Yuan Gao’s journey to a greener future

Yuan Gao graduated from UQ’s Master of Sustainable Energy program in December, bringing experience from her previous work as an environmental engineer in Hong Kong. While working on big infrastructure projects, she improved her knowledge of environmental rules and became more interested in finding real, long-term solutions for sustainability.

Building a startup from the ground up

While studying at UQ, Yuan saw a gap in the market. Teaming up with a classmate, she launched a startup called GreenSphere, which offers practical, affordable sustainability consulting for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Their services include emissions tracking, waste-to-energy strategies, solar energy solutions and recycling, all to help SMEs reduce their environmental footprint without relying on expensive consultants.

Empowering women entrepreneurs at UQ

Yuan was a participant in the 2024 UQ Empower Women’s Entrepreneurship program, which helped her turn her passion into a business. The program helped her shape her startup’s goals and gave her the tools to build a business that can grow and make a real difference. UQ’s commitment to supporting future entrepreneurs gave Yuan the confidence and skills to bring her vision to life.

Learning beyond the classroom

Her course has introduced Yuan to new technologies in solar, wind and energy storage. Thanks to UQ’s strong industry connections, she was able to see how these technologies are used through site visits, placements and events. These experiences helped her link what she learned in class to how sustainability works across different industries and countries.

Creating industry-specific solutions

Yuan believes sustainability isn’t the same for every business. Her startup creates strategies that suit different industries, knowing that areas like construction and agriculture need different solutions. She wants to give businesses the tools to manage sustainability in a way that works for them, using data and digital platforms to make it easier and more accessible.

A sustainable future

Yuan is driven by a long-term goal: making sustainability possible for every business, no matter the size or budget. With a strong foundation from UQ and a clear vision, Yuan is part of a new generation of career-ready graduates who are using entrepreneurship to shape a better future.