Liam is a Young Engineers Australia Victoria committee member with a passion for changing the lives of people with disabilities. He spoke to us about his tech start-up and the importance of giving back. 

You recently founded a company that creates personalised smart home solutions for people with a disability, can you tell us more about that?   

Homeable is a Melbourne-based start-up with a primary focus to create accessible solutions that align with individual’s unique needs and goals. We design, install and educate people on how to get the most out of their technology.  

We now have clients all around Australia, who we work with to enable them to use their voice or automations to control their home environment. It’s challenging at times, and we have made plenty of mistakes along the way, but I am very grateful that I love what I do because I think that’s what it is all about... connecting your passion to someone else’s needs.  

What inspired you to create Homeable?  

Homeable was born out of a 'design-athon' to explore ways to make smart home technology more accessible. My team was determined to level the playing field by enabling everyone to create the smart home of their dreams.  

We have been very lucky to have a passionate and diverse team driven by people with lived disability experience and backgrounds that cover engineering, nursing, user experience and technology sales. These are all skills we recognise as critical to achieving this goal. If anyone would like to learn more about us, they can follow us on Instagram @homeabletech or visit our website.  

You are currently on the YEAV committee. What do you hope to achieve during your time?  

I have loved my time on the committee and am really looking forward to another year. I think being a young engineer should be fun and exciting, which is why our committee very much focuses on events and experiences to support this.  

I am excited for our upcoming events later this year and early next year. The committee is planning a few site visits for young engineers to experience 'a day in the life' of a professional engineer. Stay tuned. 

Why is it important for you to be involved with Engineers Australia?  

I believe Engineers Australia plays a critical role in every engineer's career, and I think as young engineers it is important to shape what that support looks like. We have engineers fighting climate change, others providing humanitarian aid and I think it is important to highlight these types of stories so we can encourage future engineers to follow suit. 

What advice do you have for young engineers who might be just starting their careers? 

I think engineers are uniquely placed because we have both the ability and responsibility to use our skills to help people in need, which lies at the very foundation of positive change. It is easy to make a dollar, but it is a lot tougher to make a difference.  

I encourage young engineers to think about the 'why' and the 'who', and not just the 'what' when they are starting their careers.