Edwina Sharrock OAM

Edwina Sharrock OAM is an accomplished entrepreneur and healthcare professional who founded Birth Beat, Australia's first digital childbirth education platform. Here are some key details about her:

Professional Background

Edwina Sharrock is a Registered Nurse and midwife with over 18 years of experience.3 She founded Birth Beat in 2016 as an online childbirth education platform to address the lack of specialized birth classes in her hometown of Tamworth, New South Wales.12

Birth Beat

Birth Beat offers comprehensive, interactive digital childbirth education and baby/child first aid courses. The platform has helped over 5,000 expecting parents prepare for parenthood.13 In 2023, Birth Beat was acquired by Device Technologies, a leading medical technology company.12

Achievements and Recognition

• Awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)4
• Winner of the NSW Telstra Business Women's Small Business of the Year award in 20191
• Selected as a Cartier Women's Initiative Oceania Fellow in 20211
• Won a Commonwealth Bank Innovation Award1

Current Roles

• Director of the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network5
• Member of the Advisory Board of the UNE SMART Region Incubator2
• Telstra Regional Advisory Committee member2
• Executive Business Coach4

Entrepreneurial Journey

Sharrock describes herself as an "accidental entrepreneur," having started Birth Beat without a formal business plan.2 The company grew from in-person classes to a scalable digital solution, eventually gaining corporate partnerships and private health fund rebate status.1

Future Focus

After the acquisition of Birth Beat, Sharrock plans to focus on supporting other businesses, particularly women in business, to grow and scale.1 She is passionate about increasing the percentage of venture capital funding going to women-founded startups.2