Sydney in-person events, selected Foundation Pod masterclasses, and many Expert Pods show a Register button on Luma when guests are welcome to book. The calendar reflects what is actually open; if there is no Register button, that session is members only. Most of our programming — coworking, member yarns, and pods not listed as open — stays for members. The lowest-barrier way in is the $5 visitor pass: one Expert Pod plus full community membership for that month, including a welcome tour with Abbey. If you join during that first month, you receive 10% off your ongoing membership fee. See membership FAQs for details, or Our Impact for Global Goalies and scholarship options.

Question 11

Who is it for?

Accepted Answer

Two groups, one room: people doing direct impact work, and the specialists who help impact businesses grow. Most members run a business of one or a very small team.

Membership tiers are Founders & Practitioners and Expert (invite only). Sponsored seats are our Global Goalies — see Our Impact.

Question 12

How do you measure impact?

Accepted Answer

We ask members what changed, for whom, and how they know. The five-pillar diagnostic gives each member a baseline and a direction; the community survey tracks how that moves. We would rather publish a modest number we can evidence than a large one we cannot.

Question 13

Who can join?

Accepted Answer

The IC is for purpose-led consultants, coaches, fractional leaders and service-based founders building businesses at the intersection of income and impact — both people doing direct impact work and the specialists who help impact businesses grow. The community is curated. There is an application and interview process, and a cap of 150 members.

Question 14

Are sessions recorded?

Accepted Answer

Foundation Pod masterclasses are recorded and available to members on demand for a limited period after the session. Expert Pods are not recorded — that is deliberate, so members can speak freely about their businesses.

Question 15

I'm not based in Australia — can I join?

Accepted Answer

The community is designed for members in Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia. Members outside these time zones are considered only in very special circumstances — our focus on work-life balance means we do not run events outside business hours, and timezone gaps make full participation difficult. We are taking expressions of interest for global chapters. Get in touch if you would like to be kept informed.

Question 16

Where does the community actually happen?

Accepted Answer

Sessions run on Luma and Zoom, with monthly in-person events. Between events, the community connects in Slack — intros and wins, opportunities and recommendations, regional groups, virtual coworking, and identity-aligned spaces like Pride Hive.

Your diagnostic, pods, resources and the member directory live in the member portal on this site.

Question 17

How often do I need to show up?

Accepted Answer

There is no attendance requirement. Membership is designed around your schedule — you choose what to engage with and when. Expert Pods run monthly with limited spots and need to be booked in advance. Everything else is available when you need it. The community is your base camp, not a programme with roll call.

Question 18

What is the Global Goalies program?

Accepted Answer

Sponsored membership seats. Registered social enterprises and not-for-profits can access the community through sponsored places, offered twice a year and funded by other members. Register your interest on Our Impact.

Question 19

How do I cancel?

Accepted Answer

Memberships are month to month. To cancel, let us know at least 7 days before your next billing date. A few exceptions: If you are sponsoring a Global Goalie, we ask for one month’s notice to support their transition or next steps. If you are an Expert member mid-pod cycle, we ask that you either complete the pod or give 8 weeks’ notice so we can find a replacement. Expert members can step down to a Founders & Practitioners membership at any time — your specialty slot will open up for someone else.

Question 20

What time are the events?

Accepted Answer

All events run between 11am and 3pm Sydney time, on Mondays and Thursdays. No evening sessions. No weekends. And never over lunch — we want members to have a proper break.

Question 21

Are there local meetups outside Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide?

Accepted Answer

In-person events currently run monthly in Sydney (coworking and the Business For Good Lunch) and through a partnership in Melbourne and Adelaide (coworking, women only). Additional local meetups happen on an ad hoc basis in other cities. Members in regions without regular local events may be eligible for a membership discount — reach out to discuss.

Question 22

How does the waitlist work?

Accepted Answer

Joining the waitlist is how you apply. Applications are open continuously and reviewed in monthly batches. If there is space in the community and you are a good fit, we will be in touch with next steps after the next review. The community has a cap of 150 members.

Question 23

How soon can I host an Expert Pod?

Accepted Answer

After attending two pods as a participant you are eligible to apply for a hosting slot. Founders & Practitioners members are guaranteed one slot per year; additional slots are on availability. Expert members are guaranteed two slots per year as part of their membership.

Question 24

Where does the community connect between events?

Accepted Answer

On-demand support and connection between events happens in Slack. Channels include intros and wins, opportunities and recommendations, regional groups, virtual coworking, and identity-aligned spaces like Pride Hive.

Question 25

Can I try before I commit?

Accepted Answer

Yes — and it is designed to be low risk. A first-time visitor pass is $5. That gets you access to an Expert Pod plus full community membership for that month, including an optional live welcome tour with Abbey at the start of the month. If you decide to join during your trial month, you will receive 10% off your ongoing membership fee. Not ready yet? You can join later or return as a casual guest — $50 gives you pod access and community membership for that month each time you visit.

Question 26

How do I become an Expert member?

Accepted Answer

Expert membership follows a two-stage pathway. First, attend two pods as a participant — then you are eligible to host. Once you have successfully hosted two pods of your own, you are eligible to apply for Expert membership with exclusivity in your specialty. Qualifying members are invited first; Expert spots may also open when there is a gap in a specialty. If you are interested, note it in your application and we will keep you informed.

Questions, answered

Still stuck?

- Header: direct and confident, not a soft question — reinforce this is the right room for the right people