Anne and her siblings were born and raised in New Zealand. Her parents emigrated from Samoa and instilled in their family the importance of their Samoan culture and heritage.

Ari Kerssens believed his career as an artist was over when his congenital condition caused the sudden loss of nearly all his vision eight years ago.

Cate Grace has a strong conviction about health, to which she has applied an even stronger entrepreneurial vision towards a change in how we nationally address concerns of wellbeing....

If you could capture Chantelle’s personality in three words, they would be bright, gregarious and sensitive. If you ever get the chance to work with her or take part in one of her training sessions, you will no doubt leave impressed.

Two words come to mind immediately when meeting David Seevaratnam for the first time, curious and intelligent. He absorbs every word with genuine interest and can offer a well-considered opinion that is as reassuring as it is thought-provoking, with an unmistakeable air of authority born from a combination of a life full of rich experience and a wisdom far beyond his years.

Genevieve McLachlan has been flexing her expertise and entrepreneurial vision in the accessibility sector for a number of years now, most recently as a senior consultant within Adaptive Technology Solutions Ltd

Kim Dyball is no stranger to adversity, but it’s her vision for a better future that drives her now, coupled with a natural resilience—and more than a little personal pleasure in doing what others have told her she either can’t or shouldn’t.

If you met Mike Lloyd on the street or in a cafe anywhere in the world, you would likely spend the next few minutes chatting about anything from sport, to technology, and everything in between.

Sean Winterbottom envisions a world unencumbered by the biases of the visual. Which is to say, his drive for change is motivated by resisting the dominance of knowledge transition through the medium of language.

Stephen Macartney sees the future for education in more than just statistics, because statistics often paint in too broad strokes—leaving many behind.

Elliot Jones’ dream is that when people hear the word dyslexia, instead of thinking: disability, they think innovator, leader, entrepreneur, visionary. He now wishes to bring this redefinition beyond dyslexia and neurodiversity into the broader disability space.

My name is Hannah Futter and I live here in Whanganui with my husband and our two sons, one of whom was born with a rare genetic disorder called Prader Willi Syndrome.

As an advocate for education and entrepreneurship, my goal is to empower individuals and communities through business support and educational initiatives.

Bio to come

Michelle is the chief strategist and CEO of The Antipodean. She has over 20 years' experience in digital marketing, product, and transformation. The Antipodean consults with brands, agencies and orgs to evolve their immersive and creative technology roadmaps.

Sarah Morrell is the founder and CEO of Access For Success, a disability consulting firm dedicated to improving accessibility and strengthening inclusivity across businesses, organisations, and communities.

The GCOP is led by Chief Possibility Officer and Minnie Baragwanath, who is also the Founder and a Trustee of the Be. Institute.

John Allen has worked alongside Minnie as Chair of the Be. Institute since its inception in 2011 and is the current Chief Executive of WellingtonNZ, formerly known as the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency.

Kirsten brings 20 years of experience in trustee services across private and corporate sectors in New Zealand, Australia, and Hong Kong. She has a strong track record in driving change and delivering value-added solutions for philanthropists and non-profit organisations.