100+ MAKERS AND MAVERICKS - 2016.
Each year we compile a list of the one hundred+ people that got us to utter those words ‘I wish I had done that, made that, invented that, thought like that, changed that’. These are the people who shone the brightest for us back in 2016.
Maker Of The Year
Casey Neistat
Filmmaker/Vlogger/Co-founder
Beme
Our Maker of the year in 2016 was Casey Neistat. He decided to make a Vlog every day for a year. It helped him become one of YouTube’s biggest Vloggers. He was also voted YouTuber of the year by YouTube itself.
He co-founded the social media company Beme which was acquired by CNN in late 2016. As part of the deal, Neistat will lead the Beme team as a new standalone media sub-brand. All 11 members of Beme are going with him.
“The tattoo on his arm reads: Do More.”
Maverick Of The Year
Elon Musk
Co-founder/CEO
Tesla/SpaceX/Solar City
Elon Musk is our Maverick of the year in 2016. As he was in 2015 and 2014. Why? Because his mission is to protect the human race. To help battle climate change. This year saw him introduce solar tiles that look like normal tiles.
A simple idea, but the best ones are. His insight was people were put off installing solar tiles because they look like solar tiles. So now you won’t even know if a tile is solar. Stealth sustainability. Genius.
“If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”
Tech
John Sinclair/Matt Miller
Co-founders
Studio Ustwo
Is it a digital agency? A game studio? An incubator? A venture fund? Maybe it is all of them. But the thing they are focused on the most is to create a space for 250 people to have the most fun they can and do their best work. Ever.
Nalden/Bas Beerens/Rinke Visser
Co-Founders
WeTransfer
WeTransfer is a simple, fun and a beautiful file sharing service for 80 million people. It is loved by the creative people around the world. It started life in the Netherlands. But 2016 saw them start an office in LA.
Divya Nag
Special Projects
Apple
Divya joined Apple in 2014 and now leads the team that’s responsible for ResearchKit. An open source developer toolbox that is showing how health data can help patients, doctors and medical research.
Adam Leibsohn
Chief Operating Officer
Giphy
Giphy has quickly become the world’s library for all animated Gif’s. Adam is the Chief Operating Officer of Giphy where he is working to make GIFs a central part of the way we communicate on social and mobile platforms. GIF’s=Fun.
Anna Young
Co-founder
MakerNurse
Anna Young co-founded Pop Up Labs, a company that runs the MakerNurse. MakerNurse is a community of inventive nurses who are creating solutions to improve patient care every day. And using the latest Tech to do that.
Félix Lajeunesse/Paul Raphaël
Film Maker
Felix & Paul Studios
Theirs is a unique film studio dedicated to storytelling through the medium of cinematic virtual reality. The studio combines technological innovation with a unique, pioneering and in-depth approach to the new art of VR storytelling.
Richard Jenkins
Founder
Saildrone
Drone ahoy! Saildrone started off as a company trying to beat the land speed record and now uses that sail tech to revolutionise ocean science. They provide high resolution ocean data collected by their fleet of sailing drones.
Grab Taxis
Co-founder
Hooi Ling Tan
Grab offers ride-hailing and logistics services through its app in Southeast Asia, specifically in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia + Philippines. 95% of Asia’s third party taxi’s hailing has been ‘Grabbed’ by them.
Vitalik Buterin
Founder
Ethereum
Vitalik Buterin is the creator of the fast-growing new cryptocurrency network Ethereum, he wants you to use his technology to disrupt, well, everything. Ether, is the second highest valued digital money next Bitcoin. Cash: R.I.P.
David Limp
Senior Vice President
Amazon Design Team
Amazon continues to surprise. Echo, its hands free voice controlled, powered by virtual assistant Alexa has become a hugely popular. Right now it has 1,000 people working on it. Beam me up, Alexa.
Experience
Hiroshi Sambuichi
Architect
What is most remarkable about Hiroshi Sambuichi’s work is the sensation of air and wind movement that the shapes of the architect’s buildings encourage. Harmony with the environment is what he strives to achieve in his work.
Anna Beuselinck/Gary Breen
Co-Founders
Campovida
Two hours north of San Francisco, there is a town called Hopland. An underdog town. But a married couple are putting it back on the map. An award winning wine club. An incredible events space. Restaurants. And, soon a new hotel, too.
Charles Gladstone/Caroline Gladstone/Cerys Matthews
Co-Founders
Good Life Experience
In a busy year, we all need a pause button to press. For more and more and people, that pause is supplied by The Good Life Experience. Music. Great food. Great location. Good vibes abound. Simplicity in a world that is often complex.
Nick Jones
Founder
Soho House
Nick Jones has transformed how we think of private members’ clubs, doing away with the idea of a stodgy oak-panelled place to where driven young creatives can gather to eat, drink, work, watch films and live performances.
Laura Lee Brown/Steve Wilson
Co-founders
21C Museum Hotel
This husband and wife team are changing the hotel business by bringing brave contemporary art together with world class hospitality to revitalise their hometown. There are now seven 21C hotels, with more planned in 2017.
Alejandro Aravena
Executive Director
Elemental S.A.
Alejandro is a Chilean architect from Santiago. He is executive director of the firm Elemental S.A. He won the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2016. He is also the director and curator of the Architecture Section of the Venice Biennale 2016.
Paul Tollett
Founder
Coachella
The Coachella Festival is an annual music and arts festival located in the Inland Empire’s Coachella Valley, in the Colorado Desert. It has been his brainchild from day one. In 2016 he successfully reunited Guns & Roses in 2016.
Brian Chesky
Co-founder
Airbnb
Brian Joseph Chesky helped start the biggest hotel in the world. Even if it is not a hotel per se. They prefer to think of it as unique travel experiences, at any price point you prefer. It is now in 34,000 cities. 191 countries.
David Adjaye
Designer
Sir David Frank Adjaye OBE is a Ghanaian British architect. Adjaye is the lead designer of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, located on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
Marta Fonseca and Gonçalo Alves
Co-founders
Areias do Seixo
The Hotel Areias do Seixo is surrounded by sea, dunes and pine forest. It was born from a dream of the owners Marta and Gonçalo. The desire to create a unique place where they could receive people from all corners of the world.
Wellbeing
Nicole Cardoza
Founder
Yoga Foster
Nicole Cardoza started Yoga Foster after her experience as a volunteer yoga instructor in schools. Realising first-hand the lack of accessibility to physical activity, she started training teachers tools for effective yoga in their classrooms.
Grace Malloy
Co-owner
Paco Farm
Grace has started a learning farm to teach others how to farm. From a small, farm in Meiner’s Oaks, CA she welcomes students young and old to learn about farming, homesteading, goats, chickens, and traditional skills.
Andy Puddicomb
Founder
Headspace
Andy Puddicombe is the founder of Headspace, a digital health platform that provides guided meditation training for its users. He is a former Buddhist monk with a degree in Circus Arts. Just 10 minutes a day is all he is asking for.
Abby Falik
Founder
Global Citizen Year
How do you use your gap year to make a difference? How do use that time to grow you as a next generation leader. The founder and CEO of Global Citizen Year, is on a mission to give other students that same opportunity as she had.
Wim Hof
Dutch Daredevil/The Ice Man
Wim Hof ran a half marathon in Lapland at -30. He is on a quest to spread the potential health benefits of his breathing techniques, working closely with scientists around the world to prove that his techniques work.
Jason Nemer
Founder
Acroyoga
Jason believes strangers from different cultures can become friends through the joy of playfulness. Seeing people shift their beliefs about themselves, each other and the world is what motivates him. “I am forever amazed at that.”
Jerry Stritzke
REI
CEO/President
Since 23 mountaineering friends founded the co-op, REI has always been about the joy of a life lived outside. Their “beyond profit” mantra has allowed them to close all 149 of its stores on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
Rachel Brathen
Yoga Girl
Swedish native Rachel Brathen is a New York Times best-selling author, and international yoga teacher residing in Aruba. She inspires over two million followers on Instagram each day with her daily practice.
Jason Fried
Founder/CEO
Basecamp
Jason believes that you can do all your work in 40 hours. And he has no right to demand more time from you than that. He makes that possible by protecting your time. So you can focus on your work. And it’s working.
Food
Rene Redzepi
Co-Owner
Noma
Ok, you are voted world’s best chef. Your restaurant has a waiting list measured in years. So what do you do? Tell the world your closing it. And your going to open a farm restaurant. Balls of steel. Stay hungry. Stay foolish.
Alex Atala
Founder
D.O.M.
Alex Atala is a Brazilian chef who loves Brazil. And what it stands for, what flavours sum it up. It is his very essence. He runs the restaurant D.O.M. in São Paulo. In May 2012, D.O.M. was rated the 4th best restaurant in the world.
Kate Berry
Founder
Lunch Lady Blog/Quarterly Magazine
Lunch Lady started life as a blog in late 2013 after her then nine-year-old daughter was bullied at school for eating homemade lunches. It has since become a quarterly magazine, and an inspiration to mums around the world.
Hugh Thomas/Joe Benn
Co-founders
Ugly Drinks
This is the opposite of sugar water. This is a natural spring water infused with natural fruit flavours. But their genius is they have made it look fun, quirky and not too worthy. So kids can feel cool about it.
Francis Mallmann
Founder
El Restaurante Patagonia Sur in Buenos Aires, Argentina
If you want to get a taste of the man, watch his Chef’s Table. Francis Mallmann is a maverick, larger than life. And refreshingly honest. His focus is on various Patagonian methods of barbecuing food. Accompanies with a nice red wine.
Aaron Oslon/Kim Anderson
Co- Founders
Handlebar Coffee
As former pro cyclists, they switched gears in 2011 and directed their focus to roasting some of the best coffees in the world and offering them to you. Their goal is to link our appreciation for the farmers to you, through each cup.
Yotam Ottolenghi
Chef/Author/Restauranteur
Yotam Ottolenghi’s food has been described as sunny. He is zest plus zing. Grapefruit plus pomegranate. He is an Israeli-born British chef. And is the co-owner of several delis in London, including Ottolenghi Notting Hill.
Anja Dunk
Chef/Author
With 3 young boys under 6 years old, most mums would not find time to be an author, to build a really engaged following on Instagram, to run workshops of preserving jam, but Anja is a force of nature.
Patrick Brown
Founder
Impossible Burgers
The world loves meat. But relying on cows to make meat is land-hungry, water-thirsty, and pollution-heavy. That’s why they set out to do the impossible: make delicious meats that are good for people and the planet.
Grant Achatz
Founder
Alinea
Grant Achatz is a maverick. A true maverick. He can’t stand still. Be still. Sit still. He exists to keep pushing. Just watch his Chef’s Table and you will understand why he is on this list.
Brenden Tracey
Founder
Natural Wine Maker
The natural wine movement needs its rock stars. And in Brenden it has one. Yes, he is pushing the natural wine movement forward. He is an American. Living in France. He designs the labels. He makes the wine. And has his own band.
Platforms Of Influence
Richard Price
Founder
Academia
Richard Price is the founder of Academia.edu. Academia.edu is a platform for academics to share research papers. The company’s mission is to accelerate the world’s research. 46,533,153 academics have signed up.
Alex Wolf
Founder
Bossbabe
Alex Wolf is the founder and chairman of Bossbabe Inc., a members-only online community for millennial women looking to build their own online businesses. At 19, Wolf dropped out of community college in Berkeley, CA,
Alex Pettit
From his bedroom he has become No1 in the UK and Europe on Periscope. And one of the worl’s most influential ‘Scopers.’ He is a true pioneer of live streaming, and uses Periscope to shape and tailor his content daily.
Victoria Siddall
Director
Frieze Art Fair
Frieze week has become the art event of the year, with the world’s top curators, collectors, museum directors and buyers flying into London from all over the world for the “money-can’t-buy-a-ticket” VIP opening party. Kudos to her.
Ted Hope
Amazon Studios
There’s a new studio in town. And it’s well funded. It’s called Amazon Prime. Top Gear became Grand Tour. New high quality drama’s are no longer just for BBC and ITV. Feature Films are no longer just for Hollywood. Who knew?
Will Hudson/Alex Bec
Co-founders
It’s Nice That
It’s Nice That believes in creativity. And passionately champion the most exciting and engaging work online, in print and through events programme. In 2016 they announced a lecture series to help the creative community.
Nick Defty
Founder
YCN
YCN is a network to help the creative community. From its students awards to its award winning lending library. This network is for helping the creative community navigate its way through their creative lives.
Nick Bell
Vice President of Content
Snapchat
As vice president of content at Snapchat, Nick Bell oversees Live Stories, a curated stream of snaps from users that are shared with the entire community. He’s also been the driving force behind Discover, in which Snapchat partners.
Danae Ringelmann
Co-founder
Indiegogo
She grew up seeing her parents struggle to get small business loans. Now Danae Ringelmann has a quest to democratise fundraising and has since helped to propel the company into one of the world’s largest crowdfunding platform.
Tina Roth Eisenberg
Entrepreneur/Online Editor/Blogger
Creative Mornings
She is Oprah for the creative community. And she shows us all what a labour of love can build. For her it has built an inspiring volunteer network called Creative Mornings. A breakfast lecture series. And it’s flying. 162 creative cities.
Ted Sarandos
Chief Content Officer
Netflix
Netflix is nailing it: The Crown; Chef’s Table. It’s like the BBC but with proper funding. Ted Sarandos is recognised as a key innovator in the acquisition and distribution of films and television programs. They are changing TV.
Alex Miller
Head Of Content
Vice Magazine
Alex began his career at NME, he has spent six years at Vice, rising from online editor to executive editor and then UK editor-in-chief. Vice continues to defy convention that long form is dead with a younger audience.
Diane Tavenner
Founder
The Summit School
Diane’s vision is that personalised learning will be the American public education system. She believes in the next 10 years, we’ll see half of the schools in America doing personalised learning.
Mark Zuckerberg
Founder
Periscope stole a march on Facebook, but if there is one thing Mark can see and that is where things are going. He quickly understood the importance of Live Streaming. And, Facebook Live went Live in 2016. And was a huge hit.
Purpose Driven
Ben Masters
Unbranded Film
Ben Masters is the “mastermind” of Unbranded. Intrigued, Masters looked into the wild horse controversy and found a sad and complex situation. He decided to do something about it. The Unbranded idea was born.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit
Co- Founders
VC
Crown Princess Mette Marit of Norway is not happy just to sit there. She wants to change things. She is applying the VC model to philanthropy. She’s deeply committed to promoting global health issues, particularly young people at risk.
Leonardo Dicaprio
Actor/Environmentalist
Founded
Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation
Leonardo is using his fame and his money to make a difference. The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is dedicated to long-term health and wellbeing of all Earth’s inhabitants, ecosystems and communities.
Cool Earth Action
The key insight for this charity is that local people are the forests best possible custodians. It wants to put the best people in control with the resources they need to keep their rainforest intact. Simple and effective.
Shelley Hwang
Chief of Breast Surgery
Duke Cancer Institute
One of the world’s foremost experts in early-stage breast cancers, Shelley Hwang, MD, has become an international leader calling for research to guide treatment for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
Inna Braverman
Co-Founder
Eco Wave Power
If surfers can use the energy of waves, so can the rest of the planet. Eco Wave has developed proprietary technology for extracting energy from ocean and sea waves and converting it into electricity. Nature has the answers.
David Bamberger
Founder
Bamberger Ranch
Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve is a 5,500-acre ranch in Blanco County that has been restored to its original habitat. It’s mission is to teach ethical land stewardship by example and outreach, for landowners.
Sunita Narain
Activist/Director
Centre for Science and Environment
She has long been one of India’s most prominent environmentalists. She’s led campaigns against Coke and Pepsi for including high levels of pesticides in their sodas and reduce air pollution in New Delhi.
Martin Dorey
Founder
#2minutebeachclean
Can a two minute beach clean really make a difference. Well, yeah. This is a growing family of beach lovers rolling up our sleeves to help rid the world’s beaches of marine litter and plastic pollution, two minutes at a time.
Christiana Figueres
Executive Secretary
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
Persuading politicians to sign a piece a paper rather is not easy. So getting nearly 200 countries to commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions has been hailed as the most ambitious climate agreement in history.
Yvon Chouinard
Founder
Patagonia
100% of their global retail and online Black Friday sales went directly to grassroots nonprofits working on the frontlines to protect our air, water and soil for future generations. $10 million in sales were raised to help the planet.
Joshua Coombes
Founder
#DoSomethingForNothing
Josh Coombes is a selfless young hairdresser from London, who takes to the streets on his days off and gives haircuts to the homeless. Human helping human. No big plan. Except this may become a global movement.
Yancey Strickler
Co- Founder
Kickstarter
Think back, not so long ago. And if you had to get a creative idea funded you had to go to a bank. And we all know how much banks love creative ideas. Kickstarter is the world bank for creatives. And it is now a B.Corp too.
Dr Bronner
Under the radar they go. But Dr. Bronners is a great company that doesn’t shout. It believes in looking after the environment and people. But, does so quietly, but they are the real deal.
Daniel T. Hendrix
CEO
Interface
Interface, Inc. is the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial carpet tile but with a difference. Its environmental footprint is one of the most important metrics in the business. Their ‘Mission Zero®’ is their beautiful goal.
Corentin de Chatelperron
Inventor
Gold Of Bengal
Corentin developed a new project: to build Gold of Bengal, a boat entirely constructed of composite jute. He wanted to show the mechanical performance of the material and solicit industrial interest for this innovation.
Creativity
Yayoi Kusama
Avant-garde sculptor, painter and novelist
The 87-year old Japanese artist is known for her abstract expressionist work that includes polka dots, patterns, and nets. Yayoi considered one of Japan’s most prominent contemporary artists. Forever young.
Andrew Paynter
Photographer
Andrew Paynter is one of America’s finest photographers. His work gets under the skin of his subjects and bring their personalities to light. And reveals the human being underneath. We are lucky to work with him once a year.
Paul Gaudio
Creative Director
Adidas
Adidas versus Nike. Sport is all about these contests. If Adidas can reveal their emotion, find their truth, then it will have a much bigger fight on its hands. Gaudio’s aim is to make everything “look, feel and smell and taste like Adidas”.
Nigel Cabourn
Designer
Hailed as a cult British designer, for over 40 years he has done it his way. Some years that has worked. Some years it hasn’t. But, when it hasn’t worked, it was because he was ahead of time. A true British maverick.
Daan Roosegaarde
Founder/Artist/Inventor
Studio Roosegaarde
Daan Roosegaarde is a Dutch artist and innovator. He is the founder of Studio Roosegaarde, best known for creating landscapes of the future and exploring relations between people, technology and space.
Manuela Wirth/Iwan Wirth
President
Hauser & Wirth
When you are regularly voted nice things in the art world, and you don’t tend to go and start something down in Somerset. But they are using their considerable power to make interesting things happen in the place they love.
Brandan Odums/’Bmike’
Founder
His work is built on the idea of change and using visual art forms to do so. Brandan is a community leader and channels his energy to uplifting the perception of the younger generation. He is a role model with a spray can.
Miuccia Prada
Designer/Co-CEO
Prada
Miuccia Prada is the creative driving force behind Prada. She took over the family-owned luxury goods manufacturer in 1978. And transformed it. She is lover of brave design, and an avid collector of art.
Jorgen Vig Knudstorp
CEO
Lego
He came in as Lego CEO in 2004, the company was struggling to give consumers what they wanted and effectively manage costs. He tried something novel — handing over creative direction to the core fans of the brand. It worked.
Robin Standefer/Stephen Alesch
Co- Founders
Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors
We don’t want to live in white boxes anymore is their ethos. Some of the world’s swankiest hotels, bars, and restaurants have their stamp on them. Turning them into destinations for the design-savvy (and Instagram hungry) set.
Mr Bingo
Illustrator/Author
Mr Bingo is an illustrator, artist and speaker, living and working in London. He has done something most creatives find hard. And that is do work that is close to edge. Where the greatest risks are. And the greatest rewards are too.
Gabriella Gomez-Mont
Co- Founders
Interior Designers
Gabriella Gómez-Mont is the founder and director of Laboratorio para la Ciudad, the experimental arm and creative think tank of the Mexico City government. Mexico needs her creative problem solving.
Adrian Bliss
Vlogger/filmmaker
A British Vlogger who is building an audience with his series about the trials and tribulations of trying to make it as a YouTuber. His approach is disarmingly honest. He wants lots of followers and a free airplane ticket.
Stanley Donwood
Artist/Writer
There is no slowing down. 2106 saw him release the artwork for ‘A Moon Shaped Pool’ for Radiohead’s 9th album. He did the art work in a temporary studio in France. He invited the weather to collaborate with him. As you do.
Stella Vine
Artist
Stella Vine is an inspiring English artist, who lives and works in London. Her work is figurative painting with subject matter drawn from either her personal life of family, friends and school, or rock stars, royalty and celebrities.
Tom Fishburne
Marketoonist
Tom started cartooning on the backs of business cases as a student at Harvard Business School. His cartoons have grown by word of mouth to reach 100,000 business readers each week and have been featured by the Wall Street Journal,
Thomas Heatherwick
Founder
Heatherwick Studio
Thomas Alexander Heatherwick, CBE, RDI, HonFREng is an English designer and the founder of London-based design practice Heatherwick Studio. Since the late 1990s Heatherwick has emerged as one of Britain’s most significant designers.
Janne Saario
Skateboarder
Skateboarding has carried Janne across the world to explore different kinds of environments to skate in. Nowadays, after his career as a pro skater he is focusing more on his one-man office to design surroundings for skateboarding.
Ruby Steel
Senior Design Strategist
Smart Design
Her designs fix things for people or makes their experience of life better. She has spent her career learning how to listen, watch and understand, so that real needs can be translated into meaningful design. Smart design, indeed.
Words That Matter
Louisa Thomsen Brits
Writer/Author
The Book of Hygge
She spent every summer with family in Denmark, learning the language of hygge. Hygge is a quality of presence and togetherness. A daily practice, a way to affirm interconnectedness and wellbeing. Her book has become a best seller.
Cal Newport
Author
Deep Work
Switch the wifi off. Stop being busy and distracted. And start doing some work. Deep Work, argues that focus is the new holy-grail. And that individuals who cultivate their ability to concentrate without distraction will thrive.
Dave Pell
Managing Editor of the Internet
Nextdraft
This is the news. Dave Pell style. And its refreshing. Honest. Heartfelt. Funny. Poignant. Sometimes all in the same sentence. He daily plucks the top ten most fascinating items of the day, and tells the news his way. Pure gold.
Jake Knapp
Author
Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days
Stop brainstorming. And go and take a small handful of your most important people out of your business. And spend 5 days with them. And, go from idea to prototype. This is called a sprint. You don’t have time to do it. You can’t not.
Steven Pressfield
Author
Do The Work/Turning Pro/The War of Art
Steven’s writing philosophy is a kind of warrior code for creative person and entrepreneur. Reading any of his books will help you understand that the barriers you face are put there by you. And will be removed by you.
Ryan Holiday
Author
Ego Is The Enemy
After his seminal book ‘The Obstacle Is The Way’ it was hard to imagine such a great follow up book to arrive so quickly. The Ego is The Enemy is a stunning book. Every creative should read it. It’ll help you do the best work of your life.
Carol Dweck
Proffessor/Author
Mindset
Her book explains why it’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success-but how we approach it with a fixed or growth mindset. She thinks praising intelligence and ability doesn’t foster self-esteem but may hamper success.
Tony Robbins
Author/Life Coach/Philanthropist
Money Master The Game
Every creative should read his book about money. It’s 700 plus pages. If we make our weak link our strength, it will give us the freedom to do our best work. Once we understand that, it will change our mindset on money.
Brene Brown
Author/Public Speaker
Daring Greatly/Rising Strong
Brené is an American scholar whose books have highlighted that vulnerability is a real strength. “He or she who is willing to be the most uncomfortable is not only the bravest but rises the fastest.”
JK Rowling
Author
Harry Potter
As a single mum, she took a part-time job at Amnesty International. The letters she read as part of her work from people suffering all over the world taught her empathy for others. It’s why she speaks out. And we’re glad she does.
A.J.Jacobs
Author/Experimenter
A.J. Jacobs is a guinea pig of self-experimentation who chronicles his shenanigans in books that seem to keep winding up as New York Times best sellers. His latest book is about how we are all related to each other
Jedidiah Jenkins
Writer/Experimenter
Jedidiah is a writer and an adventurer. He is at work on his first book about his bicycle trip from Oregon to Patagonia. He is Executive Editor of Wilderness Magazine and a contributor to the Paris Review. Follow him
Woody Tasch
Author
Slow Money
Woody is widely renowned as a thought leader in patient capital, mission-related investing and community development venture capital. He is former Chairman and CEO of Investor’s Circle (IC), one of the oldest angel networks.
Jiddu Krishnamurti’s
Author
To Be Human
Jiddu Krishnamurti was a philosopher, speaker and writer. In his early life he was groomed to be the new World Teacher but later rejected this mantle and withdrew from the Theosophy organisation behind it.
Mark Manson
Author
The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck
His book is about the importance of not paying focus to what other people think. “You can’t be an important life-changing presence for some without also being a joke and embarrassment to others.” Yup.
Music
Lauren Laverne
Broadcaster/Entrepreneur
Radio 6/The Pool
Radio 6 nearly got shut down. Then millions revolted. And here it is booming. Lauren is one of star DJ’s. She also co-founded The Pool, a website for “women who are too busy to browse” which includes news, fashion, culture and music.
Frank Ocean
Musician
Blonde
Christopher Francis “Frank” Ocean, is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. Known for his idiosyncratic musical style. Blonde was released on August 20, 2016, and was one of the albums of the year. No doubt.
Christine And The Queens
Musician
Héloïse Letissier, known by her stage name Christine and the Queens is a French singer, songwriter and producer. She was born in Nantes and has been signed to the independent record label Because Music since 2012. A star in the making.
Chilly Gonzales
Musician
Chilly Gonzales is a Canadian musician who resided in Paris, France for several years, and now lives in Cologne, Germany. Though best known for his first MC and electro albums, he is also a pianist, producer, and songwriter.
Macklemore
Musician
This Unruly Mess I’ve Made
Taking to hip-hop as a kid, he eventually released solo work before succumbing to drug abuse and entering rehab in 2008. He then teamed up with producer Ryan Lewis, and the two went on to have huge success with their debut albums.
Sia
Musician
This Is Acting
Tired of fame’s spotlight, Sia decided to only appear in public obscured by the wig, from TV performances to live appearances. She wanted her music to do the talking, and not what she looked like. Hit after hit has duly followed.
Drake
Musician
Views And More Life
Drake’s unconventional rise to hip-hop fame continues to prove an asset, not a hindrance. “This whole thing is unusual at this point,” he says, “so we’re just rolling with the fairytale vibe.”. Stay humble. Stay hungry. Stay ahead.
Radiohead
Singer/Songwriters/Musicians
A Moon Shaped Pool
Before they released their 9th album in the summer of 2016. Before that they removed all content from their website, Twitter and FaceBook. A clean slate for what turned out to be a remarkable album. A world tour sold out in minutes.
Nina Simone
Singer/Songwriter/Musician
While she may be gone, Simone left a lasting impression on the world of music, art and activism. She sang to share her truth, and her work still resonates with great emotion and power. The documentaries on her life won awards in 2016.
Leonard Cohen
Musician
For six decades, Leonard Cohen revealed his soul to the world through poetry and song — his deep and timeless humanity touching our very core. We lost him in 2016. But before he said goodbye he gave the world “You Want It Darker”.
Beyonce
Singer/Songwriter/Performer
The journey from rock star to icon is what she went on last year. In April 2016, she released her sixth studio album Lemonade after the airing of an HBO special. It was one of most played albums in the world last year.
Barns Courtney
Musician
Glitter and Gold
A British singer/songwriter who splits the difference between Ed Sheeran’s sensitivity, the big-footed stomp of early Mumford & Sons, and a keen moodiness. Courtney played at the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, TX.
Rae Sremmurd
Musician
SremmLife 2
Rae Sremmurd’s “Black Beatles” had their first No1 in 2016. With guest vocals from American rapper Gucci Mane and was produced by Mike Will Made It. No doubt helped by the #MannequinChallenge, which used it as its theme song.
Sport
Claudio Ranieri
Manager
Leicester City
This will make a great film. In his first season as the Foxes’ manager, he guided the pre-season relegation favourites to their first Premier League trophy — winning the Manager of the Year accolade. Fairytales do still happen.
Ishita Malaviya
Surfer
When you’re born into a country of 1.25 billion people, it’s hard to imagine being the first person to do anything. But a German exchange student introduced her to surfing. She is now India’s first pro surfer. 1 in a billion.
Michael Phelps
Swimmer
Michael Phelps competed in his first Olympics at the age of 15, At the 2016 Olympic Games, he won one silver and five gold medals, becoming the oldest individual gold medalist in Olympic swimming history.
Sarah Outen
Adventurer/Author
Dare to Do
Sarah Outen is a British adventurer, motivational speaker and author. After her World expedition, which saw her attempt to kayak, cycle and row 25,000 miles around the Northern Hemisphere, she released her second book ‘Dare to Do’.
Brian Anderson
Pro Skater
In 1999, Brian won the World Cup of Skateboarding in Germany. As he became an icon to skateboarders around the globe, he was hiding the fact that he was gay. In 2016 he came out. And talked openly about his fears about doing so.
Jurgen Klopp
Manager
Liverpool FC
The first thing he asked the Liverpool fans was to believe. And they did. Not since Bill Shankly have the fans taken a manager so much to heart. He believes in the team. He believes in attractive football. And it’s working. Y.N.W.A.
Usain Bolt
Sprinter
Arguably the most naturally gifted athlete the world has ever seen, Usain St Leo Bolt, created history at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio when he achieved the ‘Triple Triple’, three gold medals at three consecutive Olympic Games.
Conor McGregor
UFC
Whether you appreciate his style or consider him loud and excessive, there’s no denying this about Conor McGregor: the UFC has seen nothing like him. As he promised, he’s definitely taking over.
Nicky Spinks
Long Distance Runner
The inspirational Nicky Spinks made fell running history in May by becoming the fastest person to run a Double Bob Graham Round. The story of Nicky’s incredible life has been told in a new film called ‘Run Forever’.
Sebastian ‘Bas’ Keep
BMX
All boundaries are conventions are the words he lives and rides by. He spent a lot of the tail end of of 2016 preparing for a Red Bull film. You only have to watch that to see why he is on this list. Respect to him.
Product
John Monteleone
Founder
The art of the guitar and mandolin
“You just know when something is right. The excitement. A rush comes over me that tells me I’m on the right path. The design begins to dictate where it wants to go. It takes you for a ride. I grab the wheel and hold on.”
Eben Bayer/Gavin Mcintyre
Co Founders
Ecovative design
They stumbled upon mycelium in their backyard. The fine white filaments that are part of fungi such as mushrooms, form a bond as dense and strong as commercial adhesives used in plywood. A disruptive packaging tech was born.
Simon Matthews
Director of Design
Naim Audio
Naim have been nailing the digital audio market for the last decade. The Uniti, its most advanced all-in-one music streaming platform will ensure that it continues to dominate for the next decade. Boom.
Jeff Goodman
CEO
Kodak Ektachrome
As comebacks go, this is a good one. Over the next 12 months, Kodak Alaris will be remanufacturing the film at Kodak’s factory in Rochester, N.Y., with the revived film available for both motion picture and photography.
Gregg Buchbinder
Chairman
Emeco
Emeco struggled along for years, then it transformed itself through design. Today, it manufactures furniture collections designed by internationally recognised designers and architects such as Philippe Starck and Norman Foster.
Sverre Uhnger
Product Designer
To re-invent the beer glass is some undertaking. The result is a glass series that enhances aroma and flavour in addition to showcasing the beer and aquavits pleasing visual qualities. Here’s to good design.
Jack Dolan
Founder
Jack Dolan Knifes
The best craftsman always sign their work. His knives are made from carbon steel, burnt oak and antler. They are true heirloom pieces. He has no time for social media, but if you build it well, people will come. And they are.
Jan Kath
Founder/Designer
Rug Maker
John Kath combines classic elements from the oriental carpet with contemporary, minimalist design. The skills of carpet weavers in the workshops in Kathmandu (Nepal) are made relevant to a new, design conscious audience.
Curro Coronel
Founder/Creative Director
Hatter
Every single tiffer is unique, made from one pattern, and is manufactured according to centenary techniques and tools. The hats are made of wool, felt and cashmere, and made in London.
Ian Bennink/Tim Carrigan/James Arthur/Joni Steiner/
Nick Ierodiaconou
Co-founders
Opendesk
This is furniture designed for digital fabrication, it can be downloaded as a digital file and made locally — on demand, anywhere in the world. Opendesk furniture is fast, affordable and made on demand — just for you.
Kevin Hughes
Founder
Fire Wok
Kevin Hughes has worked as an artist metalsmith for over 25 years, by applying the same ecological and innovative approach, the development of the Firewok has resulted in a practical and simple solution to outdoor fires and cooking.
Frank/Stacey Manière/Yasue Carter
Co- Founders
(re)vision society
(re)vision society is a creative studio working on projects that inspire people to question the way things are made and consumed. They craft pieces and projects around a desire to limit the impact on our environment.
Podcasts
Tim Ferriss
Founder
The Tim Ferriss Show
A simple formula of deconstructing world-class performers from eclectic areas to find out the tactics, habits, routines that you can use. Nearly 100 million downloads from interviews with some of the most fascinating people on earth.
Sam Harris
Founder
Waking Up Sam Harris
The Waking Up podcast was selected by Apple as one of iTunes Best of 2015. He aims to grow our understanding of ourselves and the world that is changing our sense of how we should live.
Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich
Co- Host
Radiolab
Radiolab is a show about curiosity. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience. Radiolab is heard around the world on more than 500 stations.
Stuart Twigg/Victoria Twigg
Co- Founders
Off The Ropes
A weekly podcast revealing how the world’s top performers overcame adversity & got their lives ‘Off the Ropes’. It explores the mindset of the world’s most inspiring and courageous individuals. Life-changing, but real.
James Wedmore/Phoebe Mroczek
Co- Founders
The Mind Your Business Podcast
Success is created by mindset over strategy, magic over metrics, and attitude over action. In this podcast, James and co-host Phoebe Mroczek untangle the common misconception that hustle and hard work are all it takes.
Scroobius Pip
Founder
Distraction Pieces Podcast
In 2006 he quit his job in HMV and had 1000 copies of his debut album “No Commercial Breaks” pressed. He has done better than he expected. He is now a successful podcaster, actor, label boss, and, of course, rapper.
Malcolm Gladwell
Founder
Revisionist History Podcast
Over the course of 10 episodes, Revisionist History goes back and reinterprets something from the past: an event, a person, an idea. Something overlooked. Something misunderstood. Only as Malcolm Gladwell could.
Alex Blumberg
Co-founder/Host
Gimlet Media
It started as one podcast: StartUp. Refreshingly honest, raw and compelling. Gimlet Media’s podcasts are now downloaded over seven million times per month by listeners from nearly 190 countries worldwide.
Jim Brunberg
Founder
Roam Schooled
Kids ask questions. So many good questions. ROAM SCHOOLED is a program about what happens when a father and his twin daughters put away their devices and go in search of answers in their Winnebago RV.
Jenn White
Host
Making Oprah
From local talk show to a television show with 40 million viewers. Jenn’s podcast takes you on Oprah’s incredible journey, how she learned being herself was the most important thing, and why she’d always look for the good in folk.
Jocko Willink
Founder
Jocko Podcast
Jocko spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams, and ended up training the West Coast Seals. Now he uses his podcast to teach the leadership principles he learned on the battlefield to help others lead and win.
Pete Holmes
Founder
You Made It Weird
Peter Benedict “Pete” Holmes is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, podcaster, television host, and cartoonist. His podcast stems from a truth: Everybody has secret weirdness. He just gets comedians to share theirs.
Harry Stebbings
Founder
20 minute VC
His mission is to inspire and guide you with the insight and advice garnered from VCs who have achieved incredible success. All in an easily digestible twenty minutes, he shares the wisdom of founders who have been there and raised that.
Brave New Wales
Finn Beales
Photographer
As an award-winning photographer and director, he uses his work to remind us all that we are here but for a blink of an eye compared to that of the world around us. He is photographer that makes us see the bigger picture.
Hayley Parsons
Founder
GoCompare/Start-up Investor
She left school at 16 and started a business at her kitchen table and built GoCompare from nothing to one of the largest insurance comparison websites in the UK. She has since sold it and is investing in entrepreneurs in Wales.
Michael Sheen
Former Actor/Now Activist
Act 2. Michael Sheen gave up acting at the height of his career in 2016 to fight the rise of the far-right populism. The former star of such films as Nixon and Frost has decided to leave Hollywood and return to Port Talbot.
Kristian Hyde/Kay Hyde
Co- Founders
Hyde+Hyde
They are re-thinking Welsh architecture. This multi-award winning pair produce sustainable environments that demonstrate how good design is compatible with economic, social and environmental well-being.
Craig Roberts
Actor
Bargoed born actor spent 2016 filming Amazon Prime’s season two of Red Oaks. A coming-of-age comedy set in the “go-go” 80s about a college student enjoying a last hurrah before summer comes to an end — and the future begins.
Natasha Hale
Chief Executive
Screen Alliance Wales
Natasha has done such a good job at convincing Hollywood to make films in Wales, she is now heading up Screen Alliance. She is turning old unused factories into film studios. Sounds like a good script for a film.
Tom Frost
Print Maker
Trying to make his way as a print maker whilst restoring a Georgian house and raising a family in rural Wales. From limited edition screen prints, ceramics and homeware, he’s showing you can live where you want and do great work.
Sean Taylor
Co- Founder
Zip World
A pair of zip lines a mile long, where riders can exceed 100mph, 500ft high and experience the nearest thing to flying. It opened in 2014 in a historic slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. And its been going downhill fast ever since.
Tim Peake
Astronaut
Tim Peake beat over 9,000 other applicants for one of the six places on the ESA’s new astronaut training programme. 3,000 orbits later, he finished his 186-day Principia mission working on the International Space Programme in June 18.
Liam Burgess
Founder
NomNom Chocolate
Not since the Quakers started some of the most iconic chocolate companies of the early 19th century has a chocolate company had such a strong quest to bring great chocolate to its customers and a great life to its workers.
Jane Tranter/Julie Gardner
Co- Founder
Bad Wolf
And action. Los Angeles and Cardiff-based production firm Bad Wolf set up in 2016 by former BBC executives Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner — who were responsible for shows such as Doctor Who, Torchwood and Da Vinci’s Demons.
Steve Dimmick
Founder
Doopoll
In 2016 Doopoll was named the Sir Michael Moritz Tech Startup of the Year. Doopoll is a platform for engaging people that traditional opinion tools can’t reach and stimulating discussion around ideas. Ideas change the world.
Simon Wright
Founder
Wrights Food Emporium
When you are in the middle of nowhere, and 75,000 people come to eat with, drink with you, stay with you, you know you have created something remarkable. Simple, yes. Not in a bit stuffy. Just brilliant.
Mari Stevens
Head of Marketing
Visit Wales
Hello World, Wales is here. And it’s no longer willing to play small. Mari is embracing having a tiny budget, and with brave ideas is making it look huge. The launch of the ‘Epic’ campaign has struck a chord around the world.
Phew.
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