From inner peace to outer space, our 40 Under 40 winners are making an undeniable impact
This crop of 40 Under 40 alumni are shooting for the stars – some of them in a literal sense. Healthcare, hospitality and holistic wellness are just some of the sectors this five piece are excelling in.
Lauren Fell
Lunaria One: Director
It’s hard enough to wrap our brain around the fact that we’ve put people on the moon. Putting plants on the moon – and having them grow – is even more of a fantastical notion. But that’s exactly what Lunaria One seeks to do.
Lunaria One director Lauren Fell heads a team that draws on expertise in biology, engineering, psychology and education, and spearheads experimental efforts to test the ability of plants to grow on the harsh environment of the moon. In April 2022, Lunaria One was granted a free place on board a commercial Lunar lander travelling to the Moon’s surface in early 2025.
The mission will see a payload of seeds and plants delivered to the Lunar surface, with the team hoping to show growth within the first 72 hours of landing. The attempt will act as a crucial testing ground for innovative and practical strategies for generating sustainable practices here on Earth.
Queensland’s best kept secret?
Performance arts. There are so many small companies producing amazing performances throughout cafes and pubs in Brisbane. Circus, comedy, bespoke escape rooms – there’s so many unique performances to see!
Padma Gadiyar
Oral Tech AI PTY LTD: CEO
For many of us, going to the dentist is an unpleasant experience. While Padma Gadiyar, CEO of Oral Tech AI PTY LTD, can’t magically improve your oral hygiene, Smilo.ai can help make the whole process easier.
The digital platform is dedicated to delivering improved consumer care, raising oral health standards and making oral healthcare more accessible and affordable for all. The program brings together the entire ecosystem of oral healthcare – from dentists and insurance providers to product companies.
By leveraging the power of artificial intelligence and teledentistry, Padma and the Smilo.ai team aim to make dental care universally available, providing personalised care to individuals who have been underserved or unable to access proper treatment, irrespective of geographical limitations or availability constraints.
Best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Believe in yourself. It always comes together at the end so be patient. Being at the right time, right place is all that matters.
Anthony Noud
Awakened Lifestyles: Founder
If you ask Anthony Noud, external success comes through inner peace. He might be onto something, if the success of his inner-work coaching company, Awakened Lifestyles, is anything to go by.
The non-medical operation focuses on optimising mental, emotional and spiritual health in its clients via connection-based coaching modality founded in principles of authenticity, compassion, high-performance psychology and values-aligned action.
Offering one-on-one coaching, group online courses, nutritionist-created meals and peer-support outlets, Awakened Lifestyles has helped clients achieve a myriad of goals, from finding employment and reconnecting with their children, to gaining qualifications and passing drug tests where they were previously incapable.
Three books that changed your life?
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, Fear by Thich Nhat Hanh, Dying To Be Me by Anita Morjani.
Ellie Bakker
Splice Marketing: CEO and Founder
For healthcare companies, marketing strategies can be low on the priority list – especially compared to offering life-altering aid or medical breakthroughs. Ellie Bakker and her full-service healthcare marketing agency, Splice Marketing, handles branding, websites, PR, communications and marketing activities for a range of medical-related clients.
Using a data-driven approach to marketing, Splice has achieved impressive results for a range of businesses, from start-ups and solo practices to global medtech companies.
A meal or food item that changed your life?
Truffle anything! Add a little bit of truffle and the world just gets a whole lot more flavoursome.
Nick Winter
Frogs Hollow Saloon: Co-Owner
As much as we all think that running a bar is easy (most of us can’t even pour a pint properly), running a good bar takes the right mix of skill, imagination, hard work and a love for attentive service and fine products. Nick Winter, alongside Pete Hollands and David Robinson, nailed the formula when they came up with Frog’s Hollow Saloon.
The Charlotte Street boozer may only be a smidge over a year old, but the bar has cemented itself as a go-to for the after-work drinks crowd and the spirit-savvy set.
After opening nine venues for other owners over his 17-year career, at Frog’s Hollow Saloon, Nick has put his know-how towards running a bar suited to his own tastes – top-shelf whisky, creative cocktails and a soundtrack of good-time tunes to keep the vibes on point every night of the week.
