Author Barry Li was born in China a few years after the end of the Cultural Revolution, living there for 22 years before deciding to complete his higher education studies in Australia. After graduation and a few years’ work in Australia, in 2010 he returned with his wife, Zhen, to China, to find a country transformed by an economic boom that showed no sign of slowing.  Barry has written an essential guide on the history, culture, and mindset of Chinese migrants in Australia, and of the new China. With an extensive business career, both in China and Australia,

Since 2000 Tracey has specialised in the presentation and distribution of campaigns for the luxury property sector, and heads up the company's growing cache of work in premium property marketing around the globe. In 2014 GEM added an office in the USA, to further meet the demand to create emotive and effective programs that provide properties with every chance to succeed in today's international market place.

The man who created (and then three years ago sold) 5AM organic yoghurt for $80 million is now working on a global campaign for the rebirth of a 200 year old whisky distillery in Scotland called Bladnoch. David purchased Bladnoch two years ago and is investing significantly in it to get it up to world standard - he’s the only known Australian individual to ever own a Scottish whisky distillery.

It’s one thing moving from New York to Sydney, but quite another going from working in Wall St hedge funds to establishing a successful Australian based Mexican fast food Chain. Steven Marks has done both and is on the brink of huge national & International growth. Steven’s enthusiasm for his Mexican restaurant chain Guzman y Gomez is infectious but this success story hasn’t been built on attitude alone. Clearly a smart financial brain, having worked on Wall Street for most of his career, he’s also a stickler for detail, a hard worker and a self-confessed control freak. They’re all attributes that, along with a genuine passion for the product, have served him well.

From humble beginnings in 2000 as a fresh-fruit home-delivery service with 280 customers, Martin has steered the Fruit Box Group to become Australia’s leading, premium quality, workplace fruit and milk delivery-company, with a current turnover in excess of $50m. When the fledgling business had a customer enquiry whether The Fruit Box would deliver to her office, it sparked an idea that redefined the business. Martin & his team recently launched 'The One Box' community supporting disadvantaged families with a weekly box of fresh food basics. The new CSR initiative aims to provide ongoing, sustainable support to help vulnerable families live better.

ARC Laureate Professor & Inventor of “Green Steel” Veena Sahajwalla is revolutionising recycling science to enable global industries to safely utilise toxic and complex wastes as low cost alternatives to virgin raw materials and fossil fuels. As Founding Director of UNSW’s Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology, Veena and her team are working closely with industry partners to deliver the new science, processes and technologies that will drive the redirection of many of the world’s most challenging waste streams away from landfills and back into production; simultaneously reducing costs to alleviating pressures on  the environment.

George cares. She even wrote a stand-up comedy show called “The Care Factor”, which was all about her struggles with caring too much.  She cares particularly deeply about the safety of women and children – hence Shebah.com.au - Australia’s first rideshare service for female only drivers and passengers. Shebah is a passion project for George. In a short time she’s spoken at parliamentary enquiries and met with various transport ministers to plead the case for safe, legal, female-only ride-share service. It’s a tough schedule for a single mum. With four kids. Working four part-time jobs.

Levantine Hill Estate is the biggest ever modern day investment in the Yarra Valley (well in execess of $100 million) to create a new winery venture which has all the heads turning in the Australian wine industry. Levantine Hill Wines are winning awards and plaudits from the critics to create a brand for hand crafted wines which benchmarks itself against the best French wines in the world. The Jreissati family say “Seeing a dream realised is a wonderful thing.” Levantine Hill is available with Qantas in its exclusive lounges and some first class flights.

Prof. Peter Phibbs is a geographer, planner and social economist with extensive experience in program evaluation, financial analysis and cost benefit analysis. He has over twenty years’ experience undertaking housing research. Currently he is the Head of Urban and Regional Planning and Policy at the University of Sydney and also Director of the Henry Halloran Trust at the same University. His recent housing research has been on the development of the affordable housing sector in Australia and the impact of housing on a range of other well-being issues including health and educational outcomes. He is currently a member of the World Health Organisation’s working group which is preparing a set of guidelines on the connections between housing and health. He is also on the NSW Ministerial taskforce on Affordable Housing.

Roger Mendelson is founder of Prushka Fast Debt Recovery and Mendelsons National Debt Collection Lawyers. The companies employ around 100 people around Australia wide. On the business side, Prushka has just released its annual Canary in the Coalmine report. The findings are a clear call for SMEs to address competition and safeguard themselves against downturns.  On the personal side, Roger has also just published his debut romance novel called Eliyahu’s Mistress.