Talent from top to bottom showcases diversity of 40 Under 40 winners
It’s talent from top to bottom for the inaugural Queensland 40 Under 40 awards, with everything from education to healthcare represented among our list.
Nicole Dyson
Future Anything: Founder
If you ask Nicole Dyson, education is everything. Her organisation, Future Anything, is dedicated to transforming young people’s passion and creativity into innovative ideas. The process starts in the classroom, where enterprising mindsets are built through Future Anything’s Activate in-curriculum program and student workshops, which empowers kids to come up with, prototype and pitch innovative, scalable, and sustainable solutions to problems they care about. Future Anything is partnering with innovation bodies, education organisations and governments to develop and implement a ‘future ready’ curriculum – helping bend the future, one youth-led idea at a time.
Best piece of advice you’ve been given?
My Nanna once said to me, “For every bad thing that happens in life, there is always something good that comes out of it. Sometimes we can’t, or won’t, see it in the moment. But, eventually, with time, it’s there.”
Adam Brunes
Aruga: Co-Founder & Creative Partner
In today’s ever-changing media landscape, getting your name out there requires an innovative marketing strategy. Aruga – an independently owned creative communications agency – has become Queensland’s go-to consumer lifestyle agency and it’s thanks, in large part, to the work and vision of creative partner Adam Brunes. Carving a niche for telling uniquely Queensland stories, Aruga has worked with more than 300 clients in an assortment of sectors – including arts and culture, retail, travel and tourism, and not-for-profit organisations – handling everything from public relations and marketing to content production, partnerships and events. Few agencies boast as formidable a skillset as Aruga, which has earned numerous accolades, including 12 national ‘Agency of the Year’ awards.
Three books that changed your life?
Oh, The Place You’ll Go! by Dr Seuss; Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey; This Is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
Cara Aprile
Lilly’s Little Lunchbox: Founder and CEO
It’s well documented how important nutritious food is to growing bodies. Lilly’s Little Lunchbox looks to ensure that kids have access to dietitian-designed, fresh and healthy lunches, while helping to instil healthy eating habits in younger generations. Lilly’s Little Lunchbox founder, dietician and busy working mother Cara Aprile, knows the struggles behind preparing healthy lunches for her daughter every day. Cara’s business has grown rapidly as it’s tapped into an area of need – it now delivers more than 80 combinations of meals, snacks and smoothies (made from locally sourced and sustainable ingredients) to 3500 suburbs across New South Wales and Queensland, becoming a life saver for countless time-poor parents. Cara and her team also offer resources and ongoing support to parents, giving them the tools to navigate the challenges of promoting healthy eating habits in their households.
Best piece of advice you’ve been given?
If you’re going to start something, finish it.
Sebastian Toro
Welcome Students Group: Co-Founder
Seeking an education in a foreign country is a daunting prospect, one that many skilled migrants and students find hard to navigate. Few people know this better than Sebastian Toro, who faced these exact challenges when he moved to Australia as an international student at 19 years of age. Without any connections and with limited English, Sebastian managed to build a community through weekly events dedicated to showcasing Latin culture, giving similarly isolated students a place to feel at home. After working in migration law, Sebastian went on to found Welcome Students Group, an organisation that offers comprehensive assistance to those searching for suitable education programs and study options in Australia. Welcome Students Group has forged connections with a network of renowned educational institutions, tailoring solutions to meet the specific needs of each individual.
What album or musician have you consistently listened to the longest?
Vicente Fernandez, a legendary Mexican singer!
Chukwuemeka Edwin-Nweze
Neta Care Pty Ltd: CEO and Managing Director
Frustrated by existing systems that failed to offer suitable resources to disability support workers and fuelled by a deep passion to improve lives, Chukwuemeka Edwin-Nweze founded Neta Care to empower individuals with disability and in aged care. The holistic, one-stop health solution provider offers an array of services, ensuring NDIS supports are provided promptly and accurately. These include finding suitable Specialist Disability Accommodation, nursing support, transport assistance and community activities, among many others. Neta Care will be expanding its scope to various parts of Australia, offering accessible and comprehensive healthcare services to regions in great need, while also implementing innovative recruitment strategies to expand the pool of qualified and experienced professionals Neta Care relies on to offer its personalised brand of assistance.
