Dr Grant Ryan
In 1998 Grant formed Internet search company GlobalBrain that was sold to American based NBC Internet in 2000. This top ten web site spent about 30 million in the US advertising the technologies developed by the team of 27 engineering based in Christchurch.

Grant has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and PhD in Ecological Economics. He had a real job for about 2 years working as a scientist at Industrial Research before catching the entrepreneurial bug and forming his first company. He is currently playing around with some new business ideas while working on his skiing and golf skills.

Janine Shepherd
Janine Shepherd was a champion cross-country skier in training for the Winter Olympics, when her life was irrevocably altered as the result of a horrific accident.

Because of her serious injuries, doctors predicted that Janine wouldn’t live, then, that she wouldn’t be able to walk or bear children.

However, Janine refused to accept this and focused on every sinew of her being on healing her broken body. In addition to walking again, Janine is now the mother of three children and a commercial pilot.

Her story is a testament to the power of the human spirit and one that will move and inspire all who hear it.

Graeme Alford
Graeme is author of the best-selling Book ‘Never Give Up’. He was also the entrepreneur behind The World Masters of Business, which saw for the first time ever general Norman Schwarzkopf, Lee Iacocca, Stephen Covey and Ricardo Semler present on the same platform together. A world first which 20,000 New Zealanders and Australians were allowed to experience.

However, life was not always ‘a bed of roses’ for Alford who after being a successful solicitor botched his life as a result of excessive drinking and gambling which led to armed robbery and a long term jail sentence.

In prison, shattered and destitute, he was forced to reassess his life which he turned around.

He is now seven stone lighter, has a happy family life, is a tireless charity worker and is one of Australia’s most outstanding entrepreneurs.