Amy Hall and Dr Danielle Camer and both claimed multiple awards at the 2026 AusMumpreneur Awards. Photos: Amy Hall and Dr Danielle Camer.
We’ve always known it, but now it’s official: the Illawarra’s entrepreneurial mums are punching well above their weight.
Local business founders made a major splash at this year’s AusMumpreneur Awards, which celebrate small business achievements across categories including innovation, customer service, sustainability and leadership.
Leading the charge was Banksia Support Services founder Amy Hall, who pulled off a stunning hat-trick. Ms Hall took home Gold in the Rising Star AusMumpreneur of the Year category, Silver for the Community Impact Award, and Bronze for Leader of the Year.
“The Community Impact Award is the one I’m really excited about, because that’s what we do,” Ms Hall says. “Our whole purpose is to improve the lives of the people we support, but also to build capacity in the sector we’re in.”
As an NDIS-registered provider operating as a lean microbusiness with just two employees, Banksia is already making global waves through new partnerships in Munich and Dublin. That international footprint is directly strengthening local services back home.
“In one way or another, we’re servicing about 10 per cent of all behaviour support practitioners in Australia,” Ms Hall explains. “They’re accessing our services through webinars, training and programs.”
Ms Hall’s award follows her success at the 2026 IMB Bank Illawarra Business Award, where she was named Outstanding Business Leader (20 Employees and Under).
The region’s success didn’t stop there. Award-circuit regular Dr Danielle Camer added two more accolades to her roster, taking home second place for Best Health Business and third place for Best Wellbeing Business.
A multiple award-winning author and founder of The Human Medical Writer, Dr Camer brings over a decade of pharmaceutical experience — supporting industry leaders such as Pfizer and Roche — to health communications and public disease awareness campaigns.
“In a world where AI can spread convincing misinformation in seconds, my mission as The Human Medical Writer is to help improve health outcomes in Australia and worldwide through credible and human-led medical communications,” she says.
“Accurate medical communication can help healthcare professionals make informed decisions, empower people to advocate for their own health and even save lives. I think these factors resonated with the judges as I am actively tackling a current real challenge in healthcare by embracing the benefits of AI, but remaining strictly human-led in my approach to make a real-world impact.”
Dr Camer is equally dedicated to advocacy, raising funds and awareness for the Melanoma Institute Australia and the Cancer Council. Following the loss of her husband to skin cancer on 1 December 2023, which left her raising their nine-year-old daughter, she has focused her expertise on medical children’s literature.
Next up, she plans to publish non-fiction picture books with medical themes, beginning with Amelia Ocelot and the Strange Spot.
Rounding out the Illawarra’s winning streak, Laura Struys of Wollongong Women received an Encouragement Award in the Women’s Champion category.
Wollongong Women builds vibrant networks for small business owners, giving them spaces to connect, spark opportunities and host experiences designed to motivate and empower.
View the full list of winners via 2026 AusMumpreneur.
