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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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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