Like any good story, it starts with a special someone. In our case, Jacob. In 2012 Jacob was diagnosed with Autistic Disorder; a developmental condition that affects 1 in 100 Australians’ ability to think, feel, interact and experience their environment. While Jacob was fortunate enough to be referred to the AEIOU foundation (a NFP that assists in early intervention for children with Autism to develop essential skills and live their best lives), we know not every child is as lucky. Having witnessed the profoundly positive impact the AEIOU foundation had on Jacob, a few mates teamed up with the goal to help other children access AEIOU’s services. Shortly afterwards, Team Jacob was born. Over the past 10 years we have been helping AEIOU raise funds to support the funding gap they have in bringing children into their program through fundraising events including the Team Jacob Champions Challenge and the Team Jacob Boutique Beer Lunch. Over time we have recognised there are other organisations that are in need of fundraising support. In April 2022 we teamed up with Fight4Balance and held the first Team Jacob Comedy Night which raised funds to support their mission to open Australia’s first adaptive and inclusive gym for youth with functional and intellectual disabilities. In recognition of this fundraising need for organisations that advance the education, employment, health and wellbeing of family members and families working through the challenges of autism, Team Jacob Charitable Enterprises Ltd was established in Septemebr 2022 to raise money and provide funding for organisations aligned with this objective.